Weird split end behavior

**spidermom** · September 15th, 2009, 11:36 AM

Has anybody ever done this: snipped above a split, and the hair immediately opened in a split again? This just happened to me twice (put the scissors down, spidey; back away).

A split end sometimes travels further up a hair shaft than it appears.

**Kimberly** · September 15th, 2009, 11:43 AM

This has happened to me many times. Sometimes I have to snip three or occasionally four times to get the whole split. Incidentally, I haven't had this problem since I switched to WO . . . splits and shedding are both greatly reduced for me.

**Lamb** · September 15th, 2009, 12:20 PM

Perhaps the split was longer, but the hair shaft didn't "open" before you snipped - kinda like a zipper, if you know what I mean.

**Sheltie_Momma** · September 15th, 2009, 12:51 PM

this happens to me. My splits are because of using the flat iron, so the damage goes a long way up.

**girloctopus** · September 15th, 2009, 01:07 PM

I had that happen last time I did a S&D. I had to take a break because it was frustrating!

**Heidi_234** · September 15th, 2009, 01:11 PM

Sometimes I have two fine hairs pretending to be one with the end split. But if I come across one like you mentioned, Spidermom, it would be a first. And keep trimming, these splits have no place in your hair.

**heatherdazy** · September 15th, 2009, 02:02 PM

This could possibly be caused by low quality, dull, or out of alignment shears. I once had a coworker who refused to pay to have his one and only pair of shears sharpened (it's usually only about $40!) and his clients would be back three weeks later with a head full of splits.

I have to have mine sharpened every 4 months or so. Obviously, you're only using them on yourself so they won't go dull as quickly, but if you've had them a few years, used them on anything besides hair, or dropped/bumped them, it's certainly a possibility.

Check them by wetting toilet paper with a spray bottle. Snip into the paper, then once the shears are closed, slowly pull them straight down. If you get a clean cut with no ripping, they're fine. Anything else and there's something wrong.

**spidermom** · September 15th, 2009, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by heatherdazy

This could possibly be caused by low quality, dull, or out of alignment shears. I once had a coworker who refused to pay to have his one and only pair of shears sharpened (it's usually only about $40!) and his clients would be back three weeks later with a head full of splits.

I have to have mine sharpened every 4 months or so. Obviously, you're only using them on yourself so they won't go dull as quickly, but if you've had them a few years, used them on anything besides hair, or dropped/bumped them, it's certainly a possibility.

Check them by wetting toilet paper with a spray bottle. Snip into the paper, then once the shears are closed, slowly pull them straight down. If you get a clean cut with no ripping, they're fine. Anything else and there's something wrong.

How much toilet paper? One ply? Two? A single square or several?

**Anje** · September 15th, 2009, 02:49 PM

Ooh, I like this toilet paper test.... Guess what I'm doing tonight!

I sometimes get splits like that. For me, I think it's sometimes something like an "eyelet" split within the hair, and then the hair also has a split end. Cutting into the eyelet will give an instant new split.

**heatherdazy** · September 15th, 2009, 02:50 PM

One square should be fine unless you have very long shears. You just need enough to test the whole length of the blade. I can't imagine ply would matter much.