- Run your fingers through your hair and check the last inch. If you can see any of the strands literally splitting off, you have split ends. The more you have, the more damaged your hair is.
- If you find yourself with a lot of split ends, it signifies considerable damage to your hair and also that you may not have recently had a hair cut. Things that can increase the damage on your hair are overdrying, heat damage, sun damage or lack of regular maintenance (hair cutting).
- To prevent split ends, keep your hair conditioned. Use a more intensive conditioner (or a conditioning masque once weekly) and pay special attention to the tips. While styling, use a leave-in conditioner if you're experiencing a lot of breakage. Also, trade in high heat curlers, straighteners and dryers for low and medium heat styling tools that offer less heat to damage your hair.
- Many people believe that if you have split ends already, you can use the prevention tips above to solve the problem. This is not true. The only way to get rid of split ends is to get a hair cut.
- By removing your split ends or preventing them in the first place, your hair will be healthier from root to tip. Healthy hair shines, feels silky and manages better.
