Split Ends Enemy

Split ends are the enemy of every hairdo and style out there from long, wavy and tousled locks to neat buns of hair. Split ends make any hair style look unhealthy, dry and the hair seems like it's unravelling and broken down and if not treated properly the problem only gets worse.

1. Minimise highliting and hair colouring.  Hair colouring uses chemicals that penetrate the hair's shaft to change the pigments that lie within. Highlighting and making your hair shade lighter is much worse because these processes use bleach that penetrates right through the hair's cuticle to erase its colour, preparing the strand for a new shade.

2. Take it easy with heating tools: Because our hairs don't have nerve endings we can't feel the heat we are piling on when we are using the hair dryer, flat iron of curlers.  Often times we are actually burning the hair by using heat levels that are far over what is healthy. Monitor the temperature of instruments to make sure they don't go over 180 degrees for thick hair and 150 degrees for finer hair types. When you are heat styling, be sure that your hair is at least 90 percent dry because leftover water can get superheated, causing abnormally high temperatures within the hair's cuticles.

3. Be gentle with wet strands: When hair is wet it absorbs the water, making each individual strand swell up. This means your hair is more vulnerable to damage when combing or brushing with too much force. Make sure you are using a wide-toothed comb and slowly move it through your locks for detangling purposes.

4. Strengthen with hair conditioner: If you're hair is naturally a little weaker then look for hair treatments and hair care products that can add a bit of strength to sustain styling and everyday wear and tear. You might want to consult your pharmacist or beauty salon for hair creams that provide a protective layer that covers the hair ends and also fortifies inner hair proteins to protect against future damages.    

5. Use strengthening products: Due to the benefits of increased research, products are now available on the market which help repair split ends. Pantene's Clinicare range is specifically formulated to repair severe accumlative damage in just one month.