How do I get rid of split ends and prevent new ones?

Reader A asked me this question recently and I thought it was perfect, because I’m the Queen of Split Ends.

What is the best way to get rid of all my split ends? And how can I prevent new split ends?

I remember the days back in highschool where I’d sit at the back of class and start trimming to pass time. I also started to do it to pass time when I couldn’t sleep (my goodness I’m weird) so I’d be lying in bed giving myself a trim.

I stopped with this obsession when one morning I woke up with a pair of scissors next to my face, because I had forgotten to put it away before sleeping. I vowed never to be so dumb again because cutting my face open and dying due to “obsession with split ends” kinda sucks. Anyway – on the the answer.

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no solution other then cutting them off. When your hair has split into three sections (or 8, in my case), then it’s beyond repair – hair can’t stick back together, so it’s best you just snip it off to prevent more splitting.

Also, prevention is better than cure – so to prevent split ends, here are some ideas:

• Before blow-drying, flat ironing or curling your hair, remember to use a heat protective spray beforehand. Also, try to keep heat styling tools to a minimum as much as you can and avoid using the highest heat level – they do unbelievable damage to your hair in the long run.

• Apply leave-in conditioner to your hair to further moisturize it. These are some of my favorites: Asciene Escence Lotion and Redken Extreme Anti-Snap. Coconut oil, although a bit greasy and oh-so smelly, is also an excellent hair conditioner.

• Apply a deep conditioning mask at least once a week to keep hair soft so your ends won’t split as easily. You can read how to do a deep conditioning mask at home at my post, How to: Deep Conditioning Hair Mask.

• Get regular trims to keep your hair looking healthy and free of split ends. If you’re trying to grow your hair out, just get 1/4 of an inch trims each time, something called “dusting” – basically, an extremely short trim to keep your hair still looking great!

So to summarize: split ends can only be cut off, so it’s really better to take care of your hair and get regular trims. Sad but true. :( What do you do to prevent split ends? Do you get them a lot?