Arrrrrgh! Better way to get rid of split ends? (LONG-Sorry!)

[aileenadq]

I'm a texlaxed/relaxed 3c. I've been on LHCF for almost two years, and I do feel like I'm made some progress, but not enough. (I started at almost neck length, but I'm just barely at APL-at least at the longest lenths.)

I wash 1-2 x per week and I rollerset, sit under the dryer, and flat iron (lightly, and only 1/2 way down the shaft) then wrap. I also use semi-perm color to cover my grays (a must, as my hair is naturally v. dark black) and I have too many grays to leave them alone. I also moisturize multiple times a day.

The problem is that trimming or dusting just isn't enough. Why? It's because my hair is not the same length (due to years of breakage). In other words, if you picked up a chunk of hair from any location on my scalp, you would see that although the hairs start at the same point (the scalp) they end anywhere from 3-4 inches from the scalp to 12-15 inches. There are hairs that are all in between those lengths.

My solution to this has been to "seek and destroy". In other words, I trim and or dust as necessary, but because there are so many other "ends" to trim, I also lay part my hair in small increments and run my fingers down the hair beding it slightly (my hair "pops up" when it's straight as I do this) and I hunt down individual splits and cut about an inch above the split. This can take hours and hours, and I STILL find splits ten minutes later. I now keep my hair scissors on my bedstand.

So, my questions are these:

1) Does anyone else have the same problem?

2) What do you do / have done about it? Is it/ was it successful?

3) What do you think caused this problem?

4) Short of cutting my hair very short (which would make me look butch and even chubbier) what can I do about it? Frankly, my hair is one of my only beauty assets, so it's staying the length it is or longer.

5) Do any of you (being such astute obseververs of hair issues in general) notice this in other women?

Any and all input is appreciated! TIA!

 

[Miss*Tress]

It sounds as if you're fussing with your hair too much. First, stop looking for split ends. Also, since you're a texlaxed 3c, rollersetting should get your hair smooth enough so you don't have to flat iron. If it doesn't it could mean your technique needs improving. Lastly, keep your hair up and it will grow out to BSL before you know it.

 

[sexyaqr]

I agree with the above post. Stop paying too much attention to the hair. I think that you should try to eliminate the flat iron for a while. My hair was badly damaged for years from the continuous use of the flat iron, blow dryers, curling irons. Probably you are need a protein treatment.

 

[CutiePie0Five]

Girl, I was going through the same thing. I'm transitioning and haven't been to a salon since January, so I started doing my own trimming myself. This also involved seeking out individual split ends---my scissor is always close by lol! It's so addicting. I think it helps, because you can catch splits before they get really bad, but I don't think it's good for your hair. Yesterday I just sucked it up, went back to my old stylist and got a trim. I don't think I'll be trimming my hair myself ever again because I felt like my hair was jacked-up--but I will still attack a split end if I see one.

My advice is to stop looking for em' and maybe just get your hair evened up so the ends will be thick and lovely and you won't have to worry about splits. Oh, and don't flat iron too much, it's the devil! lol

 

[Vshanell]

I agree w/ the above posters on flat ironing. If you cut down on that I think you will definitely see improvement. In my experience flat ironing even once every two weeks was causing splits and I am very careful too, so now I'm sure that heat is the devil and was causing splits.

 

[Synthia]

Hi,

I don't think you're fussing over your hair too much. IF you consider it your only beauty asset than you want to maximize it.

I agree with the others that you should stop flat ironing. You don't want to relax bone straight? So you won't have to flat iron? I know some people think that weakens the shaft, but there's protein to combat that.

About trimming. I've never been a fan of the search and destroy method, because you can never have even length with it -- and my dream is to have even hair (yes I'm months away from that but anyway...).

So I just trim the "hem" I trim about 1/8 inch off with every 8-week relaxer. Yes, it will take a long time for me to even up at that rate. And yes, it will take a long time for me to thicken at that rate.

But the hairs above the hem really aren't exposed to the stress of the hem so I feel no compulsion to cut them. Eventually they'll grow down to the hem and be whacked straight with the rest and I'll be elated.

I'm hoping by July to have even hair this way (especially if I do a little chopping of that tail by the end of the year). Just my 2 cents.