Guide
Split ends
Split ends come mostly from combing or brushing through tangles at the worn ends of your hair, again and again. Cutting is what removes a split end, and conditioner can hold the split together, but only until your next shampoo.
Our page on how often to trim hair covers when to cut. For a cut with us, see our women’s haircut page.
Why the end of a hair wears most
Everyday combing, brushing and styling wear hair down. Hair grows from the root, so the end is the oldest part of each hair and has had the most wear. The thin outer layer that covers the inside of each hair wears away first at the end. Once it is gone, the inside can split along its length.
What causes split ends?
Tangles gather at the worn ends of hairs. Each time a comb or brush drags through one, it pulls and bends the end. Pulled and bent over and over, the hair develops tiny cracks inside, and the cracks join up into a split along its length.
Sun adds to the wear
Hair that has had a lot of sun is more likely to split. The end of each hair has had the most sun, because it is the oldest part.
What we’d do to wear the ends less
- Comb or brush only to style your hair, so the ends are pulled less often.
- Put conditioner on after each shampoo, so a comb pulls less hard on a tangle. More on looking after the outer layer is in our guide to frizzy hair in humidity.
- Pin long hair up under a hat or scarf in strong sun, so the ends stay in the shade.
Where yours comes from
If your hair tangles easily, we’d start by combing and brushing less and using conditioner. If you spend most days in strong sun, we’d start with the hat or scarf.
If you’d like to come in, you can book here.