Home BEAUTY

5 Expert-Approved Ways To Fix Split Ends

No emergency haircut required.

Split ends. Everyone gets them at some point, just as everyone struggles to deal with them. But with proper care and maintenance, you can avoid split ends as you head towards your next haircut. This is how.

1. Treat your hair like you would your skin

How many of us slavishly follow our skin’s every changing need (foaming cleanser one day; rich balm the next), but ignore our hair’s concerns? It’s easy to get stuck in a hair product rut, but mix things up and your tresses will thank you. “Some days your skin needs a heavy moisturiser, some days it needs to be deeply cleansed, and your hair is no different,” says Moroccanoil celebrity hairstylist Bryce Scarlett. Up your hair regimen’s ante by keeping concern-specific treatments at hand for when you need them – think deeply hydrating masks for dry ends. 

2. Choose the right shampoo and conditioner

Whatever your vice is (read: bleaching, highlighting, heating and colouring), the fundamental method to combating split ends is by selecting the proper products to incorporate into your hair care ritual. Regardless of how often you wash your hair, the right shampoo and conditioner can majorly improve your overall hair health. Healthy hair begins at the root, so it can be great to find a shampoo that aids in scalp care. 

Dercos

L’Oreal Dercos Anti-Dandruff Shampoo & Conditioner, from $26.99 at Chemist Warehouse

3.  Always use heat protectant

Split ends are all too often caused by heat damage, which can make hair dull and dry. “Using a hair protectant is instrumental in achieving healthy hair, because it allows a barrier between your hair and the damage caused by heat styling,” says Bryce. “It also joins hair strands together that are weak and need added support.” 

4. Ask for hair dusting

Hair dusting is a technique in which you don’t get rid of any hair length, but only the damaged hair tips,” LA stylist Sal Salcedo told Refinery29. “Think of it in terms of removing fuzz from clothes.” It works by snipping off the frazzled fly aways along the hair shaft for a smoother look. 

kerastase-genesis-serum

Kerastase Genesis Anti-Breakage Fortifying Hair Serum, $92 at Kerastase

5. Use The Right Formula

Bryce recommends boosting your hair routine with moisturising ingredients to nurture and protect the hair. “It will also keep hair from further breakage and splitting,” he says. Kerastase has a dedicated serum for anti-breakage, which claims to strengthen hair and reduce hair-fall, with fuller hair within six weeks. 

Related stories