There are many hair maintenance dos and don’ts that help maintain the health of our hair. Keeping the ends of our hair healthy is extremely important because it’s the oldest part of our hair strands. The ends of our hair are prone to dryness and split ends, which can affect the health of our entire head of hair.
To ensure that we keep our hair healthy and strong, let’s explore a few hair maintenance tips to keep the ends of our hair in great condition.
Regular Hair Trims
A good way to tell if your hair needs trimming is if your hair is tangling frequently. Regular hair trimming is a critical technique to keep hair healthy, and it also contributes to length retention.
Our hair grows at a normal rate, but it can seem like it’s not growing at all because of split ends. If you’re neglecting your ends by avoiding regular trims, your hair may be breaking off as soon as it grows.
So, if you want to avoid breakage, maintain healthy hair, and retain length, then pay close attention to the ends of your hair and don’t be afraid of frequent trims.
Quick Tip: Cutting the hair in horizontal lines is a good way to retain length. Cutting the hair vertically takes away a lot of weight, and weight is important when you’re growing out your hair because it adds depth and volume to haircuts.
Moisturized Ends
Target the ends of your hair with products like serums, oils, butters, and moisturizers. The best way to moisturize is in sections. Part the hair into four sections and apply the moisturizing product to the ends of the hair first. After applying product to the ends, you’ll work your way up to the main shaft, and then the base (scalp). This process is referred to as an oversaturation method and it works even better if you sit under a hair steamer/hooded dryer for about 20 minutes and rinse out the treatment afterwards.
Heatless Styling
Improper heat techniques and tools are one of the quickest ways to cause split ends. Frequent use of heat causes extreme damage to the ends of the hair which could already be stressed due to other chemical or physical factors.
Opting for protective styling or heatless curling tools, such as flexi rods or perm rods, are great alternatives to heat. Also, when stretching the hair to achieve a desired hairstyle, the blow dryer is a go-to hair tool, but instead of using a blow dryer you could opt for the banding method or a simple braid out to stretch the hair. Try using heatless techniques as much as possible to keep from drying out your ends and causing breakage.
Although the ends of your hair are the oldest part, it’s pretty much the foundation for healthy hair overall. Make sure that your hair maintenance routine specifically targets the ends of your hair with regular trims, adequate moisture, and reduced heat styling. Utilizing these techniques will help you achieve your hair goals and start you on your way to healthy hair.