Split ends! Why do they happen, and can you repair them?

Before going into that you need to know, what actually are split ends? Since hair grows from the roots, the ends of your hair are actually the oldest. Remember all the times when you have ignored your haircare? That is why your locks might lack nourishment. When the ends become dry, brittle and frayed, they split.

In a nutshell, exposure to chemicals, heat, and rough treatment. If you use products that dry out your hair or wash them too vigorously, there is a fair chance that your ends might split. When your hair is malnourished, it splits from the end. The strength of your hair is determined by your nutrition, the water you drink, the food you eat, and your overall body & hair health. Your hair will be more prone to split ends if your body is dehydrated, malnourished, or protein deficient. If this is your lifestyle (with respect to your hair), you probably have split ends –
- You heat-style your hair frequently. Ironing, curling, blow-drying, etc.
- You love bleaching and coloring your hair and frequently go through chemical hair treatments
- Your hair is exposed to seawater, chlorinated water, pollution, sunlight and smoke a lot
- You use hair ties and clips and pins made of or containing metal pieces
- You shampoo everyday
- You towel-dry your hair and brush them harshly
- You brush your hair when it is wet
- You tie your hair too tightly for long periods of time (side note – please don’t do that. Tying your hair too tightly can give you headaches too!)
We know you’re guilty of some of these mistakes if not all, but you may be thinking are split ends really that bad? How do they affect the way your hair looks?
Let us tell you how

Get a good-night’s sleep every day. At least 8 hours is recommended. And if you tend to stay awake at night working, try getting some of that much needed rest during the weekends. Sleep with calming music playing in the background, you’ll have a much deeper, sounder sleep.

In terms of a healthy diet, your hair needs certain nutrients more than others. Make sure to include these nutrients in your everyday meals. Food high in omega 3’s help strengthen your hair strands from the inside out. Your body does not create omega 3’s naturally so it is absolutely essential that you consume foods like walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, help seeds, edamame and red beans in your diet to give your hair the nutrients it so desperately needs.

Apart from omega 3’s, your hair also needs iron because the hair follicle and root are nourished by a nutrient-rich blood supply. Iron is easily available in dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, lentils and tofu.

May we recommend a really tasty salad that you can weave into your diet for your daily dose of iron and omega 3? Tear equal parts of kale and spinach. Add in a handful of roasted walnuts. Fry up some seasoned tofu and add it in. Also add some boiled green lentils and red beans. Drizzle your salad with a delicious blend of peanut butter, ginger-garlic paste, soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice and chili flakes. Toss and enjoy the nutrient rich goodness!