The Air is making my ends split!

[nijilah]

Ok, I have finally found a hair length inhibitor. The background information is that about a month ago, I straightened out my hair to give myself a trim and found so many split ends that I was

and

. I went ahead and gave myself a serious trim, about 1-2 inches depending on the damage. Since them, I have been wearing an instant weave or fall so only a tiny bit of the front of my hair is out. The hair under the fall is plaited into 5 plaits.

The routine is that every night, I undo each plait, spray it with distilled water and apply a moisturizer (olive oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, profective healthy ends, whatever...), and then I rebraid the plait and do the baggie method to each plait.

Finding the problem:
Today, I examined the hair that is out in the front (which I also wet, moisture and braid every night) and there were a ton a split ends. I mean some of the ends were split in at 3 parts

! I just trimmed a month ago, at least an inch, so what is going on?!

Well, I took at my plaits with the baggies on them and examined the ends -- beautiful, moisturized, and healthy.

So, this proved to me that the air is making my ends split. I am EXTREMELY gentle with my hair; I don't brush it; I sleep in a satin cap ON a satin pillowcase! What else can I possibly do?!

Anyway, this weekend, I am going out to look for bun covers/chignons and I am going to join the bun challenge.

It is only fall now and if my ends are spliting like this now, in the winter, my ends will be in a disaster!

If anyone has any advise for MORE protection the ends, please advise. I hope this discovery will help those who have very dry ends and can't figure out what is going on when you moisturize everyday.

 

[soulchild]

Wow that's unfortunate. What is the weather like over there?

 

[Lucia]

Sorry to hear that but at least you found out the problem, and the baggie method is really good. You're on the right track.

 

[Spagirl]

The part you leave out in the front, are you hot curling it or anything like that? You might want to check your moisturizes for non-water solube "cone" and "waxes". Your air exposed hair might be sensitive to those ingredients and they might also be building up on your hair.

 

[shelli4018]

I had that problem for a while. I guess I wasn't detangling may hair well enough when I'd do my braidouts. Even though the style turned out lovely my ends were getting worse and worse. I ended up cutting 2 inches over the summer. Now I'm wearing a bun most days.

 

[nijilah]

soulchild,
The weather isn't cold right now, not yet. It just turned fall so the mornings are a little cool, but generally, the days are still hot. That is why I am dreading winter verses my hair!

Spagirl,
I actually don't use a curling iron in the front, just water and oils. Most of the time, I use plain oils so I don't think that it is cons or waxes, but it is possible.

I am just VERY happy that I actually NOTICED something as important of this! Hopefully addressing it, I will get some good growth.

Thanks for your advise everyone!

 

[Nyambura]

Nijilah, I'm sorry to read you had to trim a few inches due to splits. I agree with the poster who recommended the baggie trick

and I'm glad to see you'll be joining us on the bun challenge (although sometimes, honestly, the monotony of styles gets to me, lol). I remember reading Wanakee in Essence years ago, when she was just launching her product line (now known as Verifen or Beverly Johnson or some such) and she had come to the same conclusion as you: that air is drying. She even put it up on her website, as the reason for wearing protective styles (e.g., ends not exposed to the air) to attain length.

Good luck, chica!

oh - and I know everyone's hair is different, but when the winter air here gets unbearably harsh and dry, I make sure my hair is always covered before I go outside (even if it's just for a short time). I tried the tip from Adrienne and Leejure re: using Vaseline on the ends, and that worked nicely too

(and then put on the baggie, nylon, and scrunchie). HTH!