7 Typical Reasons Why Your Split Ends Won't Go Away ...

1. Your Diet

First and foremost, let’s start from the inside out with why your split ends won’t go away. How’s your eating been lately? Been on a diet? Been eating a lot of sugar and refined foods? How about junk food? All of these things can cause split ends. Until I quit dieting and just started eating healthy, my hair was a wreck! Even at a low weight, and my highest weight, I had split ends. Now, I can’t remember the last time I found a split end in my hair. What do I eat now? Lots of leafy greens and green vegetables, foods rich in beta-carotene like pumpkin, sweet potatoes and carrots, nuts and seeds which are rich in B vitamins along with zinc and copper, plus plenty of protein and healthy fats from fish, raw vegan protein powder from Sunwarrior and Garden of Life, and healthy fats from raw coconut and cacao. For starters, not only is my diet delicious, but it also contains all the amino acids, healthy fats, and nourishing vitamins from plant foods that literally feed my hair, preventing breakage. Add these to your diet and stay away from sugar, refined foods, fast food, junk food and too much caffeine.

2. You’re Not Taking Your Vitamins

No matter how great you eat, your hair needs some extra vitamins. Vitamins alone won’t do it though. The eating is a must, by the way! Yet, taking a high quality, food based vitamin is a great way to nourish your hair and help prevent breakage and split ends. Focus on one with plenty of B vitamins, zinc, copper and manganese, along with plenty of selenium . All of these vitamins and minerals help keep your hair strong and healthy.

3. You Pull at It - a Lot!

If you dry your hair and tug away at it, brushing it too much when it is wet, not only is it more prone to breakage, but also split ends. Though your hair’s health is determined from the inside out, external actions do play a part. Instead of pulling at your hair, brush it with a detangling comb one time when you get out of the shower, and be sure to use a conditioning cream, such as blow out cream, and a leave-in conditioner, which will soften it and help the brushing/combing process along.

4. You’re Dehydrated

Along with not eating right, not drinking enough water can dehydrate you from the inside out. When your body is dehydrated, your hair can become dry, leading to breakage and split ends. Drink enough water so you’re never thirsty during the day, and eat plenty of water-rich foods like vegetables and fruits.

5. You Use a Lot of Products

Some products can do more damage to your hair than good. Some of these include harsh silicone based gels and styling agents. They cause your hair to dry out, and when you go to comb through your hair, the product builds up and causes you to have to work harder to get it out, or it just generally dries it out. All of these can cause your hair to break and split ends may occur.

6. You Smoke

Now, while I’ve never touched a cigarette in my life, I’m here to tell you that smoking will contribute to split ends, along with a host of other issues I won’t even get into. Smoking is bad for your entire body, along with your hair. Just quit. Period!

7. Stress

Believe it or not, stress can seriously ruin your hair. Stress overload depletes the hair of precious nutrients it needs to stay healthy, protected and free from split ends. Be sure that you’re managing your stress the best you can. I have always been prone to stress and manage mine best with daily yoga, daily quiet time and daily walks. It’s not ever perfect, but it does make a huge difference.

If you’d like more hair advice, I have more on my website. We also have some fabulous tips here on All Women Stalk. I’ve included links below for each website and I hope you’ll check them out if split ends, or other hair issues are a problem for you. Do you have split ends? What do you think might be causing them?

Sources: soulfulspoon.com, hair.allwomenstalk.com