Making Monday Pretty: Tips to Avoid Split Ends

Whether you have short, medium length or long hair, you want it to look healthy, and the number one way to keep your hair healthy, strong and shiny is to avoid frayed split ends which can give your hair a rough appearance. Here are 5 tips to keeping everything smooth and split free...

1. Brush the right way. For everyday brushing make sure you are using a cushioned paddle brush with flexible bristled that will work with the hair to detangle rather than ripping the hair out. When brushing make sure to start at the ends and gently detangle your way up rather than dragging the brush from root to tip and ending up with a clump of knots at the end. When your hair is wet and at its most fragile, make sure to only use a wide toothed comb.

2. Shampoo the right way. Firstly, don't shampoo every day. If you have oily hair wear it up every other day or invest in some dry shampoo, but try to stretch your shampoos out as long as possible. When you absolutely must wash your hair, never pile it all on top of your head and scrub. Let your hair simply hang down your back and just scrub your scalp, when you rinse the shampoo out that will be enough to cleanse the ends without drying them out.

3. Always condition the ends. If you have oily hair you may not want to condition the hair at your scalp but always, always condition from the mid shaft to the ends to help repair damage and keep the older hair moisturized. If possible, let it sink in for a few minutes before rinsing out and leave just a little bit behind.

4. Towel off gently. Never, ever rub your hair with a towel after the shower. Simply wrap your hair into the towel and gently squeeze out excess water. There are even specific towels made to absorb excess water from your hair for faster air drying time. 

5. Use heat the safest way possible. If you are just blow drying your hair to get it dry and are planning on following up with other hot hair tools after, try to focus the heat on the roots and tops of the hair and let the more damaged ends of your hair dry from the "second hand" heat. When using a straightener, make sure to use a comb or brush to guide the straightener through hair. This helps to avoid straightening your hair into a kink or bend which not only can break the hair but also means you will have to run the straightener over that section of hair another time. When using a curling iron, rather than starting from the ends and curling up, wrap the roots around the wand first and leave the ends off the iron. This not only protects the most damaged areas but also gives a more beach, effortless look to your curls.

Have a beautiful Monday everyone!