Rough Texture
When your fingers run through your hair and detect a rough texture, chances are it’s due to dead ends. This condition occurs when hair cuticle begins to break off and leaves behind dry, flaky ends which eventually grow back in.
Regular trimming will prevent dead ends from traveling up your strands and leading to more breakage along your entire hair length.
Split Ends
Dead ends refer to the tips of your hair that have been overstressed by heat styling tools or harsh chemical treatments, causing its keratin cuticle to weaken and unravel, leading to dry, damaged and lifeless curls.
In order to prevent and treat dead ends effectively, avoid heat styling tools and harsh chemical treatments altogether while using moisturizing shampoo and conditioner regularly to hydrate curly tresses properly.
Dead ends can be identified if your hair feels “gummy” when wet, has small broken pieces at its tips that break off easily and knots easily, or looks dull, frizzy and lifeless. Other indicators could be forked ends which resemble “fishtails” or taper splits – these indicate damage that leads to inner medulla death and cessation of new growth of hair strands – frequent trims along with healthy regimens like using hydrating hair masks and keratin treatments can help ward off dead ends onset.
Dry Hair
Dry hair lacks natural oils and moisture essential for healthy strands to look their best, such as those found in healthy scalp oils. This condition can be brought about by over-shampooing, not rehydrating after showering or blow-drying, overusing heat styling tools or living in an area with low humidity that saps away moisture from your tresses.
Dry locks often look straw-like and dull while frizz may occur or become more brittle over time.
Stylists use what’s known as the broom test to spot dry and dead ends on hair, according to Conan. If a section is held towards the sky with all ends standing straight out like bristles from a broomstick, that indicates dry and dead ends on your strands, says Conan.
While trimming may be best option for eliminating them, products promoting hydration can provide relief as can dusting, which involves using shearing scissors only on dry strands to cut away only dead ends (not cutting length). Dusting also prevents breakages while leaving healthy-looking strands behind!
