Split ends and damaged hair happens. Staring at it in the mirror isn't going to repair it any quicker so you might as well face the fact that you're going to have to clip off some of your beautiful hair. While it may seem more hopeful that suddenly the damaged ends will repair themselves with different oils and hair lotions, once it's damaged, the easiest and most useful way to get your hair back to normal is to clip off the damage. Leaving it there to mingle with the rest of your hair is like putting on deodorant and perfume after taking a 30-minute jog around Morgan Park High School's track field. The damage will be done, and it will only destroy more of your hair. Take care of it now before it's a funky mess.
Split ends can happen from too much heat on your hair from hair dryers or curling and flat irons, bad conditioner or shampoo, too much direct exposure to the sun, using excessive hair spray or gel, or a bad perm. You can cut your own damaged hair and clip split ends, but if you don't trust yourself to do it, see a licensed beautician. Don't cut more of your hair off than necessary trying to fix a hair issue. If you're brave enough to do it yourself, here are the steps to complete this hair task.
Step One: Wash and condition your hair as you normally would. Do not dry. The reason why wet hair is recommended for clipping split ends and damaged hair is because when your hair is dry, it may frizz up. With Chicago's heat, if your hair naturally curls up or balls up from humidity, it may be longer than what the eye sees. When it's wet, it stretches down to its longest length.
Step Two: Use hair scissors, not office supply scissors. The problem with office supply scissors is they're usually not sharp enough and the edges aren't meant to even hair. Using office scissors may cause you to cut more hair than necessary because of their blunt ends.
Step Three: Have plenty of mirrors around to see each side of your head. This is one of the problems with cutting your own hair. You can't see the back, and if you're not flexible and/or your hair isn't long, being able to evenly cut it may be a problem. A two-sided desk mirror may work if you can balance it so it's aimed at a dresser mirror. You can try holding your hair straight up at arm's length instead of cutting while reaching your arms behind you, too. But do not tilt your head a bunch of different ways trying to clip your ends. You don't hold your head sideways when you walk so chances are you'll end up cutting uneven lengths.
Step Four: Comb all of your hair to one side of your head. When your hair is wet, it tends to fall all over your head. This is why it's so important to know exactly what area of your hair you're cutting and keep track of which sections have been cut already. You may want to use clips to hold wet hair in place.
Step Five: Part and comb small sections of your hair out, hold it between your index and middle finger, and cut straight across. Make sure to only cut the uneven ends. Some sites say to twist hair, but when it's wet, the split ends won't stick out the way they would when your hair is dry. Make sure you have sufficient lighting so you can see the ends of your hair from all angles.
Step Six: Take your time when clipping damaged hair or split ends. Do not take large chunks of your hair and go clipper crazy. Only separate as much hair as you would to flat iron or curl your hair, maybe less. The point is to get rid of damaged sections not to race against the clock.
For more info:
"Avoid excessive heat on hair while using curling irons, flat irons, hair relaxer and hair dryers"
"Eleven tips for how to grow long, healthy black hair"
"Silk and satin hair wraps on black hair, why are they necessary during sleeping hours?"
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