What Happens If You Don’t Cut Your Split Ends?

Never cut your split ends? Learn what can happen if you do so!

Written by Kate Holmsy. Updated on What Happens If You Don’t Cut Your Split Ends (2)

Those horrible split ends! No woman exists who would like to notice them one day on the ends of her tresses! When our hair splits, it looks messy and slovenly. In addition, it becomes more brittle and predisposed to various kinds of damage. And if you style your locks a lot, that is really going to be a problem for you!

So can we prevent those split ends from appearing at all? And what could happen if we stopped trimming our hair in order to cut the split ends off? Let’s figure this out!

What Happens If You Have Split Ends And You Never Cut Them

Do you already have extreme split ends, but for some reason you still hesitate about going to the salon and cutting them off? Well, my friend, you shall do that as soon as possible, because the consequences can be rather unpleasant and harmful to your mane! Brittle hair, ugly and crooked, weak and frizzy, this is what you are going to have on your head if not cutting the split ends.

What is a split end?

It is an effect that appears on the tips of our hair. When it happens, the ends of our hairs start splitting, they become dry and brittle, and often badly frayed. Some also say that split ends begin to appear when we use low-quality hair brushes and combs, for instance, the plastic ones since they tend to ruin the hair shafts.

What happens if you don’t cut your split ends? Well, unlike the common myth, your locks will keep on growing. However, you will soon notice some changes that will definitely not make you happy!

  • Your hair will turn brittle and fragile
  • The locks can become dull
  • There will be that recognizable frizzy look of your hair that will ruin any hairstyle
  • The split ends can be seen with the naked eye, the double-ended hairs that make the whole head look untidy

And if you do nothing about it, those split ends will keep on splitting getting higher and higher all the way up the hair shaft. Sooner or later, they will cover all your mane from the tips to the very scalp! And believe us, that will be way harder to fix in comparison to only several damaged hairs.

Are Split Ends Bad For Your Mane?

Indeed, are they as bad as people say? The short answer is yes. They are really bad!
You see, when your hair starts to split, it is not always the sign of improper care or treatment (e.g. because of bad combs or unsuitable shampoos). More often, it happens when our tresses are already damaged or even unhealthy!

When it happens, the hairs begin to split just like an unraveling rope at the end, separating in two or more segments. It makes the whole hair shaft predisposed to breakage and as a result, to further splitting.

In the end, if nothing is done to fix the problem, the whole chevelure will consist of those damaged and frizzy hairs! Split ends will travel up your mane and break it off higher and higher, eventually leaving you with short strands. And once the disaster gets to the roots, you are in real trouble since hair that suffers from split ends will keep on getting ruined.

This is why it is so important to spot the very first signs of split ends on your hairs and do your best to fix the issue before it spreads further.

What Happens If You Have Split Ends And You Never Cut Them
Voyagerix, via Canva.com

Why to Cut Split Ends?

As you could already understand, cutting ends of hair is an essential part of the hair care routine. Of course, it must not be done too frequently. Depending on the state of your locks, it might be necessary to trim them once or twice a year. But if they are badly damaged already, then it will most likely be necessary to do the procedure more often.

What does cutting split ends give? Well, first of all, it removes them making your tresses look way more good-looking and tidy. Also, regular trimming will promote your hair growth unlike the common belief that it will make the mane stop growing.
When cutting your split ends off, you will also prevent further breakage by deleting the dead ends.

What Happens If Your Split Ends Reach Your Scalp

Those terrible split ends do have a nasty habit. If you don’t take care of them in time, they will keep on crawling up the hair shaft spreading higher and higher, and eventually, the whole chevelure of yours will be covered with those frizzy and damaged split hairs!

But the worst will happen in case the problem reaches the scalp. The splits will sooner or later get to your head causing damage on their way. Finally, you will end up with frizzy, crooked, broken hair. Fissures, fractures, and splints are coming as a “bonus”. Of course, it will also lead to the loss of volume and make your locks much thinner and weaker from the top.

What Happens If Your Split Ends Reach Your Scalp
Voyagerix, via Canva.com

Why Is My Hair Split All The Way Up?

This is a common question that people ask when they miss the due moment and the splits feel free to spread all over their heads. The answer is obvious: it happens because you missed the moment and didn’t start trimming your hair, cutting those split ends off regularly.

See, splits tend to move upwards destroying the hair shaft if we don’t take preventive actions like trimming. They will sooner or later damage the entire shaft destroying the strand completely, often beyond repair. And since split ends no longer have smooth cuticles that cover them, they will be naturally snagging and catching on each other, as well as on healthy hair.

How to Cut Split Ends Without Losing Length

Most owners of long locks are afraid to trim split ends because they believe their hair will never grow long again. Considering that a haircut is the only remedy (as well as the way of how to prevent split ends) when your tresses have already started to split, such worries can easily be understood.

However, we know an easy method of how to cut split ends so that you will not end up with a pixie-style haircut:

  1. Start with brushing your hair through thoroughly to detangle
  2. Section your mane into four equal parts (or more)
  3. Trim your splits accurately starting with the ends and then proceeding to the lengths

When trimming, do it into the hair using a point-cutting method. Like that, you will not end up with a too straight line.

How to Cut Split Ends Without Losing Length
Voyagerix, via Canva.com

Why Is My Hair Getting Shorter And Thinner?

If you notice your tresses are turning thinner and shorter, the reason can be not only in splits. There are several most common causes that can result in weak strands and the overall degradation of your hair health and appearance.

  • stress
  • illness
  • medications
  • diets
  • thyroid problems
  • age
  • genes and hormones
  • alopecia

So if you see that your mane is getting thinner, we suggest you visit a doctor to figure out what the problem is, and to have your locks properly treated.

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Kate worked in "The Fashion Magazine" for four years as a freelance writer and loved to consult and help people with their style. How to create your own style, how to look beautiful, and select trendy colors for your hair - these are just a few of many issues Kate will happily explain in Beezzly Beauty blogs!
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