Clearly the beauty world wants you to know these are bad news.

But why are they such a big deal?

What are split ends?

Hannah Frye

“They are often sparked by alack of moistureand hydration throughout the hair stand,” Reavey says.

Both triple and feather splits are a major sign of exhaustion coming from your strands.

Tree splits

Tree splits have multiple splits on only one side of the strand.

Hand of young woman holding brunette hair and checking split ends.

“When split ends are left untouched, they are more prone to cause additional damage.”

How to prevent split ends

Like most things in beauty, prevention is the best treatment.

Let’s get into how to do just that.

split ends chart

But at the very least, use a heat protectant.

These coat the strands in a protective barrier, making the fiber less vulnerable to wear and tear.

And if you have a knot, tread lightly.

Always follow up with ahydrating conditioneron the lengths as well.

Even if you use the best products on the market, manual damage is certainly still possible.

Ditch hot water

As we often recommend, avoid extremesbalance is key.

It’s best to keep your shower water lukewarmthat goes for washing your hairand your body.

If you don’t want to buy a specific hair towel, then an old cotton T-shirt will do.

“This towel dries hair 50% faster, all while reducing excess friction.

No more frizz and damaged hair strands,” Reavey says.

Get regular trims

“Split ends are most easily remedied by trimming off,” Hans says.

Best practice for trims is every three months for the sake of hair health.

However, you canconcealthem for styling purposes.

First thing firstusing less heat will lead to fewer split ends.

Why are split ends bad?

Split ends can be problematic because they make the ends of your hair more brittle.

Does leave-in conditioner help with split ends?

Short answer, yes.

Our top pick: TheAct + Acre Leave-In Conditioner.

Do split ends stop your hair from growing?

Should you peel your split ends?

Peeling your split ends will only make the split deeper, which leaves evenmoreof your strand brittle and damaged.