Looking
good is good business, a popular phrase thrown around regarding overall
appearance and wellness. You cannot claim to actually look good unless you get
approval from the sense organs of those you encounter. Sense organs like the
eyes can be satisfied by overall outfit, skin, and hair. The nose doesn’t
welcome unpleasant odors while most ears do not appreciate vulgar utterances.
As skincare is to skin so is haircare to hair. Nothing beats getting the whole
ensemble, healthy skin, and healthy “growing” hair. I put emphasis on growing
because most Nigerian ladies have the fantasy of having long flowing hair like
those we see in those Indian movies we watch. Unfortunately, the hair is just
as stubborn as the skin if not more stubborn. You spend a fortune on products and
dedicate time and energy to taking care of it. Yet every time it's time to take
out that braids you find your hair falling generously nullifying any growth
your hair must have experienced from the roots. Does this sound familiar?
Gather round let me tell you the culprit responsible for that hair breakage. It
is a condition called split ends.

Causes
of split ends and measures to fix it

Split
ends are a form of naturally occurring hair damage that happens when your hair
becomes dry and frayed and start looking like the end of an unraveled rope. When
the end of your hair strand splinters into two, three, or even four thinner
lengths then you know that you have split ends and you see that manifesting in
frequent hair loss. There are several factors and habits that can lead to this
ranging from extreme weather, harsh products, and lack of adequate
moisturization. Habits that are responsible for this form of hair damage
include

It
is difficult to adhere to all precautions regarding the causes of split ends
and the average Nigerian lady has one or more of the habits listed above. I
belong to said group because I blow dry every now and then and let’s face it,
how many saloon attendants will actually let you check the temperature settings
of the dryer? After washing my hair, the next thing is to towel dry it, no time
abeg. I can’t be the only one that feels my hair is not clean enough if I don’t
wash my hair through and through with shampoo. So, let’s face it, almost every
lady will experience split ends at one point or the other so I wrote this
article to give a few tips that can help remove split ends and give you steady
growing hair. 

Most
Nigerian celebrities use wigs but there are a few that actually flaunt their
natural hair a couple of times. Celebrities like Adesua Etomi-Wellington, <a>and Jemima Osunde </a>to mention a few. My personal hair
crush is Jemima Osunde and anyone who actually knows her or follows her hair
journey will agree that her hair has seen massive and apparent growth over the
years. She is one of those naturalists that started somewhere from the middle
with her hair as it had always been full and not short. But on April 10th, she
posted a saloon appointment on her verified Instagram account where she dyed
her hair golden (we all know how tricky and risky dyeing one’s hair can be) and
the hair was giving, looking full, healthy, and long. Fast-forward to two
months later on the 3rd of July when she posted on her next hair
appointment and we can obviously significant growth from her roots without
breakage. That’s the goal: realistic hair growth despite the hustle and bustle
of everyday life.

Steps
to treat split ends and achieve that dream length

Be observant when
dealing with your hair: You can easily tell if your hair is damaged by checking if
it feels dry and tangled. You can also use a mirror and good lighting to locate
split ends that occur mostly at the tip of the hair but can also occur anywhere
in the hair. This is to help you identify that there is a problem to be tackled
before major damage is done.

<a href="https://www.wikihow.com/Trim-Your-Own-Split-Ends">Get yourself a trim</a>: You can take care of the split ends yourself by carefully trimming using
a pair of hair shears since scissors can fray the hair and lead to more split
ends. Cut about 0.25 inches above the splits to avoid reoccurrence. Be very
careful with this to avoid trimming excessively or better still get at a trim
at a saloon.

Treat hair repair products
with caution:&nbsp;Conditioners and other commercial treatments claim to
"heal" split ends. Most of such products just seal the split ends
without removing them or even preventing re-occurrence thereby providing at
best a temporary fix. Use them if that is what you are after but beware it can
have a long-term adverse effect.

Try to avoid the habits
listed above that can cause split ends. Make protective hairstyles your go to
styles, always opt for deep moisturizing treatment, avoid using too much heat
on your hair as Jemima Osunde suggested as hair care tips.


A fascinating insight into the hair condition called split ends, causes, and solution. A contradictory view to the narrative that most Africans can't grow hair beyond the shoulder taking excerpts from Jemima Osundes' hair growth and hair care tips.

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