Hands up who hasn’t at least once in the last few months searched the phrase “how to cut your own split ends”? Not only have searches for ‘cutting hair’ increased by 724%, but - judging from our social media feeds - cutting split ends at home has become a major pastime.
We get it. At times, your hair might not be feeling its best. Without its regular appointments to trim split ends, the ends feel dry and damaged and it’s not as easy to style. But equally, you’re not a trained hairdresser – one wrong move and you could be growing out your home haircut for years to come. So what’s the answer? Here’s our guide on how to trim your own split ends.
Dusting v trimming split ends
If you’re reluctant to lose any length, a new technique called ‘Dusting’ helps to rid your hair of split ends without losing any length. It’s a bit like de-fuzzing your clothes: all you trim are the flyaways that have split, leaving a sleeker, smoother look. On dry hair, comb hair through in small sections, then using shearing scissors (also called thinning scissors, they have fine ‘teeth’ along one of the blades), let the scissors catch the damaged hair. (They can be really sharp, so handle with care).
When it comes to how to cut your own dead ends, trimming will always be the fail-safe approach. Removing whatever’s not healthy will ensure hair has a lovely thickness from root to tip, which will help improve things like shine and manageability, too. And here’s a little tip from us: when it comes to how to trim your own split ends at home, the best way is when hair is dry (wet hair is stretchier and more prone to damage). This is true for every hair type: straight, wavy, curly, coily.
If you’re chopping off more than a few centimetres, you can comb through and make a horizontal cut first, but the most natural way is to hold a pair of hairdressing scissors (small and sharp but with no teeth) pointing upwards and make vertical snips into the length.
For women who only wear their hair curly, let your hair dry naturally before cutting. We'd recommend trimming each curl or coil individually, rather than sectioning the hair out and cutting across, to ensure a more even finish. And for women who love to change up their hair textures, a blowout before a trim works best.
Caring for split ends
The more hydrated your hair is, the more resilient against split ends it will be. Dove’s Daily Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner is beautifully moisturising, with a Pro-Moisture Complex to help protect hair from daily wear-and-tear like styling and sun exposure. Its nourishing formula makes hair manageable and silky from root to tip – as well as ten-times more resilient to daily damage from grooming and brushing*.
So now you won’t have to think twice about your split ends. If you’re not heading to a salon, or even just need to space out your appointments - unleash your inner hair stylist – you won’t look back!
*10x less breakage when combing vs. non-conditioning shampoo
