Over the years while consulting with clients on why their hair has not grown,

I get asked the question ”can natural hair have split ends?”  Some people in the super curly hair community have a tendency to avoid trimming their hair on the culturally preserved myth that it delays growth and this is so wrong!

Growing and wearing your natural hair has become normalized in the textured hair community.   Although

this change grew after release of the film “Good Hair” in 2009, people with textured hair, namely women of African descent, have not returned in droves to chemical straighteners as previously expected.  Even parents who grew up in the boomer era are now more accepting of natural hairstyles.  However, having natural hair still requires care  but many will postpone it hence the question: ”can natural hair have split ends”.  If you have natural hair some things for your “to do” list are:

• Trim the ends of your natural hair every three to four months. 
• Braid your hair if you wear wigs often.  
• A wig cap does not stop the hair from breaking if you leave the hair loose.
• If you see a lot of small hairs on your floor, you have split ends.
• If the hair pulls when you comb and the ends ball up, you have split ends.
• If you see a thin halo of hair that thickens near your scalp when you comb the hair out in an afro, you have split ends.
• If your hair has not grown any longer in the past year, you likely have splits along with some other issues.

• If you do a temporary straightening a.k.a. silk press on your natural hair and it disappears when you go outside, you have split ends.  This also applies to many hairstyles you may try.
• If you are someone who always says “my hair doesn’t grow”, it is very likely you have not trimmed your hair on a regular basis.

It is the year 2025.  It is time for you to make a commitment to start caring for your hair and lay to rest the question ”can natural hair have split ends”.

By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design

Books:  “Talking Hair”, “Filling My Head” & “Dreadlocks – A Hairstylist’s Manifest”.