Effective Home Remedies for Split Ends: Prevention & Temporary Fixes

Split ends, or trichoptlosis, occur when the cuticle that protects the hair strand is damaged and stripped away, leaving the ends to split. We can't heal them permanently: The only way to get rid of them is to cut them off. But for a temporary fix and smoother ends, try these home remedies.

The Best Defense Is a Good Offense

• Prevent split ends by deep conditioning your hair regularly and avoiding brushes with hard bristles or overheating your hair with styling tools.

Take Your Vitamins

• Mix vitamin E (squeeze the oil from the capsules or purchase the oil on its own) with warm water and apply to wet hair, leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse.

Get Nutty

• Coconut oil, almond oil, or walnut oil--use these as a conditioner after shampooing or leave on overnight under a shower cap for extra conditioning.

Jojoba Oil

• Mix jojoba oil with your everyday conditioner for more moisturizing oomph, or smooth on a couple of drops on dry hair for extra shine.

With a Side of Mayo

• It sounds stinky and it is, but slather mayonnaise all over your hair and sleep wearing a shower cap for a deep moisturizing treatment.

Honey

• Dollop 3 to 4 tablespoons of honey (depending on how much hair you have) on your ends, then rinse after 20 minutes for naturally softer, sleeker hair.