split ends and white dots
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: African American Hair
Forum Name: African American Hair
Forum Description: Devoted to the special needs of African Americans.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=29754
Printed Date: January 10 2026 at 4:46pm
Topic: split ends and white dots
Posted By: Layla
Subject: split ends and white dots
Date Posted: April 13 2005 at 10:17am
|
My hair is really nice right now. It's soft, smooth, and shiny except in the front where I get split ends. I cut most of the split ends out but I still have a bunch of white dots. I've been doing protein treatments once a week but it's not helping....5 minutes later....Okay I just cut a bunch of the white dots off. Nothing was helping them. What can I do to stop getting them and to fix them? ------------- Type: 3c/4a Natural Current Length: 6" Goal: Healthy, tip of nose /neck/shoulder length hair. BC: 02/08/06 |
Replies:
Posted By: diamondprincess
Date Posted: April 14 2005 at 7:43am
|
Layla - Where are the white dots coming from?
------------- DiamondPrincess 
|
Posted By: eKatherine
Date Posted: April 14 2005 at 8:18am
|
A white dot on a hair is the point at which there is damage that will cause it to break off. When it breaks off (or if you pull the end piece off), the white dot remaining will form a split within the next few days. I can see on my own hair (which is long and straight) that if I pull off the broken end, the split is already forming.
I trim off the white dots, which makes the hair look better, too. I also get little white stripes in the hair where a hair is splitting in the middle of the shaft. If I cut one of those in the middle of the damaged part, it is already split. Ah, damage. Good luck on preventing these. If you're conditioning your hair properly, deep treating it, oil, not coloring or perming, not heat styling, and handling your hair as gently as possible, there's probably nothing more you can do. If you're heat styling or relaxing your hair, you probably don't want to stop this, so it's just a tradeoff. Mine are better than they used to be - my hair used to break off, but now it's growing longer - but since I color my hair and it's fine, I don't see any way of completely stopping these. |
Posted By: cmesweet
Date Posted: April 14 2005 at 8:20am
|
Good information eKatherine. ------------- Natural BC May 9, 2004 |
Posted By: diamondprincess
Date Posted: April 14 2005 at 8:59am
I agree!!  ------------- DiamondPrincess
|
cmesweet wrote:Posted By: jasmine2g3
Date Posted: April 14 2005 at 1:53pm
|
the white dots are called bubble hair ------------- 
My hair idol Transitioning Current Length:1"above bra strap-layered Texture:3c *~*~* Jazz*~*~* |
Posted By: weaveitup^_^
Date Posted: April 14 2005 at 4:19pm
|
ehat kind of sicissors are you using to trim and what method are you using? perhaps you are using dull scisors which are forming damage or your not cutting them all off int he 1st place. sound slike you could use a good dusting trim. ------------- public.fotki.com/Weaveitup - public.fotki.com/Weaveitup |
Posted By: Layla
Date Posted: April 15 2005 at 10:38am
|
Oh I know what the white dots are but I don't know how to prevent them. Thanks, eKatherine, I pulled on a piece of hair to see if the end would split if they broke off at the dot and it did that's why I was cutting the hair above them so that the end is good. I bought some hair scissors from a beauty store. I am not trimming my hair though I'm just dusting for split ends. I know I haven't gotten all the white dots off because my hair would be too short so I'm just trying to be extra gentle where the dots are until my hair grows some more and I can cut off all of them at once. Not only have I not been to a salon in a few months but also I haven't trimmed my hair. I've just been dusting my hair every month but now weekly. I am trying to grow out my hair so I've been avoiding going to the salon. Thank you everyone for all your help. :) ------------- Type: 3c/4a Natural Current Length: 6" Goal: Healthy, tip of nose /neck/shoulder length hair. BC: 02/08/06 |
Posted By: aseya
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 3:56am
|
I get the white dots too. I hate them. My hair is in much better
condition now and I don't get anymore, but I need to have it cut to get
rid of them. The bummer is my hair is layered so I know it will
probably take a while for all of them to get cut off. Mine don't turn
into split ends though. If I break them off at the dot, the bottom part
will break off, but the dot stays there. I need to walk around with my
scissors! If I remember correctly that when I was training though my book said something about this and it was called trichorrhexis nodosa. And basically it can be caused my stress to the hair (overprocessing, heat etc) that causes the cuticle to swell and eventually form a dot that may break off. |
Posted By: libertea4all
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 4:29pm
| The dreaded white dots! I thought no one else had them any more. My hair is filled with them. No matter how much I cut or condition they multiply. I am sure they are from relaxers, and heat. Mine do not split either. For me the white dot appears after the hair strand is broken. I do have split ends, sometimes one strand will split 3 or 4 times. Hair color also causes the white dots, especially ammonia and peroxide products. |
Posted By: QueenLinda83
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 11:12am
Ladies I had the same problem, and no one knew what I was talking about! Thanks for the info!!!  ------------- |
Posted By: Sistaslick
Date Posted: May 06 2005 at 1:46am
|
Weaveitup is right. If you are constantly getting them on the ends- you need to check your scissors. They are probably not sharp enough. That is why its recommended that you use shears meant for trimming hair--and only use them to trim HAIR The white you see is the cuticle completely destroyed/stripped away and the inner parts of your hair being exposed. The main culprit for this (though there are others) is too much HEAT and/or lack of moisture. If you trim with too dull scissors you will only cause more damage to these ends and the white will continue to return. So sharpen those shears ladies! ------------- 
http://blackhairscience.com - The Science of Black Hair |
No kitchen or kiddie saftey scissors- you'll need real hair shears if you want to prevent this problem.Posted By: Layla
Date Posted: May 06 2005 at 10:19am
|
My scissors are for trimming hair. I got them from the beauty supply store. How often do you have to sharpen them and how do you sharpen them? ------------- Type: 3c/4a Natural Current Length: 6" Goal: Healthy, tip of nose /neck/shoulder length hair. BC: 02/08/06 |
Posted By: QueenLinda83
Date Posted: May 07 2005 at 9:33pm
|
Thanks for the info Sista cuz I always cut my hair with whatever scissors I have laying around....back to the BSS lol! ------------- |
Posted By: Sistaslick
Date Posted: May 08 2005 at 1:35am
|
No prob QueenLinda!
and Layla... honestly I don't know girl! I don't know if its the same way you would do sharpening a regular kitchen knife or what! Knowing me, if I thought my shears were a little dull- I'd probably go out and get new ones. -------------
http://blackhairscience.com - The Science of Black Hair |