Trichoptilosis
Hair condition
Trichoptilosis (from the Greek τριχο- tricho- "hair" and the New Latin ptilosis "arrangement of feathers in definite areas" from the Greek πτίλον ptilon "feather"), schizotrichia, and informally split ends, is the splitting or fraying of the hair-shaft due to excessive heat and mechanical stress. This condition occurs when the outer layer of the hair is damaged and the hair fibre divide into two or more strands.
01Types of split ends
Double split
The most common type of split ends, where the single hair forks into two.
Feather split
In this type of split ends, the hair appears feathered at the end, with multiple splits splaying out.
Tree split
In this type, the ends branch out multiple times, resembling branches of a tree.
Knot split
The hair has a bulb at the end, becoming thicker at the tip.
02Causes
Thermal, chemical or mechanical stress can cause split ends. For example, the use of curling irons and other heat treatments may cause split ends. Excessive application of hair products such as perms and hair coloring may strip protective layering off the outside of the hair's shaft and weaken the hair, making the hair prone to split ends. Mechanical stresses include pulling a comb forcefully through tangled hair and repeated combing. Split ends can be a symptom of copper transport disorders such as Menkes disease and occipital horn syndrome. Rubbing the hair up towards the scalp does not cause split ends.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Trichoptilosis”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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