Split Ends

Hair has a cuticle layer that protects and acts as a shell for holding the hair's inner protein structures, the cortex and medulla. When the cuticle has been stressed through chemical services, demanding styling techniques or aggressive ingredients in products, it may degenerate and expose the inner protein structures. Over time, these flaws can lead to larger areas of deterioration with the individual protein fibers separating and developing the "forked" look of split ends.