Ends of Hair Turn Up

Long straight hair with ends that turn up
Photo: Shutterstock
Q: I have long, naturally straight hair but the ends always turn up. Even when I straighten the ends with a flat iron, they turn up again after a couple of hours.
 
A friend told me that ends turn up when you have split ends. However, my hair is healthy and I don't have split ends. Do you have any advice?
 
A: Without being able to actually examine your hair, it isn't possible for me to assess its health or lack of it. That being said, we will assume that you are correct and that your hair is not damaged and you don't have split ends.
 
You may simply have some curl to your hair that causes the ends of the hair to turn upward, but which isn't as prevalent in the rest of the hair because of the hair's length.
 
Even those with very curly hair will find that their hair appears less curly at the scalp than at the ends when the hair is grown out to longer and longer lengths. This is because the weight of the hair pulls the curl out of the hair.
 
You may want to look at what products you use when styling your hair (blow-drying and straightening) adding a lightweight, wax-based product can make a big difference. It could add enough weight to keep the ends tamed, and if there is any fraying, it would help to make them appear whole again.
 
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See also:
 
What damaged hair looks like
 
What split ends look like
 
Flat iron styling
 
Blow dry hair straight