How to Get Rid of Split Ends and Repair Damaged Hair, According to Experts

If you’re sick and tired of damaged hair and wondering how to get rid of split ends, you’re not alone—and you’re in the right place. I’ve been trying to master the art of mending and preventing split ends and dry hair for what feels like forever, and I’ve finally started to figure it out, thanks to trial-and-error and a handful of trustworthy hairstylists.

If you can’t relate, know that your hair doesn’t have to look or feel damaged right now to benefit from a restorative hair care routine. Much like with skin care, prevention is key and is especially important if you heat-style or chemically treat your hair: Both are leading causes of hair breakage and damage. Below are the best split end treatments and tips from professional hairstylists to help bring your strands back to life.

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Jennifer Korab, celebrity stylist and owner of Renaissance Salon & Spa in Hillsborough, New Jersey, suggests regularly applying a leave-in deep conditioning treatment or hair serum to the ends of your hair. “These products can help seal the hair cuticle, reduce frizz, and provide additional moisture to the damaged ends.”

Kérastase Nutritive Hydrating Split End Serum for Dry Hair

Kérastase Nutritive Hydrating Split End Serum combats dehydration by flooding your ends with much needed moisture made of niacinamide and highly concentrated plant-based proteins. Word of advice: Don’t overdo it. Sanda Petrut, stylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, says you just need a few drops to trigger the reparative process. “Apply it after every wash onto wet or dry hair then style as desired.” Consistent application won’t only seal split ends—it’ll also prevent future damage too. Glamour contributor Mary Honkus expected this to have an oily consistency, but instead the texture feels thick and silky.

Virtue Labs Split End Serum

Honkus also recommends Virtue Labs Split End Serum: “A few weeks after I first started using this, people began commenting on how long and healthy my hair looked.” The blend of pea proteins, baobab seed oil, and hydrolyzed quinoa work to reinvigorate strands from the inside out, sealing any breakage and preventing new frays.

Shu Uemera Ultimate Reset Serum for Damaged Hair

Celebrity hairstylist Jae-Manuel Cardenas raves about Shu Uemera: “This treatment is incredible for hair in need of extreme repair, as the name suggests,” he says. “If you tend to use a lot of heat or have overprocessed hair (I’m looking at you, platinum blondes), this will be transformative.” The dual-acting velvety serum combines highly reparative natural oils with antioxidant-rich Japanese rice extract to fully revive hair. One use reveals silky soft strands, a glassy finish, and of course, fresh ends.

The best split end treatments for color-treated hair

It’s no secret that coloring harms hairs’ integrity—but that isn’t going to stop many of us from dyeing it. To ward off further damage, one major key is to prevent color fading.

Oribe Split End Seal Beautiful Color Hair Treatment

This Oribe Split End serum is a dual-acting treatment that minimizes breakage and fortifies strands while also preserving the color. This means you can go longer in between dye jobs.

Not Your Mother’s Tough Love Intense Bonding Treatment

Not Your Mother’s Tough Love Bonding line includes this miracle-working leave-in treatment. “This is one of the easiest hair products I’ve ever used,” says Honkus, who has color-treated hair. “I smooth it through my length 10 minutes before hopping in the shower. Once I rinse it out, my hair feels silky-smooth and soft, even more so than it does when I use thick hair masks.” For those who are struggling with damage from color-processing and bleaching, using this two to three times a week will revitalize and strengthen and overall minimize flyaways leading to more luscious locks.

The best hair masks for split ends

For the most part, rich hair masks are the ultimate split end menders because they’re packed with intensely moisturizing, reparative ingredients. That said, these types of formulas often require a significant chunk of time for their magic to work. If you only have a few minutes for some hair rehab, Cardenas suggests Christophe hair mask. And according to Jerome Ledort, owner of Jerome Ledort Salon in NYC, one use of the NouNou Mask will have you feeling like you have a new head of hair.

Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask

Cardenas recommends this quick and easy mask. “This works great for people on the go who only have five minutes to spare in the shower,” he says. “I love using it as a weekly treatment to seal and moisturize hair.” The star of the mask is prickly pear oil, which plumps and softens hair strands (and if you apply it close to the scalp, it can also stimulate hair growth). Paired with ceramides and vitamin F, the thick mask revamps hair to its virgin glory, even if you’ve been coloring or heat styling for years.

Davines NouNou Hair Mask

“This extremely nourishing mask restores hair that is frail and dull and stops breakage in its tracks,” Ledort says. Additionally, if you struggle with tangles (which happens to be a sign of damage) or limpness, this can also combat those concerns. The nutrient-rich mask can be used once a week in place of conditioner.

The best leave-in treatments for split ends

There are a ton of nourishing hair treatments and masks that can help accelerate your hair repair journey. Celebrity stylist Laurabeth Cabott swears by K18’s Molecule Repair Hair Mask for treating split ends, for example. (It’s also Glamour-editor approved.) Korab recommends Pureology Leave-In Treatment and celebrity hairstylist Kieron Justin is a fan of Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Anti-Breakage Leave-In Treatment.