Split ends

This is where things get interesting(a better word would be difficult). Split ends are very hard to measure! Without access to a lab, it was inconvenient to ask participants to incorporate a 20 minute hair-scaling session to their day. Split ends are also short in length for most people, making it hard to properly measure them with a ruler. Therefore, participants rated the split ends on a scale of 1-10.

Split ends can't decrease. Once you have split ends, you must cut them to get rid of them and start fresh and healthy. However, split ends can increase. Participants were asked to compare the rate at which their split ends were increasing. That explains why some participants might end with a less split ends rating at the end of the study. They don't have less split ends, the rate at which the split ends get worse just decreased. Which is also a sign of healthier hair!

On the graphs, you will notice random words and numbers clumped together on the horizontal "Participant" axis, as well as "B[number] and A[number]."

Each participant is represented on the graph. Since I can't give away the participants' names and reveal their identities, I decided to create a code for each participant.

"F17IndMW" represents a participant whos F (female) 17 (years old) Ind (Indian ethnicity) M(medium hair length) and W(wavy hair texture). Similarly, F18ChiMS applies to the participant who is female, 18 years old, Chinese, medium hair length, and straight hair type.

"B[number] and A[number]" represent each of the four weeks, and two data points from each week. B1 means week 1, before hair wash, and A1 means week 1, after hair wash. You can follow along with this points through the graph to understand the context behind each data point in these data models.

VS.

In the experimental group, 80% of participants experiences a less rate of change of more split ends during this experiment. This could be explained by the properties of the Ayurvedic oil. Since the oil nourishes dry hair, it could decrease the rate of split ends. The split ends definitely did not disappear, but they did not get worse. In the control group, the 100% of participants split ends stayed the same or increased, which is how our hair would normally behave. If hair grows and isn't taken care of properly, it will result in split ends, which is demonstrated by the pattern observed in the control group.