Final answer:
Split hair ends are technically known as trichoptilosis, a condition where the hair shaft splits due to damage, often beginning with the cuticle and progressing to the cortex.
Step-by-step explanation:
The technical term for split hair ends is trichoptilosis. This condition refers to the splitting or fraying of the hair shaft at its ends, typically due to wear and tear. The hair shaft is composed of three zones: the outermost zone called the cuticle, the middle zone called the cortex, and the innermost zone called the medulla. Damage often begins in the cuticle and progresses to the cortex, leading to spit ends. Hair goes through a growth cycle with different phases, and split ends are not connected to specific phases like the catagen transitional phase, which marks the end of the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle.