How to Prevent Hair Breakage,
According to a Professional
Are you concerned about hair breakage? Whether you’ve spotted signs of breakage in your hair, or you want to protect your hair from future damage, Kérastase Care Coach, Leona, is here to help. With Leona's expert guidance, discover common causes of breakage, if it’s possible to repair existing damage, and how to strengthen your hair to keep breakage at bay.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- What hair breakage is
- How to spot hair breakage
- Common causes of breakage
- In-salon and at-home treatments
- How to prevent breakage
.jpg?sw=1000&sh=1500&sm=cut&q=80)
Meet the expert
A salon owner and director-level stylist with over 15 years of experience, Leona has seen every type of hair breakage with her clients. Her expertise in haircare solutions makes her the perfect guide to help you understand and address the root causes and best treatments for hair breakage.
What is hair breakage
Hair breakage is a form of damage that occurs when strands of hair snap or split. It happens when the hair shaft is weakened, commonly by chemical treatments, heat damage, or mechanical damage.
What does hair breakage look like
What are the main signs of hair breakage? “The thing I always say to clients is if you're brushing your hair and you have little hair particles all over you, that's a clear sign that your hair is broken. That's your split ends breaking. It's also going to feel dull and rough to the touch,” says Leona.
Other common signs of hair breakage to look out for include:
- Frayed or split ends
- Flyaways and frizz
- Rough, dull hair texture
- Short, broken strands
- White spots on hairs (in dark hair)
Common causes of hair breakage
There are four main causes of hair breakage: heat damage, chemical damage, mechanical damage, and environmental damage. For Leona, the most common culprit is heat.
“The biggest cause I see with clients is heat damage. That’s what causes the most breakage within the hair, with people over-using heat styling tools, and not using good heat protection alongside it.”
Lack of moisture can also be a cause of hair breakage: “If your hair's really dry, it's more prone to breakage. Overwashing and incorrect use of products can cause that.”
Common hair breakage causes include:
- Heat damage – excessive use of heat styling tools, not using heat protectant, or using a temperature too high for your hair type.
- Dry hair – dehydrated, brittle hair is more prone to breakage.
- Mechanical damage – such as roughly towel-drying hair, overbrushing, and sleeping on rough materials that cause friction.
- Skipping regular haircuts – breakage and split ends will travel up the hair unless they are cut off.
- Hard water – which can strip hair of moisture.
- Chemical treatments – like bleach, perming, and chemical straightening.
- Environmental damage – like exposure to sun, wind, and pollution.
- Products – excessive use of harsh chemicals like hairspray, or not using products suited to your hair type.
How to prevent hair breakage
Did you know your everyday haircare routine might be causing breakage? To prevent hair breakage, Leona recommends making some small changes to your routine.
Expert tip: “When your hair is wet, that’s when you need to be the most careful with it. You should not be sleeping with your hair wet – that’s my number-one tip to prevent hair breakage.
“When you brush wet hair, start gently from the bottom – don’t drag a brush from root to tip. I like to put a few drops of hair oil in my hair before I brush it, because that helps to detangle the hair and cause less breakage. I only use a detangling brush or wide-tooth comb on wet hair.”
Wondering how to stop hair breakage? Leona recommends:
- Drying your hair before bed
- Gentle brushing starting from the ends of your hair
- Applying a hair oil after washing
- Using heat styling tools in moderation
- Setting tools to the correct temperature for your hair
- Using a good heat protectant and applying thoroughly
On choosing an effective heat protectant, Leona advises, “Ensure that those heat styling tools we love are not causing any damage to your hair. I am a big advocate for a cream heat protector. The sprays can be amazing and a good choice for finer hair, but many consumers at home do not apply them properly. If you use a spray, make sure you section hair and spray each section thoroughly, from top to bottom.”
Treatments for hair breakage
If you’re concerned about hair breakage, there’s a range of treatments available at the salon and at home. Treatments for hair breakage work by strengthening and nourishing your hair, making it more resilient to snapping and splitting.
Here are some treatments Leona recommends to prevent hair breakage:
In-salon treatments for hair breakage
- Kérastase Fusio-Dose: These bespoke in-salon treatments target your unique hair concerns by combining concentrated boosters and active ingredients in a two-step treatment. Fusio-Dose treatments are selected by your stylist to address your specific hair needs, including hair breakage, damage and dryness.
- Kérastase Premiere Ritual: This in-salon treatment is designed to rejuvenate and strengthen damaged hair to help restore health and prevent future breakage.
If you want to prevent hair breakage, Leona recommends Kérastase Fusio Dose Concentré Genesis treatment. Designed for weakened hair prone to breakage, this salon-exclusive treatment fortifies hair to strengthen fibres while bringing intense hydration.
For the second part of the treatment, Leona often pairs it with Booster Nutrition to address clients’ dry hair, or Booster Reconstruction for particularly damaged locks.
At-home treatments for hair breakage
While salon treatments are the most effective for preventing hair breakage, at-home treatments can also work to reinforce, hydrate, and nourish hair.
- Hair masks: Applying a hair mask once a week is one of the most effective ways to hydrate and strengthen hair. The Genesis Masque Reconstituant is designed for hair breakage, and is formulated to fortify weakened hair, while the Première Bonding Anti-Breakage Filler Hair Mask deeply restores and intensely repairs all types of damaged hair, protecting against further breakage.
- Shampoo and conditioner for hair breakage: Using a specialist anti-breakage shampoo and conditioner can help the structure of weakened hair by fortifying and nourishing the fibre. Kérastase Genesis range is designed to fortify weakened hair prone to falling due to breakage, and the Première range delivers advanced repair to all levels of hair damage.
- Hair serum: Applying a hair serum after washing your hair can work to resurface and hydrate hair to minimise breakage, such as Genesis Serum Anti-Chute Fortifiant and Première Anti-Frizz Filler Heat Protecting Hair Serum.
- Heat protectant: Using a heat protectant before blow drying and styling is an essential step in your hair routine to prevent hair breakage.
For her clients, Leona recommends using a shampoo, conditioner, and heat protectant as a bare minimum. However, for those that want to level-up their haircare routine and address breakage, she suggests using treatments for breakage or damage, like the Première Bonding Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment.
“Apply that to your hair before you shampoo, and then layer your shampoo over the top.”
How to repair hair breakage
If you have some hair breakage, you might be wondering if it can be repaired, or if it needs to be cut off. This depends on the level of breakage you have.
Minor hair breakage can be helped with treatments to reinforce and nourish the hair, strengthening the strands and limiting further breakage.
However, with severe breakage, a hair cut should be your first line of defence.
Leona advises, “Where there has been a lot of breakage, the hair ends can no longer grow, because it’ll just keep breaking. We see a lot of clients in the salon with fine, wispy ends rather than a nice blunt line, which means it’s definitely time for a haircut.
“Hair will grow back healthier if we take off that length, otherwise you’ll be stuck in a cycle of breakage.”
Once the damage has been removed, you can then practice an anti-breakage haircare routine to look after your locks and keep further breakage at bay.
Hair Breakage FAQs
What are the most common causes of hair breakage?
Hair breakage is caused by various factors, including excessive heat styling, chemical treatments like colouring or perming, mechanical stress from brushing, and insufficient moisture or nutrition.
How can I prevent hair breakage at home?
To prevent hair breakage, incorporate regular deep conditioning treatments, use heat protectants before styling, opt for gentle shampoos, avoid tight hairstyles, and ensure you're consuming a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients.
What should I do if I notice significant hair breakage?
If you notice significant hair breakage, consider reducing the use of heat styling tools, implementing a nourishing hair care routine, and seeking professional advice from a hairstylist to assess your hair's condition and recommend appropriate treatments.
