Hair breakage can be difficult to avoid in today’s busy lifestyle. We expect a lot from our hair, but the truth is, when we put our hair through a lot, the chances of hair damage can pile up and result in hair that feels dry, weak or doesn’t seem to grow anymore.
As a hairdresser with two decades of experience working with high-end clients, I’ve seen it all and know that breakage is often the result of habits we don’t even realize we repeat.
The good news is that, with some smart changes to your routine, you can stop hair breakage before it turns into a serious disaster. It’s a combination of prevention and correction – and if you’re already noticing the symptoms, don’t panic – here’s what you need to know.
What is hair breakage and what causes it?
Hair breakage occurs when the hair strand breaks somewhere along its length, rather than from the root. It’s not like our cycle of hair loss (which can vary depending on our health, emotions, age and other factors), but more of a sign of excessive wear and tear of the strands that have been weakened by repeated stress.
So, what causes hair breakage?
Usually, it’s a perfect storm of many things: heat styling, chemical processing, harsh brushing, stiff hair, dehydration, or something as simple as towel drying after a shower. These factors can strip the hair of moisture, weaken its internal structure, and eventually cause it to break out.
Over time, this damage can accumulate, especially if breakage occurs near thinning or slow hair growth, which can lead to significant and dramatic changes in overall density.
What does hair breakage look like?
The breakup may be subtle at first. You may see short wispy bits that refuse to behave or seem to fall out, split ends, split ends that tangle easily, or a head of hair that doesn’t seem to grow past a certain length.
In the hairline, the breakage may meet your child’s hair, a good way to check is to carefully analyze the ends of those short strands – if they reach the point where new strands are growing, but if the end is rough or dull, that is a good sign that a strand has given up and broken.
How Preventing Hair Loss Before It’s Too Late
Prevention is the most powerful way – to make your natural hair strong and take good care of what has already grown.
First, adopt gentle habits. Practice brushing your hair carefully – gently comb your ends before going up, brush at half the speed you want to use on your own and never tangle or pull your strands. Switching to a silk pillowcase can help reduce damage over time. Turn down the heat on your styling tools and always use a heat protectant. Swap out your stiff or sharp hair bands, for silk scrunchies. Most breakage happens when we are in a hurry, so create a careful routine that will slow you down and support your hair in this process.
If you want to go the extra mile, we now have biotech that can (for the first time) affect the quality of your hair before it leaves your scalp. LLLT (or Low-Level Light Therapy), known as red light therapy for hair growth, has been shown to charge your follicles at the cellular level to make them work harder to grow healthy, strong, and resilient hair. In just 10 minutes a day, Red Light Therapy on the skin can make your hair grow better in 16 weeks.
How to repair hair breakage
If you’re already dealing with damaged hair, the goal is to restore both moisture and strength. Look for a pre-shampoo bond builder designed to work internally as your base (this will make your hair stronger quickly) and combine with moisturizing and conditioning products such as moisturizing masks or leave in creams and serums that will reduce evaporation, and therefore reduce further frizz, breakage and stiffness.
Products that contain nourishing oils will smooth and protect the cuticle, helping your hair grow back before it breaks.
Minimizing heat styling and changing your hairstyle so you don’t use a tight hair band in the same place every day will help future proof your hair. Be careful with coloring – never go to strong chemicals such as bleach or relaxers and try to change your hair color scheme gradually rather than the usual dramatic change.
Top products to prevent and repair hair breakage at home
+ Olaplex No.0 and No.3: Apply these two 10-20 minutes before washing your hair – this will greatly reduce and immediately reduce the chance of breakage due to the weakness of the hair.
+ Philip Kinglsey Elasticizer: Another pre-shampoo treatment but this is the gold standard for smoothing and softening dry or frizzy hair – for best results alternate these first two treatments every few shampoos.
+ CurrentBody Hair Growth Helmet: My go-to to ensure the health of your hair in the future before it even grows on your head! It’s surprisingly easy to do a 10-minute-a-day routine – you’ll see visible results in 16 weeks.
+ Evo Head Mistress: This Cuticle Sealer Leave-in is easy enough for all hair types, it’s like a great hair care serum for your hair and will give your hair flexibility that reduces the risk of breakage.
+ Virtue Healing Oil: A nightly ritual of a few drops of this brilliant Keratin-laden serum will absorb your hair overnight ensuring that the ends of your hair remain soft and strong.
Hair breakage can be stressful – especially if you don’t notice it until it’s severe, but making sure you use even one of these ‘prevention’ and ‘treatment’ tips will set you up for success and your future hair will thank you.
Tom Smith is a renowned hairdresser, stylist and hair care expert for CurrentBody.
Currently working as Creative Director at Billi Currie salon in London’s Marylebone, Tom has become a trusted name among celebrities, beauty editors and clients; celebrated with her new hair care routine.
