All the pro tips for how to prevent hair breakage.

So, what is hair breakage? In the simplest terms, hair breakage is when the hair snaps or breaks due to damage. Damage arises when the hair strands face excessive tension or stress. This can come from heat or chemical processing - but we’ll get into the causes further below. In turn, the strands may grow weaker and more fragile, and therefore, become more breakable. Without the proper care and precautions, this stress can cause the brittle hair to snap. Hair breakage can occur anywhere along the strand, from the hairline to the ends of the hair. 

What does hair breakage look like?

When it comes to hair breakage, some signs to look for include: split or thinning ends, dull or frizzy hair, and shorter, wispy strands around the hairline. Signs of damage can also affect your ends, making them look ragged or uneven. Damage can cause the hair cuticles to lift, which is what can give hair a dull, frizzy look. This leaves the hair more likely to split or snap. Healthy hair, on the other hand, with hair cuticles that lie flat, is smooth, shiny and strong.

Signs of hair breakage:

1. Split or thinning ends
2. Dull or frizzy hair
3. Short, wispy strands around the hairline

Getting to the root of hair breakage requires a deep dive into what makes your hair fragile or brittle in the first place. Several factors contribute to hair breakage, and many of them may come from your haircare routine. Let’s take a look at what causes hair breakage.

Overwashing (and underconditioning)

Most of us do not need to wash our hair every day, which can dry out our hair making it more vulnerable to breakage. And if you skip the conditioner, this can leave your hair drier and stripped of its natural oils. Also, to note: There are often metals in our water supply. These metals can penetrate the hair and cause damage. A metal detox product can really help, but we’ll talk more about that when we get to hair breakage treatments below.

Aggressive or wet brushing

100 strokes a day? That’s too much pulling for your hair. Brushing wet hair is not recommended either, as the strands tend to be more fragile when wet.

Heat styling

Whether we’re talking blow dryers or curling irons, heat styling can dry out your hair, especially over time. The dry hair becomes brittle and more likely to break.

Bleaching, coloring, perming

Any chemical hair processing can serve to dry out the hair, leaving it more fragile, dull, and prone to breakage.

Tight hairstyles

Some hairstyles, like a tight ponytail or bun, can pull on the hair and scalp, causing tension and hair breakage.

If you’ve nodded along to the above – who hasn’t fallen prey to the 100 strokes a day myth? – fear not. There are many ways to correct or adjust your haircare routine to stop hair breakage in its tracks. We’ve got haircare and styling tips as well as ideas for hair breakage treatments.

Tips for hair washing

First of all, to stop hair breakage, you probably don’t need to shampoo your hair every day. When you do cleanse, be gentle: massage shampoo into your scalp delicately and let the water do the work for you. Make sure the water isn’t too hot, as very hot water can strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils, leaving your hair dry. Lukewarm water is perfect! Use conditioner, too.

Tips for brushing

Don’t brush wet hair – it’s too fragile. For straight hair, let your hair air dry a bit before using a wide-tooth comb. For textured hair or tight curls, use a wide-tooth comb on damp hair. Make your way from the bottom of your damp hair up to the roots. Don’t pull, tug, or force. This well help in the battle against hair breakage.

Tips for drying

Rubbing your hair with a rough terry cloth towel is not the answer and can lead to more breakage. Consider an old cotton t-shirt to blot your hair, rather than rub. Or just wrap your hair in the towel to let it absorb water.
To minimize heat damage, and ultimately, hear breakage, start by air-drying, at least partially. Once your hair is mostly dry – the sweet spot is 75% – you can apply heat. We recommend using a heat protectant to protect your hair from high temperatures.

Tips for styling

Loosen up! Rather than pulling your hair back tightly, consider looser styles, or vary your style day to day, so as not to apply tension in the same place over and over again. Be sure to use covered hair bands designed for styling so as to minimize pulling.

One of the best things you can do when it comes to how to stop hair breakage or how to fix hair breakage is to nourish your hair. Consider a professional-grade hair breakage treatment. Enriched with Glicoamine, the Metal Detox mask from L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert prevents hair breakage, with 87% less breakage and hair nourished for 72 hours¹.
This is an effective treatment for damaged or weak hair, nourishing and protecting the hair fibers. The full Metal Detox routine also features a pre-shampoo, shampoo, cream and protecting oil.

¹Instrumental tests: Metal Detox shampoo + mask.

How to use Metal Detox like a pro.