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Hair breakage isn’t fun for anyone. The split ends, the frizzy dry feeling of your hair and your scalp, and the strands snapping off randomly is annoying at best and can cause serious hair problems at worst. And even if you take a minimal approach to your hair care routine, you are bound to experience hair breakage at some point.
The key to treating any sort of hair breakage is prevention. Consider this a lesson in hair breakage 101. From all the main causes to the best ways to treat it with the right products and tweaks to your daily hair routine habits, experts break down everything you need to know on how to get your hair health back on track.
Key Takeaways
- Hair breakage refers to the breaking of the hair shaft caused by weakened or damaged strands.
- Signs of hair breakage include split ends, flyaways, broken strands, dryness, and hair that stops growing at a certain length.
- Causes of hair breakage are many. The most common ones include chemical and color treatments, excessive heat styling, mechanical stressors, and poor diet.
- Treating hair breakage is easy. Some expert-approved ways to treat it include using protein treatments, deep-conditioning masks, and eating a healthy diet.
What Is Hair Breakage?
Hair breakage, as Marisa Garshick, MD, board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, defines it, refers to the breaking of the hair shaft caused by weakened or damaged strands. Unlike hair loss, which Dr. Garshick describes as involving hair shedding and falling out from the root, breakage comes in many forms. From split ends, frizziness, and uneven strands, breakage occurs when the hair shaft snaps somewhere along its length.
This happens for many reasons, but Brittany Oliver, MD, board-certified dermatologist at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Skin of Color Society leader, agrees says that breakage generally refers to conditions where there is “structural abnormality” in the hair that leads hair to become fragile and split and break.
Signs Symptoms of Hair Breakage
It’s pretty easy to tell if you have hair breakage or not. Some signs, according to both Dr. Oliver and Dr. Garshick, include:
- Split ends
- Flyaways
- Frizziness
- Uneven length
- Short, broken strands
- Hair that stops growing at a certain length
- Dullness
- Dryness
What Causes Hair Breakage?
As mentioned before, many things can lead to hair breakage. But the most common ones are:
Perms, bleaching, coloring, and other chemical and color treatments can cause breakage by weakening the protein bonds in the hair shaft, Dr. Garshick explains. Repeated exposure to this, she says, can make hair more brittle and prone to breakage.
Dr. Oliver agrees and adds that relaxing hair alters its structure; it works by chemically breaking tightly linked bonds that maintain the integrity of the hair strand. When those bonds are broken, the natural curl pattern will straighten out. But over time, the more you relax those curls, it will weaken your hair and make it more prone to breakage.
Dr. Oliver explains that when hair undergoes thermal damage from blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, hot combs, and other heat styling practices, it may lead to dry, brittle strands that easily break off. This can result in “bubble hairs,” where hair strands develop large air bubbles that serve as weak points along the hair shaft and make hair more susceptible to breaking off.
You’ll also want to pay attention to environmental stressors. Dr. Garshick lists hard water as something that can be especially drying to the hair and weaken it. Dr. Oliver agrees and adds that excessive UV radiation, seasonal temperature, and humidity extremes can have damaging effects on hair proteins and moisture levels in the strands. By contrast, the cold, windy weather conditions and low humidity can lead to dryness, which she says causes tangles, knots, and increased susceptibility to breakage.
Dr. Garshick says that daily habits such as over-brushing or rubbing hair with a towel can lead to increased friction on your strands and make them more prone to breakage. She adds that tight hairstyles like buns, ponytails, and braids place a lot of tension on the hair shaft and weaken it.
Dr. Oliver adds that heavy hair extensions, weaves, and wigs can lead to your edges thinning out and potentially cause breakage or lead to traction alopecia. She also says that, if you’re not regularly going to your stylist to trim off damaged or frayed split ends, the split can travel up the hair shaft and break off.
Medical causes of hair breakage are common, so you’ll want to think about what you’re eating and how you’re taking care of your body. “Diet and overall health status play an important role in hair health,” Dr. Oliver says. “Healthy hairs require specific proteins, vitamins, and minerals to grow successfully.” She goes on to explain that nutrients such as vitamin D, iron, and zinc are needed for essential hair functions such as protein synthesis and oxygen within and to hair cells for healthy growth. When you’re experiencing rapid weight loss, thyroid gland disorders, and other medical conditions that affect hormones, and diseases that cause malabsorption or inadequate protein intake, you might end up deficient in these essential nutrients and experience hair breakage.
And while stress may not directly lead to breakage, Dr. Garshick says that it can impact the hair growth cycle and the amount of blood flow and nutrients to the scalp. If you’re dealing with stress, she adds that it may also lead to bad habits such as hair pulling and poor hair care.
How to Fix (and Prevent) Hair Breakage
The good news is that fixing hair breakage is easy, and the same methods you use to treat it can also prevent it from happening in the future. But it’s important to address it as soon as you notice something is wrong to prevent even more hair damage. Some things you can do include:
Products that help repair broken protein bonds can work wonders on hair breakage. Dr. Garshick recommends looking for keratin smoothing or protein treatments that can support hair health and deep-conditioning mask treatments to replenish moisture. Products like the K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask or the Olaplex Bonding Oil can help repair broken bonds in the hair shaft, she says. And you’ll want to look for scalp targeting therapies that support healthy hair growth.
Dr. Oliver adds to ask your go-to stylist about in-salon deep conditioning, protein, and bonding treatments that can help restore moisture, shine, and strength to your hair.
Speaking of moisture retention, Dr. Garshick says it’s super beneficial to use products like leave-in conditioners or deep-conditioning masks to help maintain hydration. Turn to favorites like Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Hair Mask, or Color Wow’s Money Masque.
Both experts agree that getting your hair trimmed regularly will help clean up split ends and prevent further breakage. “Failure to keep up with regular trims can ultimately worsen the effects of split ends,” Dr. Oliver says. “And result in missed opportunities to discuss a healthy hair plan with your stylist.”
Dr. Oliver recommends reducing heat styling or getting chemical treatments often to minimize hair breakage. She says to space out your chemical perms and relaxers and opt for lower temperatures on your heat styling tools if you do use them. And never skip heat-protectant sprays or products (we love something like Roz’s Santa Lucia Heat Protectant Styling Hair Oil or Bumble and Bumble’s Heat Shield Thermal Protection Mist).
Also, try to limit wearing weaves and extensions, she says, as those cause tension and can lead to breakage. “Take breaks in between so you aren’t wearing styles continuously,” she says.
Your well-being is closely tied to your hair health, and both experts agree that it’s important to eat a well-balanced diet and work with your doctor to treat any underlying medical conditions (e.g. thyroid disorder) that may be causing breakage in your hair or follow a trichologist’s advice on best hair practices.
Seasonal Factors to Consider
While a complete seasonal overhaul of your routine based on the season isn’t necessary, Dr. Oliver says, thinking about how the weather affects your hair can be helpful. For example, dryness and low humidity are more common in the colder months. She says that a winter routine could benefit from adding more deep-conditioning treatments and moisturizing shampoos. “Be sure to select products geared towards promoting moisture retention,” she says.
Dr. Garshick agrees and adds that during the summer, hair may be exposed to more UV rays, chlorine, and saltwater. So focusing on hydration and repair is key when looking for products (and looking for clarifying shampoos to remove buildup and UV protection doesn’t hurt either).
When to Seek Professional Help
Dr. Oliver says that most causes of hair breakage can be treated with the right products, regular hair trims, and minimizing grooming and styling practices that are harsh on strands. But if those measures don’t work and you notice things getting worse, you might need to see a doctor, whether it be your dermatologist or a trichologist, to get to the root (forgive the pun) of the problem.
“If [or] when you begin to suspect that hair is being lost from the root, [see] visible bald patches begin to develop, or [experience] any scalp symptoms such as itching or flaking, it can be helpful to schedule a consultation with a dermatologist,” she says. “To determine whether any underlying medical problems, medications, or nutritional deficiencies are contributing.”
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