How To Stop Hair Breakage & Split Ends

Hair breakage and split ends are some telltale signs of hair damage. Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell that our hair is breaking immediately! We may not notice something is wrong until we sense hair loss when our ponytails just aren’t quite as thick as they used to be. 

Some hair thinning and shedding can be attributed to a normal part of the aging process. But don’t just focus on your hairline. If you take a closer look at your hair strands and see that the length of your hair has changed because of breakage or if you can see split ends, it’s time to do something about that.

The causes of hair breakage are numerous, especially when we already have to contend with dry hair. Aside from age, other external factors may play a role in causing split ends, including our lifestyles and hair care routines. 

Stopping hair breakage and split ends comes down to determining the common causes of hair breakage and taking preventative measures. From there, if split ends are still giving you grief, there are ways to repair your hair so that you can revel in hair that is healthy, smooth, moisturized, and split-end-free.

Let’s take a look at what causes hair breakage and what can be done to stop split ends from infiltrating our goals of aging better with gorgeous, healthy hair. Damaged hair, be gone!

How Can I Tell if My Hair Is Breaking?

Hair breakage does not discriminate and can affect everyone, from young to aging, and every hair type. However, hair breakage may become more of an issue as we age. 

Aging hair becomes drier and leads to weaker strands. The hair strands that lack moisture can become more brittle and break with little or no physical contact. 

If you can grab and see your hair, you may notice parts of the hair shaft that look broken. Those broken shafts may bend and break off quite easily. Split ends are a sign of breakage, but they alone are not the sole indicator of breakage — though they can be your first clue that something isn’t quite right. 

Hair breakage is different from normal hair shedding and is easy to spot. A naturally shed hair will have a portion of the root attached to it, usually white and rounded. Broken hair will not have a root and will instead be only a part of the hair shaft from end to end. Combing your hair may also drop fragments of broken shafts.

Believe it or not, there is a tool known as the Hair Breakage Index. This index measures the diameter of an individual hair strand from the hair follicle down to the shaft and the end. The thinner the hair strand is, the further down the hair shaft, the more likely there is some hair breakage involved. 

Of course, this measuring tool can’t exactly be used at home. Your best bet is to keep an eye on the ends of your hair to spot any split ends and if you notice any other signs of hair damage, such as frizz or a loss of elasticity.

What Is the Main Cause of Hair Breakage?

Hair breakage has several possible causes, and even a combination of those causes can lead to hair damage. Some potential causes that lead to hair breaking can be avoided.

Combing or brushing your hair when it’s wet can cause breakage. Sure, we long for detangled locks. But wet hair is fragile when wet, as the bonds that keep your hair in its shape have been broken. Hair, when wet, is malleable and can bend or move in ways that wouldn’t be possible when dry.

Lack of conditioner when washing your hair is also another major cause of breakage. When you wash your hair, shampoo cleans by removing built-up grease and dirt. The best shampoos use surfactants that raise the hair cuticle to remove natural oil and dirt. 

We need a nourishing conditioner after the fact to smooth the hair cuticle down. Conditioner is used to hydrate and replenish the hair with what may have been lost from shampooing or missing completely. Without conditioner or leave-in conditioner, if you only use shampoo during a shower, your hair can dry out, making it prone to breakage.

Salon treatments are another source of potential breakage and split ends. Hair relaxers, hair coloring, bleach, or perms can all have breakage side effects. 

These treatments break bonds, restructure them, or strip the hair of nutrients and pigments. If the hair isn’t properly moisturized beforehand or afterward, this can compromise the integrity of the natural hair, and welcome unwanted split ends.

Another common cause of hair breakage? Heat styling tools. 

Using curling irons, blow dryers, and flat irons as a part of your hair styling goals (especially without using heat protectant) can be a recipe for hair breakage and split ends. You’ll want to go for towel drying or air drying instead of blow drying your hair.

Hair styling using physical styling devices, like hair bands and hair ties, is an often overlooked breakage source. Physically forcing the hair to bend and stay in shapes that it may not be able to handle can easily break the hair strands. If you often put your hair into braids and buns, you may want to consider if those hairstyles lead you to damaged hair. 

What Are the Best Ways To Prevent Hair Breakage?

Hair breakage is almost always preventable and definitely treatable. The best way to prevent hair breakage is to avoid many of the issues listed above that lead to hair breakage. 

Even if you can’t bear to let your hair air dry and want to reach for the hot tools, or if your hair is prone to dryness, taking care of what we can control can be a big help in stopping hair breakage.

To brush it out, wait until your hair is dry, and be careful not to overbrush. Getting tangles out is important, and using a brush to style is a good way of doing so. Wide-tooth combs can be helpful if you need to do some detangling with wet hair.

Conditioner is an important part of the hair-washing process. Dry hair can lead to potential breakage, and washing your hair only as needed is a great first step. Hydrating conditioners can put a stop to split ends and be a great part of your hair care routine.

Style your hair with products that address your specific needs. Not all products are created equally, even those designed to fix issues you may want to address. Try taking the Better Hair Quiz to see what hair products will work best for you!

Repair Split Ends and Stop Hair Breakage

At Better Not Younger, repairing split ends is easy. With a few easy changes to your hair care routine, you can fix and keep the breakage that way. 

Better Not Younger has quite a few options for shampoos and conditioners so that you can address your hair needs beyond just breaking. Our Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner are great for those with thinning hair. Wake Up Call has been clinically proven to reduce breakage by 95 percent by creating the look of volume and supporting hair strength.

If you’re looking for a simple solution to address damaged hair, our Second Chance Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner for Dry or Damaged Hair are perfect for the job. Whether your hair has been damaged from coloring or styling, Second Chance will support healthy hair. You can have moisture-rich, shiny, and healthy-looking hair with the deep conditioning properties of Second Chance.

Our Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque takes repairing split ends and stopping hair breakage to the next level. Our hair masks are specifically formulated to penetrate deeply and protect strands, making hair breakage a thing of the past.

Conclusion

Damaged hair that breaks is not something you should deal with if you can help it! Aging hair comes with changes that make our strands drier and more delicate, but that doesn’t mean that healthy hair isn’t obtainable at any age. In fact, healthy hair can be achieved at every age.

Knowing the causes of hair breakage and how to prevent it is a great first step. But fixing the issue is as easy as switching shampoo and conditioner if your hair has become brittle over time despite those causes. Wake Up Call and Second Chance were made specifically for those experiencing hair damage due to products and styling or breakage from their new stage of life. And for an extra boost, Hair Redemption has your back (or, should we say, your mane).

Sources:

Hair Aging | PMC

Hair Breakage Index | PMC

Hair Cosmetics: An Overview | PMC