13 Hair Breakage Treatments and How to Prevent Dry, Brittle Hair in 2023

Hair breakage can be caused by things like over-styling to not getting enough hair trims, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Juices and Botanics in Addison, TX, Whitney Eaddy says. But the full list of things that can cause breakage is, to say the least, lengthy (like I said, hair is a baby), so here’s a quick glance at some common reasons your hair might be breaking.

• Your styling habits (over-manipulation, too much heat-styling, brushing too vigorously, towel-drying, wearing tight elastics and hair ties)
• Your hair habits (not trimming your split ends, over-washing, not giving your hair enough moisture/only relying on protein, and chemical treatments, like perms, relaxers, color-treatments, etc.)
• Your own health (stress, diet, age, genetics)

So, yeah, it’s not as easy to pin down as you might think. “I always advise evaluating the external and internal factors that could be causing breakage,” says Eaddy. “Beyond over styling: Diet, lifestyle, stress, medications, and vitamin deficiencies can also play a factor.”

So if you’ve tried hydrating and strengthening products, have given your hair regular breaks from heat and processing, and you’re still not seeing an improvement after a few months, it’s time for a chat with your doctor.

Hair breakage can take a few different forms, but most often, it looks like short, uneven strands of hair that are significantly shorter than the rest of your hair. But before you start inspecting your hairline in a magnified mirror, Eaddy says not to confuse hair breakage with new hair growth. “You can tell that you are dealing with new growth because the hair will be the same length all throughout the head and hairline,” she says. “When dealing with breakage, the hair is uneven and located more in one section, rather than evenly throughout the head.”

So your baby hairs around your face are more than likely just new growth, whereas that random patch of short hairs at the back or side of your head might be actual breakage. And typically the breakage happens further from the root, Eaddy says. “It can typically be identified by split ends,” she explains.

Stopping hair breakage falls into two main categories: lifestyle changes and treatments. Lifestyle tactics to avoid hair breakage look like: not rubbing your hair roughly with a towel (use a soft microfiber towel instead), not over-styling your hair with hot tools, avoiding wearing really tight hair ties, and not over-processing it with treatments like perms, relaxers, or hair dye (yup, even if it’s natural hair dye). That’s not to say you have to skip out on all the fun hair trends and colors to avoid breakage, but just give your hair a break every once in a while to avoid it getting dry and brittle.

Hair breakage treatments and products, on the other hand, are the treatments, hair serums, masks, shampoos, and conditioners, that are packed with hydrating ingredients or protein-based ingredients to help dry or brittle hair. “I suggest using hydrating hair masks, oils, and deep conditioners to provide your hair with the most amount of moisture possible,” says Eaddy.

If your hair is super dry, Eaddy suggests steaming it. “Hair steaming with a deep conditioning treatment is one of my favorite haircare rituals, especially if you are experiencing breakage," Eaddy says. "It ensures that your hair will absorb the maximum amount of hydration and moisture possible while also increasing elasticity, which helps prevent breakage.”

Consider your hair type

“The finer your hair is, the more susceptible it is to breakage,” Eaddy says. “Fine hair is thin and fragile. The finer the texture of your hair, the more gentle you want to be.” And finer hair is especially prone to breakage when it’s over-washed and styled, so if that sounds like you, you'll want to take a break from the hot tools and treat your hair to a protein hair breakage treatment.

And if you don’t know if you have fine hair or not, here’s a tip: Take one strand of hair and roll it between your thumb and index finger. If you can feel it, it’s probably not super-fine, but if you can’t, it’s on the finer side. Obviously, this isn't an exact science, but it can help.

For coarser hair types and type-4 hair, moisture is almost always the answer, so stock up on deep conditioners, hair oils, and hydrating hair breakage treatments to keep it hydrated. And if you like to color your hair a lot, fun, but also damaging. “Color-treated or chemically treated hair can be more fragile and prone to damage due to the processes altering the natural bonds of your hair,” says Eaddy.

So, maybe skip that next full-process color appointment you’re tempted to book and instead treat your hair to a few months of hydrating, reparative products

Figure out what's causing your breakage

Before you spend your paycheck on hair breakage treatments, figure out what’s causing the breakage first. If you straighten or curl your hair every single day, it’s likely that your hair desperately needs moisture and a rest from the heat. If you’re already pretty gentle on your hair but still have breakage? It might just need some protein-packed products that will strengthen your strands. Important note here: Too much protein can lead to even more breakage, so if you go down the protein route, only use them once a week, max.

Look at the formulas

Great, now you know what’s causing the breakage. The next step? Picking the right formula. Brittle hair needs formulas that include peptides, amino-acids, and keratin. While dry and over-processed hair needs deep conditioners, hair oil to lock in moisture, and hydrating, sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners that won’t strip your hair of your natural moisture

• Whitney Eaddy is a celebrity hairstylist and natural hair expert based in Addison, TX. Eaddy is the founder and CEO of Juices and Botanics, a line of hair care and hair growth products, and the CEO of Her Growing Hands Salon and Spa.

Sami Roberts was the beauty assistant at Cosmopolitan with four years of experience researching, writing, and editing health, social media, and hair growth-related stories that range from the natural hair dyes to best affordable hair dryers to the best hair breakage treatments. She’s an authority in hair product categories, but is an expert when it comes to hair breakage, thanks to years of over-styling and dealing with split-ends. She regularly tests and analyzes hair oils and hair masks while working with the industry’s top experts to assess new formulas and brands.

Valeriya Chupinina is the beauty assistant at Cosmopolitan with five years of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories that range from gray hairstyles to hair toners. She’s an authority in all haircare categories, and regularly tests and analyzes hair breakage treatments for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top hairstylists and trichologists to assess new formulas and brands.