Hair breakage is nothing to be ashamed of—it happens to so many people, including those of us who are super serious about our hair care. It can show up as everything from rough ends that are barely noticeable to “how did this happen” curls, coils, and kinks that have us calling up our stylist in a panic.

But not to fret: breakage can be reversed and with the right hair care, it can be just a temporary moment for your hair. Here, we’re spilling the tea on how and why hair breakage happens and how you can prevent it. Because who doesn’t want healthy hair?

QTNA: WHAT IS HAIR BREAKAGE?

Hair breakage is defined by an actual breaking of your hair shaft. This kind of damage results in some of your strands being misaligned or visibly shorter than the rest of your hair. Don't confuse split ends with breakage. Split ends aren't the same as breakage, but they can lead to it if you fail to keep damage at bay by getting trims.

When your hair is breaking, it can still be growing, but the growth is moving slower than the damage. Look out for breakage at your hairline, your head’s crown, the back of your head, and the nape of your neck.

3 VISIBLE SIGNS OF HAIR BREAKAGE

Extreme dryness: Are you experiencing brittle and thirsty hair, even after using deeply hydrating and reparative products? This is a sign that your hair’s cuticles cannot retain moisture due to damage.

Rough, misaligned ends: If you’ve been in for a trim or haircut lately, but still notice that a portion of your hair is misaligned and looks shorter than the rest of your strands, then that’s most likely breakage.

Tangled, matted hair: If you’ve detangled both during and post-shower as well as throughout the week with your moisturizer and you’re still experiencing tangles and knots, then breakage may be to blame.

WHY IS HAIR BREAKAGE HAPPENING?

Fact: natural hair is both super strong and super fragile. So, tight hairstyles, hair color treatments, and excessive straightening with high heat can all exhaust your strands. This is especially true if you’re doing the any of the aforementioned processes more than you're putting nourishment back into your hair with heat protectants, hydrating conditioners, masks, and serums.

HOW TO PREVENT HAIR BREAKAGE

Dial everything back and truly put love, time, and reparative products into your hair. Period. Go in for a cut immediately, move that highlight session to 2021, and cancel heat tools for a couple of months. In exchange, you should be reapplying leave-ins every other day, going in with hydrating masks, and letting your natural texture breathe with wash-and-go styles.

Our Vanilla Berry Wash + Go Kit  was made to strengthen and repair hair. It’s powered by Castor Oil which is a nut oil rich in protein and your hair needs protein for structure and strength.

TWO THINGS YOU CAN DO LONG-TERM TO PREVENT HAIR BREAKAGE

Change your diet: Deficiencies in nutrients can dry out your hair the same way heat tools and the environment can. Infusing your diet with foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, iron, and zinc (like fish and eggs) can make a big difference in your hair. Or you can opt for supplements if you’re vegetarian or vegan.

Lean into wash + go styles and your natural texture: We love a good blowout here and there but cutting heat styling way down shows up in the strength of your strands. Whether you want to wash + go or you want to do an overnight twist-out, lean into your natural texture (aka manipulate your hair as little as possible) and watch your hair flourish.

THE END ALL, BE ALL.

Action is the best remedy to breakage. Go in for a haircut to renew your hair, plus invest in products that work hard and are full of nourishing ingredients to give your hair love every day. Your hair will be back to full health in no time.