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
