Brittle hair: what to do to limit breakage?

Noticed little pieces of hair in your brush, or ends that snap easily? There is no need to change your whole routine at once. Start by spotting the habits that weaken your lengths, then adjust them step by step.

1. Identify what weakens your hair

Notice when the breakage happens: while detangling, after heat styling, or mostly at the ends? This will help you choose the first habit to change. To understand the possible causes, read Why does my hair break?.

2. Rethink how you detangle

Divide your hair into sections, work out knots without pulling and start at the ends before gradually moving up. Hold the strand above the knot to limit tension. Find the detailed steps in our article How to detangle your hair without damaging it.

3. Care for dry hair

If your lengths feel rough and lack suppleness, adapt your care to their needs and avoid washing or drying them too harshly. Start with a small amount of product, then adjust by feel. See also our Dry hair guide.

Dry and brittle hair: what is the link?

Dry hair lacks suppleness and snags more during styling: knots and repeated handling can then make breakage worse. But dryness does not always cause hair to snap. Heat, colouring or bleaching and friction can also play a part, and the ends, being older, are particularly exposed. If your lengths seem very weakened, see our page on damaged hair.

4. Nourish your lengths

A treatment applied to the lengths can help improve how they feel and make styling easier. Maree's Organic Corsican Immortelle Hair Oil can be used according to the directions on its product page and your hair's needs. An oil cannot seal a fibre that has already snapped.

Discover the Organic Corsican Immortelle Hair Oil – €24.00

5. Protect your ends

Your ends have been exposed to friction and handling for longer than the rest of the hair. Detangle them carefully, avoid rubbing them with a towel and keep an eye on their condition. If they are already split, a trim remains the way to remove split ends: a treatment can improve how they look, but it won't repair them permanently.

6. Limit heat

Whenever possible, space out straightener sessions and lower the temperature of your hairdryer. If you use a heated tool, use suitable heat protection and avoid going over the same strand again and again.

7. Stick to a regular routine

Keep a few simple habits and repeat them: wash gently, detangle without pulling and look after your ends. Then adjust according to your hair's texture and how it responds.

To go further, discover our brittle hair routine and Maree's care for fragile hair.