How to prevent hair breakage day and night

Daily aggressors like pollution, UV rays, heat styling, and color treatments can leave hair dehydrated and fragile. Fortunately, preventing hair breakage doesn't require a complicated routine. Simple adjustments to your daily and nightly habits can significantly reduce hair damage and stop breakage. We'll show you how.

Key takeaways

• Strengthen hair from the inside: Use protein-rich formulas, like the NEXXUS Unbreakable Care system, to fortify hair and prevent breakage.
• Be gentle when wet: Avoid damage by gently squeezing hair with a microfiber towel instead of rubbing, and detangle with a wide-tooth comb.
• Minimize heat and tension: Choose heat-free styling options and swap tight elastics for gentle satin scrunchies to reduce stress on your hair.
• Protect hair while you sleep: Reduce friction and prevent knots by sleeping on a silk pillowcase or wrapping your hair in a silk scarf.

A step-by-step guide to prevent hair breakage

Consistent care is key to preventing breakage

Stopping hair breakage doesn't require a complex overhaul of your life. By adopting these simple, gentle habits into your daily and nightly routines—from washing and styling to sleeping—you can build a powerful defense against damage. A consistent, mindful approach, combined with the right strengthening products, is the most effective way to maintain resilient, healthy-looking hair.

How to prevent hair breakage in the shower

A shower’s the perfect time to take care of your thirsty and damaged strands. Since your hair consists mainly of protein – and in particular keratin – you’ll need to use nourishing products formulated with it. The new NEXXUS Unbreakable Care range is scientifically proven to reduce up to 97% of hair loss from breakage* by strengthening, protecting and creating fullness while you wash and condition. NEXXUS Unbreakable Care Anti-Breakage Shampoo and Conditioner are infused with advanced keratin protein, biotin, collagen and spirulina to strengthen fine hair from within.

How to prevent hair breakage when drying

Your hair is in its most fragile and weak state when it’s wet – so, let it dry naturally.Worried this will cause a bad hair day? Resist the impulse to rub it with a towel, as this could lead to frizzy, dry and weak hair. Instead, wrap a microfiber towel around your hair to absorb excess water. To further reduce damage, spray NEXXUS Unbreakable Care Root Lifting Leave In Spray and let it work its magic. Containing peptides and essential nutrients, it’ll nurture hair at the root, giving fullness, thickness and protection when you style it.

How to prevent hair breakage when brushing

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, brushing your hair 100 times a day can actually lead to cuticle damage and breakage. But that doesn’t mean you should stop brushing your hair, just make sure your technique is correct. Start by sectioning your hair and gently detangle the ends with a wide tooth comb, working your way up to the scalp. Going slow and being gentle is key to preventing split ends and breakage. The NEXXUS Unbreakable Care range can also help, as its strengthening properties help protect hair during brushing, creating stronger hair that is easier to style but harder to break.

How to prevent hair breakage when styling

Heat-free styling tools, like hair rollers, flexi rods and headbands can be a game changer. If you still want to use hot tools, make sure your hair is completely dry,use a heat protector spray, select the low heat setting and keep the tool moving.

Bleached hair in particular needs extra care when it comes to preventing damage and breakage. Get our best tips for how to repair it.

How to prevent hair breakage when you’re working out

Twisting and pulling your hair back tightly with an elastic band can cause breakage, so switch to more gentle satin scrunchies. Repetitive styling puts excess tension on the same spot and weakens the hair, so choose your hairstyle based on your workout – braids for lifting weights, a low and loose pony for Pilates and walks, and a top knot for higher intensity work, perhaps – to avoid stressing the same section every time.

How to prevent hair breakage when you’re sleeping

Tossing and turning can cause friction, knotting and breakage as your head rubs against your pillow. If you shower before bed, make sure your hair is dry before you go to sleep. To wake up to healthier hair, trade your cotton pillowcase for a silk one, which retains moisture and can reduce friction. You could also wrap hair in a silk scarf while you sleep, which works in the same way.

*vs non-conditioning shampoo