Shiny, supple, luminous hair is one of your most beautiful assets. Over time, however, it can become more fragile. Loss of softness, broken ends and dull lengths are signs of a hair fibre under strain. The right habits and a suitable routine can help strengthen it, reduce breakage and restore soft, radiant, resilient lengths.
Why does hair become brittle?
The hair fibre is protected by an outer layer called the cuticle. Made up of fine scales, it protects the cortex, which gives hair its colour and strength. When these scales lie smooth and close together, they reflect light and hair feels soft, supple and radiant. When the intercellular cement no longer plays its role, the scales lift. Lengths become rougher and duller, the cortex loses protection and hair becomes brittle.
External causes
Many factors can weaken the hair fibre. Heated appliances such as hairdryers, straighteners and curling irons expose hair to high temperatures that can alter its structure. Colouring, bleaching and chemical treatments also change its natural balance.
Less noticeable but very common stresses, including pollution, UV rays and friction against clothing or your pillow, also weaken the intercellular cement that holds the scales together. The cuticle opens and the fibre loses its natural protection.
Internal causes
The beauty of your hair also depends on your body's internal balance. Certain nutritional deficiencies, dehydration and stress can weaken both the hair fibre and the scalp. Hair can lose density, becoming finer and more vulnerable, and may also fall out. Taking care of your hair therefore also means taking care of yourself.
How can you tell breakage from hair shedding?
It is not always easy to distinguish breakage from shedding, although the mechanisms are very different.
Shedding is part of the hair's natural life cycle. Each fibre grows, lives and falls out to make room for a new one. A shed hair usually has a small white bulb at one end. Losing hair is normal, but if shedding increases or becomes localised, pay attention to what your body is telling you. Stress, fatigue and an unbalanced diet can weaken hair.
Breakage happens along the length. Hair snaps before the root, usually in weakened areas such as the ends or places exposed to repeated friction. A simple clue is finding short fragments on your clothes, pillow or brush. In that case, the priority is to strengthen the scalp and lengths and smooth the cuticle to restore resilience.
Everyday habits to help limit breakage
Fragile hair needs extra attention, but a few simple habits can make a difference.
Washing: frequency and gentle techniques
The first step in an anti-breakage routine is gentle cleansing. Choose a shampoo with a mild cleansing base, without sulphates or silicones. Use it once or twice a week, massaging the scalp with your fingertips to stimulate microcirculation and create a feeling of wellbeing. When rinsing, let the lather flow naturally through the lengths without rubbing them. This is generally enough to cleanse the fibre while respecting its balance.
Detangling without breakage
Brushing and detangling are critical moments for fragile hair. After washing, apply a repairing, detangling treatment to towel-dried lengths. This helps smooth the cuticle and makes brushing easier. Start at the ends and work gradually upwards. This simple technique limits tension on the fibre and helps protect the lengths.
Mistakes to avoid
Some habits can make breakage worse. Avoid brushing brittle hair while it is soaking wet, when the fibre is more fragile. Tight hair ties and tightly pulled styles can also place excessive tension on the lengths. Protect hair from styling heat with suitable care, such as Hair Prodigieux® Leave-In Detangling Milk or Intense Nourishing Leave-In Hair Care.
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For lasting support for brittle hair, choose a complete Hair Prodigieux® routine. In three steps, hair is cleansed, nourished and repaired, with the captivating fragrance of Huile Prodigieuse®.
High Shine Shampoo
High Shine Shampoo gently cleanses fragile hair. Enriched with fermented pink camellia oil, it removes impurities from the scalp and lengths without harshness or heaviness. Its milky texture envelops the fibre and transforms into a light lather with notes of orange blossom, magnolia and vanilla.
Intense Repair Hair Mask
A comforting treatment for fragile lengths, this balm provides deep repair. It contains fermented pink camellia oil, nourishing shea butter and panthenol. Hair regains elasticity and feels stronger, more supple and less brittle. Protected from breakage, it recovers softness and shine.
Hydra-Plumping Concentrate for Hair & Scalp
Complete your anti-breakage routine with Hydra-Plumping Concentrate for Hair & Scalp. It contains more than 8,500 micro-beads of fermented pink camellia oil, a duo of high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acids, and amla extract. Each drop hydrates, strengthens and revitalises the scalp and lengths. Day after day, the hair fibre becomes stronger and more resilient:
- From the first drops: +24% scalp hydration.
- After 30 applications: +88% resistance to breakage.
On dry or towel-dried hair, apply one to two pipettes to the scalp, parting by parting. Then dispense one to two pipettes into your palms and apply to the lengths and ends.
For convenience, the Hair Prodigieux® Anti-Breakage Trio brings these products together in an elegant velvet vanity case in the collection's signature colour.
Which ingredients help strengthen the hair fibre?
Several ingredients can help support brittle hair and restore strength, suppleness and radiance.
Hyaluronic acid
A combination of high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acids is ideal. High molecular weight hyaluronic acid forms a moisturising film that smooths the cuticle and limits water loss. With Hydra-Plumping Concentrate for Hair & Scalp, hair feels smoother and shinier and better resists external stresses. Low molecular weight hyaluronic acid boosts hydration and promotes suppleness. This duo also hydrates the scalp, an essential step in strengthening the lengths.
Amla extract
An Ayurvedic treasure, amla is particularly rich in vitamin C, a natural antioxidant. Revitalised and strengthened, hair better resists breakage. This ingredient also helps improve density, leaving hair thicker and shinier.
- Find this ingredient in Hydra-Plumping Concentrate for Hair & Scalp.
Fermented pink camellia oil
At the heart of Hair Prodigieux®, this precious oil is inspired by an ancestral beauty secret. Pink camellia oil has been used in Japan for centuries to enhance hair. The NUXE laboratory uses pink camellia oil whose properties are enhanced through fermentation. This process enriches the oil with active molecules and improves its affinity with the hair fibre. It is twice as nourishing and repairing as non-fermented oil.
Find this ingredient throughout the Hair Prodigieux® collection.
Jojoba oil
Jojoba oil is particularly interesting. Composed mainly of omega-9 fatty acid esters, it has a strong affinity with skin and hair. Its sebum-regulating properties help maintain the scalp's balance. It nourishes without weighing hair down and enhances the lengths.
- Find this ingredient in the Pre-Shampoo Nourishing Mask and Intense Nourishing Hair Care.
Castor oil
Castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid. It nourishes and strengthens brittle hair and helps protect against external stresses thanks to its vitamin E and omega-6 linoleic acid content.
- Find this ingredient in the Pre-Shampoo Nourishing Mask.
Shea butter
A plant ingredient known for its nourishing properties, shea butter is rich in fatty acids and vitamins A and E. It nourishes dry, damaged hair, repairs the fibre and acts as a protective shield to help prevent split ends. Hair feels stronger, softer and more supple.
- Find this ingredient in the Intense Repair Hair Mask.
Panthenol (provitamin B5)
A key ingredient in hair care, panthenol converts to vitamin B5 on contact with hair or skin. This small molecule hydrates the hair and helps make the fibre more resilient. It also coats the hair and makes detangling easier.
Find this ingredient in the Intense Repair Hair Mask and High Shine Conditioner.
Combining expert ingredients with irresistible textures, Hair Prodigieux® cares for brittle hair and delights the senses. A three-step anti-breakage routine helps restore suppleness, shine and resilience. Personalise this hair care ritual throughout the year to suit your hair's needs and your habits.
