Hair breakage can range from Not-So-Bad to Call 9-1-1. Some factors that contribute to breakage are out of your control, but many of the reasons behind hair breakage lead right back to what we do to our hair on a daily basis. While stopping breakage completely may take some time and serious TLC, you can often minimize it pretty quickly by stepping up your hair care game.

1. Trim Your Ends

To some women, trimming equals cutting, which may as well equal “No, Thank You.” Done right, a trim only removes dead ends, not whole chunks of hair. When you trim proactively, you reduce the chances that your ends become so dry and brittle that a cut becomes necessary. Women who suffer from split ends have to cut them away before they break off on their own. When split ends get out of control, they travel up the hair shaft, making a serious cut more likely. Instead, why not trim the bottom 1/4 to 1/2 inch of hair every two to three months? Trims are more even and less traumatic than cuts that have to be done.

2. Don’t Brush Hair While Wet

3. Get Some Protein ASAP

4. Let Your Stylist Apply Chemicals

5. Ease Up on Heat

Use other methods of styling, such as wet setting on magnetic rollers or Curlformers. Wet wrap the hair for a sleek look, or wet set with braids and twists for cool waves. Save the heat tools for special occasions, and definitely no more than once a week.