Take it from someone who once had nearly half of her hair bleached off of her head—hair loss, hair breakage, and, honestly, any huge change or shift to our hair’s overall

look or health, can be traumatic as hell. Sure, in the grand scheme of this whole life thing, hair may seem comparably inconsequential, but hair also happens to be something that almost every human I’ve ever talked to regards as a key part of their identity. So, it goes without saying that when our strands are unexpectedly compromised in some kind of way, it has the potential to cause a major blip in our self-esteem. 

Damage and breakage are pretty inevitable to some degree, but depending on your age, any underlying health conditions, lifestyle, and styling or coloring habits, both can greatly vary. For instance, the bleach-incurred damage I experienced back in college (during my self-proclaimed “bleach apocalypse”) is very different than the bleach-incurred damage I face now, years later, when I’ve found a trustworthy colorist who prioritizes my hair’s integrity above all else. (Obviously, I still have damage—bleach is strong stuff—but my hair no longer falls from my scalp like a cascading waterfall.) Through every season of life, breakage, and damage, high-quality haircare products have made a huge impact on my hair’s healing process and overall well-being—especially my chosen shampoos and conditioners.

The best formulas that address breakage will be different for everyone, but, to help steer you in the right direction, we’ve compiled a 10/10 list of the breakage-banishing shampoos and conditioners according to us beauty editors and an amazing roster of celebrity hairstylists. Keep scrolling—15 of the best shampoos and conditioners to help stop breakage in its tracks are just ahead