I am a newbie as well....although i havent been on long some tips that worked for my 4a/b hair when it was breaking is....
>As little manipulation as possible(comb/brush only when u have to)
>Flat iron, press, curl as little as possible, if at all (i know that may be hard, but just for a little while during the breaking period)
>Invest in some essential oils along with olive oil or other base blend
>Message, message, message your scalp daily with the oils
>Deep condition at least once a week
>Only use shampoo when you deep condition
Ok chica... these are just a few suggestions to get you started..as long as you havent severly kilt your hair, the breakage will stop, you just have to baby your hair for a bit!!
HTH