Hey Hey! As promised I’m
doing a hair related post about hair porosity. I have been educating myself over the
last couple of months about hair porosity and I feel this information is VERY valuable in getting to know your strands and what it needs to thrive. Hair
porosity refers to how your hair reacts to moisture, specifically, how well
it’s able to absorb and hold moisture. The outer layer of your hair, known as
the cuticle, affects the porosity of your hair. Your hairs cuticle determines
how easily moisture is able to pass in and out of your hair shaft. All hair is
porous however, your level of porosity will vary based on genetics and the
amount of damage that your hair’s cuticle has been subjected to. I believe
knowing your hair’s porosity will not only assist you in properly caring for
your strands, but also assist in what products are best for your tresses.
How is Porosity Measured?
Porosity is usually measured
as being low, medium, or high. If you have low
porous hair, water or moisture cannot get into your hair as your hair resists
the moisture. Hair
with low porosity has a tightly bound cuticle layer with overlapping scales
that lay flat. This type of hair is usually considered healthy, and is often
very shiny, especially when it's dark in color. Low porosity hair repels
moisture when you try to wet it and is hard to process since it resists
penetration of chemicals.
If
you have high porous hair, your hair
has many gaps and pores allowing too much moisture to get in the hair shaft. Just
as moisture gets into the shaft, it leaves out just as fast causing your hair
to be more prone to frizz and tangling in humid weather. High porosity can be
either an inherent property of hair or the result of damage from chemical
processing/treatment or environmental damage.
Normal porosity hair, requires
the least amount of maintenance. The cuticle layer is looser, allowing just the
right amount of moisture to enter while preventing too much from escaping. Hair
with normal porosity also tends to hold styles well.
How Do I Determine
Porosity?
There are two techniques that can be done to
find out how porous your hair is.
1.) The Float Test: Take a couple of
strands of hair from your comb or brush and drop them into a bowl of water. Let
them sit for 2-4 minutes. If your hair floats, you have low porosity. If it
sinks, you have high porosity.
2.) The Slip'n'Slide Test: Take a strand of hair
and slide your fingers up the shaft (toward the scalp). If you feel little
bumps along the way, this means that your cuticle is lifted and that you have
high porosity. If your fingers slip smoothly, then you have low porosity hair.
Tips For Each Type
Low
Porosity
Low porosity hair requires moisturizers
rich in emollients such as shea butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil and mineral oil
(YES! EVEN MINERAL OIL!). It also benefits from humectant products (honey, castor oil,
etc), which attract and hold moisture to your hair.
Choose lighter, liquid-based products such as hair milks
that won't sit on your hair and leave it oily or greasy. Low porosity hair is prone
to build-up from protein-rich deep conditioning products, which can leave it
feeling stiff and straw-like. Try to stick to protein-free, daily conditioners
with humectants such as glycerin or honey. Use moderate heat with protein-free
deep conditioning treatments to help open up the tightly bound cuticle.
High Porosity
Leave-in
conditioners, moisturizers and sealers should be used on high porosity hair
because moisture is lost easily. Layering these products will help your hair
hold on to the moisture you're giving it. Heavy hair butters help fill the gaps
in your damaged cuticles and further protect your hair from losing too much
moisture. You should try to stay away from humectant products as they draw too
much moisture out of the air and into your hair.
Normal Porosity
We want to aim for normal porosity hair with
slightly raised cuticles that allow enough moisture, but not so much your hair
gets frizzy and tangled. Occasional deep conditioning treatments with
protein conditioners can benefit normal porosity hair, but proteins should not
be included in your daily regimen.
So! There you have it! That’s hair porosity in a
nutshell and I hope this post has been helpful for my fellow curly girls. I
know what you’re probably thinking, “Kourtney, how porous is your hair?” Lol I
have low porosity hair. I have to do a lot on wash day to make sure my hair
lets in moisture and I am able to lock it in so I don't have to keep applying product
throughout the week. Once I figured out my hair’s porosity, tending to my
tresses has become more enjoyable and definitely more manageable. Please
comment below with any additional questions you may have or anything you would
like to add that I may have left out. Thanks for reading!
Peace and Good Vibes,
Harmonious Kourt
