When we decide on the best way to treat our hair, we may not think about the structure of individual strands, but we probably should.
Each strand of hair has a cuticle layer on the outside, with a layout that resembles shingles on a roof. The cuticles determine the porosity of our hair, or how the hair retains moisture. The porosity of the hair may make more of an impact on our curly-haired girls, as curly hair tends to be dryer, but all hair types are affected.
It’s easy to find the porosity of your hair and doing so may make it easier to understand why your hair reacts to certain products differently.
Here’s how to test your hair porosity:
- Fill a glass with room temperature water.
- Take a couple strands of freshly washed, loose hair and put them in the water.
- Watch the hair for 2 to 4 minutes.
- If your hair is still floating 4 minutes later, it has low porosity. It has not absorbed the water.
- If your hair sinks slowly over the course of four minutes, you have medium porosity hair.
- If your hair sinks immediately, it is high porosity. Your hair absorbed the water easily and sank quickly.
Low porosity hair has tighter cuticles, the closeness of the cuticles makes it more difficult for water to penetrate the hair strands, and subsequently makes it more difficult to keep the hair hydrated.
Some problems you may experience with low porosity hair are:
- Products sit on top of your hair instead of penetrating it, which makes styling and coloring hair more difficult.
- Your hair tends to be dry and resist moisture.
- Your hair takes a long time to dry.
- It looks healthy but doesn’t have much volume.
- Water beads up on your hair rather than absorbing.
When dealing with low porosity hair some things to keep in mind:
- Use lighter products, reducing build up is important.
- Use heat to open the cuticles to let the moisture in (hot water, heated deep conditioners, steamers, etc.).
- Your hair routine should consist of water-soluble products to reduce build-up.
- When applying products, make sure your hair is damp.
- Look for products containing glycerin, which may help improve moisture levels.
- If your hair is very dry, try light conditioning oils like argon and grapeseed.
- Avoid protein treatments, they could make hair drier and more brittle.
Medium porosity hair lets moisture in and keeps water out. It’s the lowest maintenance of the hair porosities. The cuticles open and close easily, so water tends to sit on top of strands initially but then absorbs. Being blessed with medium porosity hair is nice, but continue to make sure your hair is healthy, as poor treatment could alter your hair’s porosity.
High porosity hair has cuticles that gape open, which allows moisture in readily but cannot retain it. High porosity hair could be genetic, or a result of damage through treatment and heat.
Some problems you may experience with high porosity hair:
- Your hair absorbs too much moisture and is weighed down but is unable to retain the moisture so ends up dry.
- Your hair looks and feels dull, dry, course, and frizzy.
- Because your cuticles get caught on each other, your hair tangles easily.
- Your hair gets wet fast, but air dries quickly.
In treating high porosity hair some things to look for:
- High porosity hair benefits well from deep conditioning products to help heal the damaged cuticles.
- Thicker moisturizing products are helpful for this hair type, as they will seal the cuticle and help serve as a protective layer.
- Incorporate leave in conditioner and moisturizer to your daily routine.
- Your hair benefits from protein treatments, including egg washes or protein based deep conditioner.
- Always end your showers with a cold rinse to close your cuticles and avoid heat styling whenever possible.
Now that you’ve determined your hair porosity, go show it some love!