Understanding Hair Porosity
If you've ever wondered why some hair products seem to work for your hair and others don't, your hair's porosity might have something to do with it. Porosity refers to the hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture and is determined by the structure of your hair's cuticles.
You can have low or high porosity hair or something in between. If you have low porosity hair, it means the cuticles are tightly closed, making it difficult for moisture and products to penetrate. However, once hydrated, moisture is retained well. If you have high porosity hair, it means cuticles are raised, allowing moisture to be absorbed quickly but lost just as fast, leading to frizz and breakage.
Signs you have low porosity hair:
- hair takes a long time to get wet
- hair takes a long time to dry after shower
- prone to product buildup
- hair tends to weigh down/lack volume
Signs you have high porosity hair:
- hair gets wet quickly
- hair dries quickly after shower
- prone to frizz and tangles, especially in high humidity
- prone to dullness
To check what kind of hair you have, spritz water onto dry hair. If the water beads up, or rolls off, you have low porosity hair. If the water gets absorbed quickly, you have high porosity hair. Alternatively, you can also drop a strand of hair into a glass of water. If it floats, you have low porosity hair, and if it sinks, your hair is high porosity hair.
Knowing what kind of hair you have can help you choose the right products for your hair for better results. For example, low porosity hair benefits from more washing, showering in warm water to open up the cuticles and letting products penetrate, and a clarifying shampoo to remove product build-up. High porosity hair benefits from thick hair masks, which help hydrate and tame frizz.
When it comes to hair oiling, the type of hair you have can affect results as well. Knowing which oils to use and which to avoid are important. A general rule of thumb is that low porosity hair tends to do well with lighter oils, and high porosity hair tends to do well with thicker oils and butters.
Do you know what type of hair you have?