Talking about textured hair is like speaking a shared language, a series of letters and numbers that explain the way strands loop and curl. And while the hair typing system can be helpful for understanding how your hair behaves, it doesn’t tell the full story. There’s lots of other factors to consider like strand thickness, density, and porosity. Of the three, porosity is the most important for understanding how to keep hair moisturized and healthy.
What Is Hair Porosity?
Porosity refers to the way hair retains and absorbs water. Think of your hair cuticle—the outermost layer of your hair strand—as a gate. In order to moisturize your hair, products need to be able to pass through it to get to the deeper layers of the hair strand. How easily this happens depends on your hair’s porosity. There are three levels—low, medium and high. The level is determined by the spaces between the hair cuticles. If you were to look at the cuticle under a microscope, it looks similar to the shingles on a roof. The spacing between those “shingles” determines porosity. The closer together the cuticle, the lower the porosity.
Why Hair Porosity Matters
Understanding the way your hair receives and maintains hydration is the key to healthy hair. Hydrated hair is stronger and less prone to breakage, which also means more length retention and easier styling. Porosity is mostly determined by genetics but can also be impacted by heat styling and chemical processing.
Hair Porosity Tests
To figure out your hair’s porosity, there’s a series of tests you can do at home. For best results, do this on clean, freshly washed hair.
-
Slip 'N' Slide Test: Take a wet strand of hair and run your fingers from the tip to the root. Low porosity hair is smooth because the cuticle is closed while high porosity hair is bumpy because the cuticle is open.
-
Towel Dry Test: After washing your hair, gently blot your hair with a towel and note how long it takes to air-dry or feel damp. Low porosity hair takes a long time to dry while high porosity hair dries quickly.
Caring for Low Porosity Hair
Low porosity hair needs a little help retaining moisture and needs lots of hydration. Avoid using shampoos and conditioners with lots of protein because it can build up and cause overproteinization, which happens when too much protein builds up on hair and causes it to be dry and brittle. An ultra-hydrating shampoo with glycerin and honey like the Pomegranate & Honey Detangling Shampoo will help because it attracts moisture from the air and draws it into the hair strand. Heat can also help. To get even more out of your products, cover your hair using a plastic bag or sit under the dryer for a few minutes to get the most out of your products and help it penetrate even deeper. Another pro tip: pre-poo using an oil like Rosemary Mint Light Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil, which will help to further moisturize hair before wash day.
Caring for High Porosity Hair
High porosity hair needs help keeping moisture in, so you’ll want to pick products that contain moisturizing oils like the Babassu & Mint Damage Repair Shampoo. The gentle cleanser contains strengthening babassu and castor oils, which help to lock in moisture and reduce frizz. Another key to keeping high porosity hair moisturized is using a heat protectant every time you use hot tools. This will minimize damage to the hair strand and prevent further moisture loss.
