How to Retain Low Porosity Hair

 By Tiffany Walker

If you have low porosity hair, you may feel frustrated with the amount of time it takes for your hair to get longer or even feel like it doesn’t get longer at all. You can rest assured your hair is getting longer; however, there may be some things inhibiting its health and causing it to move slower or break off before it can get long. The key to helping your hair along its journey is ensuring it is healthy both at the roots and the ends. We’ll teach you how to retain low porosity hair by determining what keeps your hair from achieving length and focusing on giving it what it needs to become and stay healthy. 

How To Know if You Have Low Porosity Hair

The first step to giving your hair what it needs to be healthy is understanding it. The natural hair products we recommend for low porosity hair won’t be as effective on high porosity hair and vise versa, so knowing the answer to the question, “What is hair porosity?” is key. Yes, there are high porosity hair products and low porosity hair products formulated especially for these hair types. So, let’s check a few boxes to see if you actually have low porosity hair before moving on. 

• Are the ends of your strands dry and brittle? 
• Does your hair take forever to air dry?
• When you drop a strand of hair in a glass of water, does it float? 
• Do hair products tend to build up easily rather than absorb into your hair? 
• Does your hair take forever to get thoroughly wet?  

If you answered “yes” to more than a few of these questions, you likely have low porosity hair. The signs of high porosity hair will be the opposite. Low porosity hair can lack moisture and deflect rather than absorb product, making it challenging for strands to become strong and long. This could be why you feel like your hair doesn’t get longer, but we can change that. While you can’t snap your fingers to change your hair’s porosity (it’s largely the result of genetics), there are plenty of things you can do to help your hair get long. 

Tips for Retaining Low Porosity Hair

Hair gets long easier and faster when it’s healthy. Healthy hair is undamaged, hydrated, and strong. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to hydrate low porosity hair, making it harder to repair damage and infuse it with strength. If you have low porosity hair, these are unique challenges you may face trying to achieve healthy hair, but you can overcome them. Here’s how:

Keep Strands Hydrated 

With any curly hair type, it’s always more difficult to keep strands hydrated. It’s even more difficult with low porosity hair because the hair’s cuticle isn’t open to allow moisture in. The cuticle is the outer layer of the hair strand that protects the core.  

The core of your hair needs moisture to retain strength. Dry hair strands are more prone to damage and breakage. So, while your hair is actually coming in all of the time, it may not feel like it because the ends are breaking off. Protect your ends from breaking due to dryness by keeping your strands well-hydrated. 

There are a couple of ways to go about hydrating low porosity hair. 

• First, condition regularly. In addition to a regular conditioner, use a deep conditioning treatment in the shower when the hair cuticle is open weekly, and a leave-in conditioner too. Our Pomegranate & Honey Organic Leave-In Conditioner will add both hydration and shine to your thirsty tresses.  
• Second, use enriching, yet lightweight oils, such as Almond Oil, after you get out of the shower to lock in moisture to your clean hair. 
• Third, use steam. When water molecules are in vapor form, as they are with steam, they are moving more quickly than liquid water molecules and can penetrate your hair easier, supplying your hair with hydration. 

Hydrated hair is stronger hair, which is hair that is healthy. 

Use The L.O.C. Method

The L.O.C. hair method is another way to hydrate low porosity hair and lock in moisture. Start with liquid, the L in the routine, which is as simple as washing your hair. The water from your shower is hydrating to your hair, but that hydration needs to be locked in. Step two in the L.O.C. method is oil. When your hair is damp, use an oil to help hair hold onto the water molecules. Our Avocado Moisturizing Hair Milk is made with organic avocado oil, which is ultra-nourishing, yet lightweight enough to penetrate the hair’s cuticle and bind to the core of your strands.   

The final step in the L.O.C. method is cream. A cream, such as our Moisture RX Hawaiian Ginger Moisturizing Styling Gel, will seal your cuticle so the moisture stays in your hair. Plus, it will provide the hold you need to achieve whatever style you’re going for. 

Using this method will help boost elasticity and moisture, which will help your hair retain length. If you integrate L.O.C. into your regular low porosity hair care regimen, you’ll be well on your way to healthier, longer hair. 

Clarify The Hair

It’s essential to clarify low porosity hair from time to time in order to see hair length. Hair products tend to sit on top of rather than absorb into low porosity hair and build up over time. This build-up can end up blocking the hair follicles and stunt your hair’s ability to retain length. Keep this from happening by clarifying your hair with a special rinse or clarifying shampoo. Our specially designed shampoo for curly hair allows for deep cleaning that breaks up build-up and helps prevent it in the future. 

Go Easy on Protein

Protein is often thought of as a very good thing when it comes to how to fix high porosity hair, but (and this is a big but) low porosity hair is highly sensitive to protein, and too much of it can be devastating. Low porosity hair, which already has tight, tough cuticles, can become stiff and fragile when protein, which is supposed to strengthen the hair cuticle, is added to the mix. While some protein products are known to help hair health, be careful with how many and how often you use them. Only treat your hair with protein-rich products every so often, and consider diluting the mixture when you do. 

Try A Pre-Poo

Pre-shampooing your hair can have a drastic effect on the softness and shine of your hair. Use a lightweight oil-based product that will penetrate your hair, such as our Pre-Shampoo with Mongongo Oil, before shampooing or even wetting your hair. A pre-poo will moisturize your hair and prevent it from snapping when you jump into a hot shower, thus protecting the strands and enabling them to get long and strong. 

Protect it While You Sleep

Tossing and turning during sleep could also be affecting your hair’s potential. Cotton pillowcases can not only rough up your strands and cause damage that affects your hair’s ability to get longer, but they also steal moisture from your hair. Instead, consider a silk or satin pillowcase that will be gentle on your strands, protecting them from damage and moisture loss. This simple switch will keep your hair healthier.  

Take A Vitamin

While there are many techniques and products you can use to nourish your hair from the outside, nourishment from the inside is important. Build stronger strands that retain length more efficiently by taking a supplement. Our line of hair vitamins is made with organic, all-natural ingredients, including a healthy dose of biotin, which is proven to support hair health. They will give your body the nutrients and minerals it needs to be healthier, longer hair. 

Remember, while our vitamins are safe and all-natural, it’s always important to check with your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet. 

Pay Attention

Everyone’s hair type is different and needs unique things to become and stay healthy. If you want to learn how to retain low porosity hair fast, pay attention to the particular challenges you constantly face with your hair. Does it feel dry and frizzy? Focus on hydration. Does it feel gunky at the root? Focus on regular clarifying treatments. Does it look dull and lifeless all over? Supplement your diet with supportive and healthy hair vitamins. You get the point. Focus your efforts on the areas where your hair seems to be struggling first, and you’ll see dramatic results in both the health and length of your hair. 

Mielle Organics can help provide the necessary hydration, protection, and strength to your low porosity hair. The right products and techniques will promote low porosity hair and contribute to healthier hair all around.