Things You Need To Know About Hair Porosity And How To Mange It

Hey guys, Happy New Month... I know y'all have missed me, i've just been so busy but I promise I am gonna try post frequently now, especially those who follow my natural hair journey.

So today I would be talking about Hair Porosity. I don't know if you've heard about it before, I just found out what it meant when my best friend was complaining that she has low porosity or high porosity and i'm like please which one is hair porosity again and shes like Google it, which I did obviously. Now I am here to explain what Hair Porosity is and also give you guys some tips on How to Manage it

What is Hair Porosity?

Porosity is defined as your hair’s ability to absorb water or other chemicals into the shaft of the hair. All hair types are porous but your level of porosity will vary based on genetics and the amount of damage that the cuticle layer has been subjected to.

Processes such as coloring the hair, heat styling or relaxing are examples that can affect increase the porosity of hair. Also, daily maintenance such as detangling and shampooing can sometimes affect the cuticle layer.

There are three types of Hair Porosity

1. Low Porosity

2. Medium Porosity

3. High Porosity

Low Porosity Hair This is the type of hair that doesn’t really allow water and moisture in (that’s why it stayed at the top of the water during the water test). It means there is a tightly bound cuticle layer with overlapping scales and it lays flat. Low porosity hair is usually shiny, repels moisture, and is hard to process with chemicals. Products like glycerin and honey, Shea butter, coconut and jojoba oils are good for this hair porosity. Also opt for more liquid based products instead of very thick ones. Highly porous hair absorbs a lot of water, but it also means it released moisture fast, meaning it is harder to keep highly porous hair moisturized! Low porous hair will hold unto moisture longer, but it is more difficult for the hair to pull in the water. 

Medium Porosity Hair: This Type of hair requires the least maintenance, and has a more relaxed cuticle layer. It can hold styles well, and it can be really shiny and healthy. It can also be colored and treated with predictable results, but after some time it can increase porosity. Because of this, it’s important to not chemically treat normal porosity hair too often. Medium porosity hair only requires an occasional protein treatment. By maintaining a good hair regimen, and limiting heat/ chemical use, hair will remain healthy without a lot of work. 

High Porosity Hair: This type of  Hair can be caused by genetics or damage. High porosity hair has gaps and holes in the cuticle, causing it to absorb too much moisture. This causes frizz and tangling in humid weather. It also lets out moisture, leaving the hair dry. Leave in conditioners, moisturizers, and sealers help hold the moisture in the hair. It’s also good to use heavy hair butters to fill gaps in damaged cuticles. Shea butter (Ori) is a good example of a heavy butter. Also do regular apple cider vinegar rinses (ACV) to help restore the pH balance and seal the cuticle.

Ways To Test Hair Porosity

1. Pull a few pieces of hair from a comb/brush and place into a bowl of water (this is MUCH easier than trying to rip out a few strands).

Let it sit for 2-4 minutes. If the hair is floating at the top that means that you have low porosity hair. If the hair sits in the middle you have medium porosity hair (also known as normal porosity hair); if it sinks to the bottom you have high porosity hair.

2. The second method is the strand test. Take a single strand of hair with your fingers and slide your finger up the shaft. If you feel little bumps then it means your cuticle is lifted and you have high porosity hair. If the shaft is smooth that means you have low porosity hair.

Decide what products work for you, and make them work from there. This hair porosity can’t really be changed or fixed, so be mindful of that as well. It’s important to learn about hair porosity, because it answers questions about my hair that we may not have known we had. Instead of basing our regimen on ‘hair type’ and curl patterns, we can focus on what’s really happening within the strand. After doing the strand test (and the water test looks way more fun), you can see for yourself whether or not your regimen has been working.

To find out how to manage your hair porosity after doing your test, try doing some research on your specific hair porosity, AKA Google it... hehe.

If you have any question or you want to give opinions about this post please leave your comments below.. thanks...

xxx

mama