There are 3 hair porosity types
⦁ Low porosity
⦁ Medium/normal porosity
⦁ High porosity

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Knowing all about your hair porosity eases your hair journey and is essential for healthy scalp and hair growth.

Figuring out your porosity also aids in choosing the right products for your porosity type, proper moisturizing, reducing breakage and growing healthy hair. Hair porosity is the hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture and it’s affected by the nature of your cuticle.

Hair porosity type & how to care for each

⦁ Low porosity type
⦁ Medium/normal porosity type
⦁ High porosity type

Low porosity.

Low porosity is characterized by a tightly bound cuticle that lays flat making it difficult for penetration of moisture and products. Low porosity hair doesn’t easily absorb and retain moisture making it prone to product build up because it takes longer to saturate with water and sealants.

Low porosity care tips.

⦁ Deep condition with moisturizing conditioners to help infuse moisturizing nutrients into your hair
⦁ Use a clarifying shampoo once in a while to get rid of the build up that makes it difficult for moisture and products absorption.
⦁ Evenly apply hair care products throughout your hair and avoid applying too much product to reduce build up.
⦁ Use humectants like glycerin or products with humectants since they draw moisture from the air infusing into your hair strands.
⦁ Choose liquid based products for moisturizing and light oils as sealants to reduce build up.

High porosity hair care tips.

High porosity is characterized by a loose and raised cuticle that absorbs moisture quickly and loses it as fast. Due to its ability to easily absorb moisture, it’s prone to frizz and easily tangles and breakage since it loses moisture as fast as it absorbs it unless you master proper moisturizing method.

High porosity hair care tips.

⦁ Avoid sulfate shampoos/ clarifying shampoo since they strip of moisture and natural oils drying your hair which is prone to dryness cause moisture is lost as fast as it’s absorbed.
⦁ Use protein treatments regularly to strengthen the hair to reduce breakage.

⦁ Use anti-humectants especially in high humidity areas to prevent absorption of excess moisture from the hair. Absorption of excess moisture causes frizz which means ruined hairstyles.
⦁ Use moisturizers, leave-in and heavy sealants(oils and butter) to fill the cuticle gaps reducing moisture loss.

Medium porosity.

This porosity type absorbs the right moisture, products and retains it because the cuticle layers are looser allowing proper absorption and retention of moisture making it easier to moisturize and care for this porosity type. It also tends to hold hairstyles and color easily and evenly.

Medium porosity care tips.

⦁ Deep condition on every wash day with a moisturizing conditioner and do protein treatments regularly.
⦁ Avoid using heat if you can and if not, use minimal heat and at the correct temperature.
⦁ Don’t over-comb/brush and use your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to detangle.

How to know your porosity type.

To know your hair porosity type, take a hair porosity test where you will need to take a strand of clean hair from your comb/brush and if you have the heart to pull a strand off your hair, do it them put the strand in a glass of water and let it sit for a few minutes & repeat the tests thrice (different wash days.)

If the hair floats, your hair is low porosity. If it sinks immediately, it’s high porosity and when it sinks slowly your hair is normal porosity. I don’t know how effective this test is cause most of the hair on your brush or combs has products and oils, I tend to think that would affect the results.

I would encourage you to pay attention to how fast your hair absorbs water and how quick it dries to know your right porosity type or do a spray bottle test where you need to take a small hair section and spritz it and watch how your hair behaves. If water beads up on your hair it’s low porosity, quickly absorbs it’s high porosity and if it sits on your hair for a few minutes before absorption it’s medium porosity.

Do you know your hair porosity? I would love to know your hair porosity.