We all know the basics to maintaining healthy hair. From deeply moisturizing to protecting your strands from heat damage, the routine we establish helps us achieve luscious locks…right? Wrong. If you are caring for your hair without looking into hair porosity you could be making a big mistake. I myself had no previous knowledge on what hair porosity actually is or how to determine hair porosity but after a deep dive on the web I was able to muster up some information.
What is Hair Porosity & How to Determine Yours
Hair porosity is how your hair works to retain and absorb moisture and is often separated among low, normal and high porosity. The difference between these porosities is the hair cuticles. Low porosity hair has very closely bound cuticles, while normal porosity has cuticles that are a little less bound and high porosity hair has spread apart cuticles. To establish your hair’s porosity, start with clean hair that is free from any product buildup. Take a strand of hair and dip it into a glass of water. If your hair completely floats, it is low porosity. If it floats and then begins to slowly sink, you have normal porosity and if it immediately sinks, that is high porosity.
How to Care for Each Porosity
Catering your routine to your hair’s porosity can be an extreme game-changer when it comes to achieving healthy strands. The following information will guide you on how to effectively care for each hair porosity.
- Low Porosity Hair
- What does it mean? Low porosity hair is fairly healthy but lacks the proper hydration needed. This porosity type floats in the water, meaning the cuticle layer is fairly intact but can use some more effective means of hydration.
- How to care for low porosity. The simplest tip for anyone with low hair porosity is to just cleanse and condition your strands every week. FYAB Health’s Hair Vitality Shampoo and Conditioner is a gentle yet hydrating duo that will make your hair wash day a luxury experience. To help your hair lock in more moisture, try applying a hair oil or serum before shampooing to really penetrate your strands and give an extra boost of moisture. FYAB Health’s Hair Vitality Serum or Oils are a great choice because they are created with hydrating ingredients like Jojoba Seed Oil, Argan Oil and more.Â
- Normal Porosity Hair
- What does it mean? This is one of the most common hair porosities, hence its name “normal”. Normal porosity hair contains looser hair cuticles, meaning moisture can more easily penetrate the hair.
- How to care for normal porosity. Normal porosity hair can effectively absorb moisture, so incorporating a deep conditioning mask or leave-in conditioner to your routine can give your hair all the moisture it desires. You should also reach for a conditioner that contains a thicker formulation to really coat your strands. FYAB Health’s Hair Vitality Conditioner is a great thick and rich formula that was created to deeply hydrate each strand with strengthening ingredients.
- High Porosity Hair
- What does it mean? High porosity means your hair can take in water but cannot retain it to effectively hydrate strands. The cuticle layer is more spread out, meaning the protein structure of your hair may be damaged so it cannot hold on to the moisture it receives. This hair porosity is often associated with very dry, frizzy and brittle strands.
- How to care for high porosity? The best way to care for this fragile hair porosity is to cut down your hair washing to once or twice a week. Your hair needs to start creating more of its natural oils and constantly washing can strip that away. Those with high porosity hair should also be actively working to protect their strands. Applying a heat protectant before heat styling or keeping your hair out of the sun is a good start. The best way to care for high porosity is to incorporate some type of moisturizing treatment at least once a week. Whether that’s a nourishing hair mask or a deep conditioning treatment, your hair needs it!
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