Why You Need To Understand Your Hair Poroity

WHAT IS HAIR POROSITY AND IT’S LEVELS 
 

Before we get to far, it is important to establish a shared understanding of what hair porosity is. Put simply, hair porosity is your hair’s ability to maintain moisture. However, we all have a unique porosity that commonly falls within one of three levels. 
 

Low Porosity Hair
 

If you find that the products you apply on your hair aren’t easily absorbed and usually just sit on your hair, you may have low porosity hair. If you hair appears to be moisturized but feels dry, that’s an indication that your hair may have a low porosity level and that your hair’s cuticles are tightly shut which makes it difficult for moisture to be easily absorbed.  Low porosity hair is harder to process because it repels water and resists the penetration of chemicals.
 

Medium Porosity Hair
 

If your hair holds moisture and absorbs chemicals and hair color better, then you probably have medium porosity hair.  This means that your cuticles are raise just enough to absorb an adequate amount of moisture, oils and any other chemicals. Medium porosity hair usually requires the least bit of maintenance.  Occasional protein treatments and deep conditioning is helpful but you don’t need to use protein in your daily hair regimen.
 

High Porosity Hair
 

High porosity hair can be caused by chemical processing, rough treatment or environmental damage. In addition, high porosity hair has gaps in the cuticle, which allow too much moisture into your hair and make it more likely to become frizzy and tangled in warm climates.  Even simple acts such as bathing, swimming and shampooing can create more damage and breakage due to the sheer amount of moisture highly porous hair can absorb.
 

HOW TO FIND OUT YOUR  LEVEL

The questions above will give you a good preliminary place to start to figure our your hair’s porosity. However, to more specifically figure it out, I suggest two tests. There are two simple ways to help you figure out your hair’s porosity level. It is important to note that these tests are not 100% accurate but are a good way to start:
 

1. The Strand Test: To do this, run your thumb and index finger along a strand of hair. If it feels smooth against your fingers, your hair may likely have a low porosity level. Also, if it feels rough and bumpy, then your hair may be highly porous.
    

2. The Cup Test: To do this, fill up a cup of room temperature water. Preferably have a glass cup where you can see through the cup. Take a few shed hair strands that are already on your brush or comb. Drop a few hair strands into the cup and wait for about 2-4 minutes. If your hair sinks immediately you have high porosity hair. If your hair doesn’t sink at all you have low porosity hair.