Dry hair is a sign of high porosity hair as high porosity hair has a reduced ability to retain and absorb moisture. High porosity hair has cuticles that aren’t laid flat, so gaps throughout the hair strand allow moisture to leave your hair. That said, you can remedy this by applying high-quality, leave-in conditioners that are rich in plant oils.
If you’re feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all this talk of hair porosity, that’s completely normal. It really can be confusing. This is why I’ve gotten my curly-haired sisters to answer some common questions about the ins-and-outs of hair porosity. Here’s what they say:
3 Tests To Determine If Your Hair Is Low Or High Porosity
Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of how to restore moisture back to dry, high porosity hair, we first need to figure out how to determine what porosity level your hair is.
You can also test your porosity level by running a finger down a strand of your hair. Low porosity hair will feel smooth, whereas high porosity hair will feel rough and bumpy because the cuticles are open
The best way to see if you have low or high porosity hair is to stretch a small section of hair out and hold it in place, then glide up the hair strand using your thumb and forefinger, starting from the ends working up to your roots. If the hair feels smooth, you have low porosity hair, and you have high porosity hair if it feels bumpy or textured.
There are a few other home tests that you can do, just follow the steps below:
1. The Float Test
This is the most fool-proof test to conduct when trying to determine the porosity level of your hair. You simply need to:
- Step 01. Fill a clean, clear glass with room temperature water
- Step 02. Take a few strands of your hair (you can pluck them from your head or use hair that’s been shed)
- Step 03. Drop one strand of hair into the water and wait for up to 5 minutes
- Step 04. If the hair sinks to the bottom, you have high porosity hair
- Step 05. If the hair floats at the top of the waterline, you have low porosity hair
- Step 06. If the hair floats in the middle of the glass, you have normal porosity hair
- Step 07. Repeat the test at least twice using different hair strands to determine that the results were accurate
2. The Strand Test
This test is also quite simple and only requires you to use your hair and fingers so you can do it whenever and wherever! You simply need to:
- Step 01. Gently stretch a small section of hair out and hold it in place
- Step 02. Take your thumb and forefinger and glide it up the hair strand, starting from the bottom working your way up to your scalp
- Step 03. If your fingers move easily and smoothly up the hair strand, you have normal porosity hair
- Step 04. If your fingers move easily up the hair strand but it feels dense and hard, you have low porosity hair
- Step 05. If the hair strand feels rough and textured, or if it breaks, it means that you have high porosity hair
3. The Water Test
This test is also an easy one to do, and it’s probably one of the easier and more convenient ones as well. You simply need to:
- Step 01. Wet your hair with water, make sure that is completely saturated ( I recommend doing this in the shower)
- Step 02. If your hair soaks up the water very quickly, You have high porosity hair
- Step 03. If your hair doesn’t quickly become soaked but doesn’t take too long either, you have normal porosity hair
- Step 04. If it takes a long time for the water to fully absorb into your hair, you have low porosity hair
Okay, so you’ve done the tests and found that you do indeed have high porosity hair. What comes next? Keeping your hair moisturized of course! If you have high porosity hair, you are always going to need to keep your hair moisturized, it’s a given. This is why I’ve compiled some of the best hacks to do so, keep reading to find out!
How To Keep Dry, High Porosity Hair Moisturized
A common characteristic of high porosity hair is dry, lifeless curls. That’s why a lot of women with high porosity hair often find themselves using more of a hair product just to help them keep their hair moisturized. More often than not, piling on hair products doesn’t make it better.
The best way to moisturize dry, high porosity hair is to deep condition your hair with conditioners that have plant oils, twice weekly, and incorporate a protein treatment twice monthly. Protein treatments fill the gaps in your hair cuticles (these are a characteristic of high porosity hair), thus strengthening your hair and retaining moisture.
Keep reading to learn 5 easy steps to keep your high porosity hair moisturized. Take a look:
1. Having A Go-To Hair Conditioner
Regardless of the porosity of your hair, you should be conditioning your hair every time you shampoo it. However, for high porosity hair, finding the perfect conditioner that effortlessly moves between your palms, but is still rich enough to cover all of your hair, is a must-have. There ought to also be a good slip to help with detangling your hair.
A really good hair conditioner to try is the In Control Moisturizing and Softening Conditioner by the Aunt Jackie product line.
2. Deep Condition Your Hair Often
Just as you ought to have a go-to conditioner, you should also implement a deep-conditioning routine. Or even incorporate a hair masque into your routine. By deep-conditioning your hair you are helping it retain as much moisture as possible which is needed for high porosity hair. Intensive deep-conditioning treatment can be used as you need it or even as often as you wash your hair; it’s completely up to you and the condition of your hair.
A high-quality deep-conditioning mask is the Fix My Hair, Intensive Repair Conditioning Masque, it won’t let you down!
3. Use A Good-Quality Leave-In Conditioner
High porosity hair needs to absorb as well as retain as much moisture as possible. Having the perfect leave-in conditioner can help you achieve that. The Knot On My Watch, Instant Detangling Therapy by Aunt Jackie not only helps to detangle your hair, but it can likewise be used as an amazing leave-in conditioner on freshly washed hair and hair that still needs to be washed.
4. Use Heavy Hair Moisturisers
It’s important to use a heavy moisturizer on your hair to make up for the moisture that your high porosity hair is unable to retain. Finding the perfect moisturizer for your high porosity hair can be a difficult task, just keep in mind that the best way to retain moisture is by using moisturizers that will assist you with locking it in.
For high porosity hair, heavier moisturizers with natural botanical oils are extremely useful in restoring moisture. The Seal It Up Hydrating Sealing Butter from Aunt Jackie incorporates heavy butter and oils such as avocado as well as shea butter. This product is an incredible moisturizer, to begin with.
5. Seal The Moisture With The Right Oil.
Using the right oils on your hair can make a huge difference in how well your hair is able to retain and reinforce moisture from products. I would recommend using oils in your hair as a follow-up to hair moisturizers because the oils will help your hair absorb the moisturizer more effectively. An amazing moisturizing oil-based hair product to use to restore moisture to high porosity hair is the Soft All Over, Multi-purpose Oil.
Related Questions
Is low porosity hair good?
Low porosity hair is neither good nor bad, but it’s definitely better than having high porosity hair. Having low porosity hair means that your hair strands have a firmly bound cuticle layer that lays extremely flat and therefore repels water. If you have low porosity you may notice that your hair has a shiny texture and takes forever to get soaked when wet with water.
Is low porosity hair permanent?
Low porosity hair can become high porosity hair when damaged by chemicals or heat. So make sure that you take care of your hair if you have low porosity hair and that you use products that are specifically formulated for women with low porosity hair.
Insider Tip: If you have low porosity hair, apply products to hair that is wet and warm. Heat lifts the hair cuticles which allows moisturizers and oils to penetrate the hair shaft.