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Things to note about Porosity Tests

There are three types of hair porosity: low porosity hair, medium porosity hair (aka healthy) and high porosity hair. Here's my ultimate updated hair porosity guide!

By Rubi JohnsonPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Knowing your hair porosity is one of the most important factors when it comes to buying products that will work. Especially when you’re starting the Curly Girl Method. When most people start their curly journey, they frantically try to determine what curly type they have. In a recent post, I spoke about why your curl type doesn’t matter. Hair Porosity does! Think of your hair porosity the same way you would think of skin type: oily, combination, normal and dry. You don’t shop for skincare products based on skin colour or face shape, you shop according to your skin type. The same principle applies when it comes to shopping for your hair care. Shop according to your porosity. There are three types: low, medium (aka healthy) and high porosity.

What is Hair Porosity?

Determining your hair porosity is often key to discovering what products will and won’t work for your hair. So knowing which type you have can save you money, time and frustration. But what is it? Porosity refers to you hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. The cuticles of the hair shaft determine this. For the most part hair porosity is genetic, but factors like heat, chemical and environmental damage can all have an impact. Porosity does not depend on race, climate, hair length or curl pattern.

Things to note about Porosity Tests

If you have thin or thick hair it can cause a little confusion when it comes to porosity tests. Because thick hair will naturally take longer to get wet, and then dry. And thin hair will naturally get wet quickly, and dry quicker. All curly hair types experience frizz, low porosity hair is not immune to it. It’s part of having curly hair, regardless of your porosity type.

If your hair is dull, limp and lifeless with little curl definition, that’s often a sign you need to clarify. If your hair is dry and frizzy, you may need to do a deep conditioning treatment. Rather than simply meaning you have high porosity hair for example. Heavy creams and rich butters will weigh down any hair type. Especially if you have fine hair strands, or not much hair, no matter how well the product is formulated.

Porosity can also change, due to a few different things. Both for the better, and for the worse. For example, if you colour, highlight or chemically treat your hair, it’s almost always going to become high porosity. Because of the damage these processes do to the hair shaft and cuticle. The goal, or most ideal porosity, is medium porosity. Hair that is healthy, and cuticles that can open up to absorb moisture and hydration. But then close again, to protect the hair shaft and retain that moisture and hydration. This post is to help you determine what porosity you have, using the tips and characteristics as a starting point. Let’s get started!

Low Porosity Hair Characteristics

Hair takes a long time to get fully saturated because it naturally repels water.

Hair dries quickly. Again, because the hair repels water.

Difficult to hydrate.

Products tend to build up on the hair, rather than absorb into the hair shaft.

Natural oils don’t readily penetrate, but rather sit on your hair usually making low porosity hair quite dry and coarse.

Difficult to chemically and colour treat, especially highlights. Low porosity hair doesn’t take colour well.

Hair can appear dull or shiny, it depends if there’s buildup.

Prone to product build up because products can’t penetrate the hair shaft.

Less prone to breakage and split ends.

Regular clarifying washes are required to remove build up

Hair doesn’t tend to have much elasticity or volume.

Lightweight products such as gels and mousses work better than curl creams and butters.

Gentle clarifying shampoos/lo poos are great for low porosity hair.

You need heat to help open up the cuticles, so moisture and product can penetrate the hair shaft.

Regular deep conditioning using thermal heat caps are essential for deep conditioning! You can purchase Curl Maven Thermal Heat Caps from my shop.

For best wash day results, use warm/hot water and apply products to soaking wet hair, when the cuticles are open.

Use light oils such as argan, grapeseed, mongongo and jojoba.

Low Porosity Protein Myth!

There’s a theory that low porosity hair types should avoid using products that contain protein, or doing protein treatments. That’s simply not true, and misinformation. Our hair is made of protein, all hair is. Every hair type needs protein! That’s like saying short people don’t need to drink water, but tall people need to drink lots of it. We all need to drink water, we are all made primarily of water. Same with hair and protein, all hair needs protein, because it’s made of protein.

Medium Porosity Hair Characteristics

Hair in its most natural, healthy state is medium porosity.

Usually full of bounce, volume and elasticity – provided the right products and techniques are used.

Hair doesn’t take too long to get wet, or too long to dry.

Requires less maintenance and effort choosing which products will/won’t work.

Easily absorbs and retains moisture inside the cuticle.

Easier to maintain a healthy protein moisture balance

Holds styles well and can be colored with good results.

Lightweight products work best, but you can use curl creams provided they’re not loaded with cheap quality, heavy oils and butters.

Lo poos work great on medium porosity hair, or lightweight cleansing co-washes.

Occasional clarifying washes are good practice, but not required as regularly as low porosity hair.

Hair looks and feels healthy with lots of shine.

Minimal breakage and split ends.

Use light oils such as argan, grapeseed, mongongo and jojoba.

High Porosity Hair Characteristics

Hair easily and quickly absorbs water because it’s so highly porous.

Hair takes a long time to dry. Often taking hours, or even a day or so if drying naturally.

If your hair is coloured, highlighted or chemically treated, the damage caused during these processes causes hair to become high porosity.

High porosity hair absorbs and takes colour really well, because it’s so porous and thirsty, it drinks the colour up.

Can’t retain moisture so hair is often dry.

High porosity hair loves and needs protein.

Hair is often frizzy –

Hair gets tangled easily.

Most prone to breakage and split ends.

Regular deep conditioning, with a balance of moisture and protein. Moisture because hair porosity hair is dry, protein to repair the damage and heal the hair.

Do cold water rinses to close the cuticle.

Cleansing co-washes are great for high porosity hair, with occasional clarifying, lo poo shampoos.

Use sealing oils and products to seal moisture into the cuticle after styling.

Well-formulated shea, coconut and mango butters can be good for high porosity hair.

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About the Creator

Rubi Johnson

Award-winning blogger, Curly Cailín talks about her journey, tips and advice, reviews and recommendations for following the Curly Girl Method & CG Beauty

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