Porosity: Why it's important and how to determine yours
HAIR POROSITY: How open or closed your hair cuticles are to absorb and retain moisture AKA water & products. (HINT: What ALL curls need!)
The first step to truly understanding you curls is knowing which porosity type you have. It's the most CRUCIAL information you can learn when it comes to understanding/managing the true texture and anatomy of your hair.It’s the key factor to finding out which products and techniques will work best for you & your beautiful curls! Without this basic understanding, it can be stressful, overwhelming and expensive to develop/transition to try new products & develop a natural, healthy hair care regimen. Your hair’s porosity is the true way to find out what your hair loves & hates. It’s how you determine “this product? or that product?” as well as “this technique? or that technique?”. It takes the confusion out & genuinely gives you an understanding as to what will work for your hair because what works for one curl friend, may not work for another.
Once you have an understanding about your curls porosity, learning which products will work for you, as well as the best technique to create and preserve them should be next. Staying consistent and patient is key. Everyone's hair is different, so getting to know your curls first is crucial! So let’s get into it!
When it comes to porosity, it knows no race or background. Porosity has more to do with the health or your hair and how it wants to absorb and eject its moisture. Healthy hair tends to fall under low and medium porosity. Unhealthy hair requires special attention and products, this is normally known as high porosity. Unhealthy, high porosity hair strands can consist of chemical, bleach, and/or heat damage, etc. Without this basic understanding, it can be stressful, overwhelming and expensive to develop/transition into a new hair care regimen and trying new products. Knowing your hair’s porosity can save you thousands of dollars and help you make a conscious, confident decision when purchasing and making curly hair decisions. Worry no more, Cays Curls is here to help save your delicate curls and coins!
Follow the questions below to help determine yours today!
1. Is your hair chemically dyed and/or relaxed or permed?
Yes = High Porosity / No = Low or Medium Porosity
2. Do you often put your hair in tight ponytails, braids, and brush back frequently? Yes = High Porosity (possible to only have in some areas of hair, such as the ends of your hair)
No = Low or Medium Porosity
3. Does your hair easily absorb moisture, products & water? Does your hair easily become greasy & or flat at the roots?
Yes = Medium Porosity-If hair is chemically dyed and/or has heat damage = High Porosity / No= Low Porosity
4. Does your hair absorb moisture better when using warm-hot water?
Yes = Low Porosity / No = Medium or High Porosity
5. Do products and/or water tend to “sit” on your hair?
Yes = Low Porosity / No= Medium or High Porosity
6. Is your hair all healthy, natural & free from chemical dyes, bleach, and you do very little to no excessive mechanical manipulation?
Yes = Low or Medium Porosity- If hair easily accepts/absorbs moisture & is prone to product buildup, this is Medium Porosity / No = High Porosity
Once you have an understanding about your porosity, learning which products will work for you, as well as the best technique to create and preserve them should be next. Staying consistent and patient is key. Everyone's hair is different, so getting to know your curls first is crucial! So let’s get into it!
KEY FACTS ABOUT EACH POROSITY
Low Porosity
- Each individual hair strand has little to no holes and gaps. This is the exact reason it makes it hard for moisture AKA water & products to absorb into the strand.
- Each hair strand has smooth, flat cuticles that do not accept and open to moisture easily.
- Ever heard of the phrase "products sitting on the hair" Cold water is the number cause of this- Use warm water to open up the hair shaft!
- Heat and Warm water is the best way to open up the hair strands. By applying warm water, this significantly opens the hair shaft to accept any and all products.
- Once you use heat to allow moisture to enter, low porosity strands tend to close back up and holds on to that moisture for a long time, this is a great thing!
- Cold water closes the hair shaft/cuticle-Cold is best to use when rinsing out deep conditioner. It'll close the hair shaft, allowing the nutrients and moisture to stay put.
- Very Healthy, resilient hair and has little to no heat and/or chemical damage. It can be the new growth that comes in, while the rest of the damaged hair or ends can be high porous.
- LOVES warm to hot water when it pertains to product penetration, this helps open up the tightly closed cuticle during any product application
- If ends of strands seem "thin" or "stringy", these are clear signs of high porosity.
- Hates cotton, which is known to absorb any and all moisture. Avoid as much as possible. Silk and satin are a curls best friend!
- Deep conditioning with a heat cap, once a week can bring your curls LIFE
Medium Porosity
- Contains just the right amount of holes and gaps to allow moisture to enter and exit as needed, which makes it the most manageable hair to care for.
- Warm water can open up the hair shaft more, allowing for moisture to enter.
- The golden porosity. Healthy hair that needs the least amount of maintentance, but still requires a TLC regimen and techniques in order to make curls poppin'
- Hair has little to no heat and/or chemical damage
- Without the proper TLC, it can easily become dry or frizzy
- Can be prone to buildup quickly, causing hair to be weighed down
- Using less product during product application is key
- Known to have "flat roots"
- Hates cotton, which is known to absorb any and all moisture. Avoid as much as possible. Silk and satin are a curls best friend!
- Deep conditioning can be a game changer, when it comes to defined, moisturized curls
High Porosity
- Unhealthy hair cuticles that are raised so much that it creates lots of holes and gaps along the hair shaft, allowing too much moisture to enter and too much of it exit as it pleases, which causes severe dryness and frizz
- Leaves strands prone to frizz, dryness, breakage, and tangles from simple acts such as swimming, bathing, and shampooing that can create more damage and breakage, due to how easily it absorbs and ejects its moisture
- Hair that has severe heat and/or chemical damage, which needs special curl care and moisture to help temporairly close the cuticles
- Tends to be dry, dull and/or weak hair
- Rinsing out deep conditioner with cold water can help close up your cuticles, which temporarily seals in moisture
- Often, the end result of damaged hair from permanent coloring, heat styling, chemical processing and/or excessive mechanical manipulation.
- Can be more commonly found towards the ends of strands
- Hates cotton, which is known to absorb any and all moisture. Avoid as much as possible. Silk and satin are a curls best friend!
- Deep conditioning with heat, once a week can bring your curls LIFE-It temporally helps seal and lock in moisture, until your next wash day.