What Is Hair Porosity & What Does It Mean for My Hair Concerns?
Understanding hair porosity is crucial for achieving optimal hair health and managing common issues such as dryness, frizz and uneven color deposits. Hair porosity refers to the hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture, which can significantly influence its behavior and the effectiveness of hair care routines. By identifying your hair's porosity, i.e. high, medium or low, you can tailor your products and treatments to address specific needs and improve overall hair manageability.
Quick overview of what hair porosity is:
- High porosity hair is characterized by raised cuticles that absorb moisture quickly
- Low porosity hair is when the cuticles are tightly bound, resisting moisture.
- Medium porosity hair has balanced moisture retention
- How to check hair porosity: Dunk hair in water—floating means low, immediate sinking means high and slow sinking indicates medium
Your hair behaves differently from others and this is probably why you might find yourself in a constant battle when it comes to hair care. The problems may vary from dryness and frizz, to retaining excess water after shampooing or uneven hair color. Whatever your hair concerns are, the answer lies in decoding hair porosity and understanding how it affects your hair.
The truth is, porous hair may be the cause of a number of concerns you observe in your hair. From retaining excess water to troubles like uneven hair colour, porous hair can seem impossible to manage.
Thankfully, the world of hair care has something just right for each and every hair type. It's as simple as learning how to check hair porosity and finding products that can help strike a balance.
WHAT IS HAIR POROSITY?
Your hair’s porosity refers to how much moisture your hair retains. The best way to decode what is hair porosity is by looking at its different types.
1. HIGH POROSITY HAIR
In high porosity hair, the cuticle is raised. This hair type suffers from breakage and is generally weaker. If your hair retains excessive amounts of water and grabs onto color quickly, causing it to look uneven, you may have high porosity hair.
2. LOW POROSITY HAIR
Then there’s low porosity hair, where the hair’s cuticle remains flat and closed. This makes it difficult for the hair to absorb moisture, as products tend to just coat the outer layer of the hair rather than sink in.
3. MEDIUM POROSITY HAIR
Turns out medium porosity is the sweet spot for your hair. It lets moisture in and keeps water out. This hair type strikes a perfect balance between high and low porosities. This is why medium porosity hair is often strong, well-nourished, and manageable. Nevertheless, do not neglect indulging in proper hair care - even for medium porosity hair.
It's best to clarify your scalp regularly, condition with each wash, and use lightweight products. Go gentle with detangling and opt for deep conditioning a few times every month.
Now that we have answers to what is hair porosity, let’s learn how to check hair porosity and achieve optimum hair.
HOW TO CHECK HAIR'S POROSITY LEVEL
The journey to healthy hair is all about knowing your hair inside and out. Porosity is no different and can be the key in solving some of your hair problems.
If you are wondering how to check hair porosity, start by taking a dry, clean strand of your hair and place it into a cup of water. If it takes a few minutes to sink to the bottom then your hair ranks on a medium level of porosity, so you’re in the clear. A strand that floats to the top is likely low in porosity, whereas hair that sinks to the bottom right away is highly porous.
How To Care For High Porosity Hair?
What is high porosity hair? You know it by now! But do you know how to care for it? Read on as we discuss it in detail. The reality is that you can’t always hit the reset button on your hair’s porosity level. However, taking the right measures for high porosity hair can help you counteract the effects of porosity.
- Try creating regular hydrating hair care routines with conditioners and leave-in masks.
- Minimise the use of heat and chemical treatments while caring for high porosity hair.
- Seal the high porosity hair cuticle with cold water rinses, natural oils, and dry it with gentle, microfiber towels and wide-tooth combs.
- Use smoothing hair care products such as the Redken Frizz Dismiss Shampoo that gives you smoother, controlled hair with humidity protection.
Make sure you counteract the water loss in high porosity hair with moisturising serums too. If high porosity has left you with extremely damaged hair, try the protein-infused Extreme Shampoo to restore your hair strength while preventing breakage and split ends.
How To Care For Low Porosity Hair?
With the knowledge of what low porosity hair is, we can now learn about the tips to manage it. Low porosity hair has tightly bound cuticles. This makes your hair resistant to moisture absorption and prone to buildup, since it does not take in the products you use.
- Low porosity hair benefits from warm water and steam treatments that help nourishing products penetrate the hair cuticle.
- Try to use nourishing but lightweight products that will hydrate your fiber without weighing it down. .
- Use leave-in conditioners like the Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-in Treatment to replenish the moisture while making the hair more manageable and easing the detangling process.
Low porosity hair can also be treated well with cleansing hair care products such as the Hair Cleansing Cream. This clarifying shampoo helps product build up, hard water minerals, excess oil, and pollution residue to restore the shine for low porosity hair.
HOW TO CARE FOR MEDIUM POROSITY HAIR?
While one of the most fortunately porous levels, the medium porosity hair also needs the right kind of care. With well-balanced moisture retention, this hair type is easier to manage and style. Try to choose balanced products with both moisture and protein, and avoid overloading with heavy products.
Final Takeaway
Knowing your hair porosity empowers you to make informed decisions about hair care, beyond trial and error. The key behind maintaining optimum hair health is understanding your hair and learning how to check hair porosity.
By tailoring your regimen based on porosity levels, you can effectively enhance hair health, manage moisture levels, and combat issues like breakage and buildup. Considering your hair’s needs and texture, you can go onto personalise your hair care routine to get the most out of the right products.
Redken India is an advanced hair brand with a range of hair care, hair styling and hair coloring products. From shampoos and conditioners to hair sprays and colors, Redken can be your one-stop solution for all your hair needs. Explore our range of products loved by professionals and read our expert tips on hair care to kick-start your journey to fabulous hair.