Hair porosity isn’t always discussed as much as other hair characteristics like length or curl pattern, yet it is very critical to understanding your hair’s texture.
Porosity refers to your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture, oils, or chemical dyes.
There are three types of hair porosity: high, medium (normal), and low. Today, we will focus on high porosity hair.
Most naturals deal with high porosity hair as a result of damaging habits such as excessive manipulation and colour treatment. Your hair cuticle is highly raised or even chipped, so it absorbs moisture very quickly. However, because it is raised and stays raised, moisture is lost just as rapidly.
There is a simple test that you can do to find out if you have high porosity: drop a few strands of your hair into a glass of water. If the strands fall to the bottom very quickly then it is likely that you have high porosity hair.
Below are 5 tips those with high porosity hair should consider following.
Add protein treatments to your regimen
Protein treatments are needed to strengthen high-porosity hair and prevent it from breaking as much. If you haven’t incorporated protein into your regimen, it’s time to start. For added benefits, you can also use light protein treatments every few weeks in between the monthly heavy protein treatments.
Deep condition
Deep condition your hair to make sure that moisture is going right down to the core of your strands. Don’t forget to slather on generous amounts and heat it up! If you don’t have a hooded dryer, don’t worry. Covering your hair with a plastic cap or a warm towel for 15 minutes will do just fine.
Seal with butter & Oil
Butters and oils can help prevent liquid moisture from escaping the hair shaft. Shea butter and olive oil are both heavy and great for sealing. Olive oil is one of the few oils that can penetrate the hair shaft, so this would be a great option.
Apple cider vinegar
You can adjust your hair’s pH balance with apple cider vinegar (ACV). Rinsing with the slightly acidic ACV will help flatten the cuticle and seal in the moisture. ACV has a natural softening effect on the hair, so it’s perfect for high porosity hair.
Use the LOC method
High porosity hair generally responds better to the LOC method instead of the LCO method which is suitable for low porosity use a water-based leave-in conditioner, followed by oil and then a cream to encourage the pores to absorb the product rather than letting it sit and clog the hair follicle.