Do you struggle with taming your frizzy locks? Are they constantly unruly and unmanageable? Do you have a sensitive scalp that is easily affected by harsh hair care products? If yes, then it’s time you learn about hair porosity. Porosity is the degree to which hair is capable of taking in liquids and retaining moisture. Hair belonging to people with low porosity has little or no ability to retain moisture. Knowing which type of hair pores you have can help you determine which products and methods are best for your hair, as well as what kind of results you can expect from them. This article explores the top five things you need to know about porosity, along with some helpful tips on how to manage it.
What is Hair Porosity?
Hair porosity is the percentage of hair fibre that can take in liquids, such as water and oil, from the environment. Hair with abnormal porosity does not hold much moisture, so it is susceptible to damage from hot tools, chemicals, or excessive hair products.
Different types of hair porosity
There are a total of three distinct hair porosities, and they are as follows:
1) Low porosity: It is characterised by a closely woven cuticle that does not allow for the absorption or retention of moisture. Wetting and drying hair is a more time-consuming process. It’s not uncommon for products to accumulate on the hair shaft rather than being absorbed.
2) Medium porosity: This is healthy, as the hair shafts take in and hold onto moisture in this way. Treatment processes, such as bleaches, colouring agents, and styling products, work well on this hair type.
3) High porosity: In this condition, the cuticles typically have several openings that allow water to freely enter and leave the skin. Managing the problems of dryness and brittleness that occur in hair with high porosity can be challenging.
What’s the best way to test your hair’s porosity?
The easiest way to find out if your hair is porous is to take a simple at-home test:Â
Make sure you put some water in a glass and submerge a strand of clean hair.
- If the strand can float, then it means that it is low in porosity.
- As long as it settles somewhere in the middle of the glass, then its porosity is medium.
- If it reaches the bottom, the hair porosity is high.
Hair characteristics based on their porosity
Low porosity hair:
- As opposed to being absorbed into the hair, hair care products simply build up on your hair.
- You can expect your hair to take a bit longer to dry if you let it air dry.
- While you are washing your hair, your hair will take longer to get drenched with water.
Medium/ normal porosity hair:
- Generally, this type of hair holds hairstyles longer and is more conducive to styling than other types of hair.
- You will notice that your hair looks smoother, more luminous, and healthier.
- Colours are well absorbed into the fibres of this hair type.
High porosity hair:
- A frizzy and dry appearance of the hair is common when you have this hair type.
- Tangling, damage and breaking are common problems with it.
Does intensely porous hair require special attention?
Don’t freak out if you find out that your strands are extremely permeable. To take care of your damaged hair, all you require is a personalised hair care routine.
1) Getting rid of dry, porous hair requires restoring its natural moisture balance and teaching it to absorb more moisture. Get a moisturising shampoo and conditioners like Coconut Oil Brilliantly Nourishing Pre-Shampoo Hair Oil and Conditioner.
2) After shampooing and conditioning, do the final wash with lukewarm water. Taking a shower with lukewarm water will help keep your tresses from breaking and drying out.
3) Don’t miss out on using Shea Butter Richly Replenishing Hair Masks from The Body shop for profoundly nourished, long-lasting results on dry hair.
4) Serums are a must-add to your hair care regime. The Body Shop’s Grapeseed Glossing Serum adds gloss to dry and frizzy hair.
Bottom line
No matter what type of porosity your hair has, you can still take care of it. Now that you know a little bit about porosity, you can better manage it with the help of The Body Shop‘s 100% vegetarian and cruelty-free Hair care products online and get the results you want from your hair.
