Learn how to gauge your hair’s porosity and find the best products for low-porosity hair.
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Q: I think I have low-porosity hair because I struggle to keep my hair moisturized.
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How can I find the best low-porosity hair products and what should my hair-care routine look like?
What Is Low-Porosity Hair?
Low-porosity hair doesn’t easily take in or lose moisture compared to high-porosity hair.
Courtesy of Erica Douglas
The reason why relates to the anatomy of your hair.
“This is also why low-porosity hair is usually extremely smooth.”
“It’s not 100 percent of the time.
In other words, it’s possible to have low-porosity curls or straight hair that’s porous.
Your hair’s porosity is more of a reflection of your styling habits.
And hot tools can eat away at the cuticle layer over time, she adds.
If it sinks to the bottom of the glass immediately, you probably have high-porosity hair, asShapepreviously reported.
Medium-porosity hair will float for a few seconds and sink while low-porosity hair will take longer.
Think about how your hair behaves when youjump into a poolor take a shower.
The key is to take advantage of steam, aclarifying shampoo, and lightweight products.
On Wash Days
On wash days, steam is your friend, says Douglas.
“Because the molecules in steam are much smaller, it’s much easier to penetrate the cuticle.
It can also be helpful to prep your hair any time you use deep conditioning treatments, says Douglas.
Finally, use a clarifying shampoo biweekly or monthly, suggests Douglas.
“It’s so hard to get moisture into low-porosity hair.
If water is the first ingredient on a product’s ingredient list, it’s a water-based product.
Silicone- or oil-based products are more likely to sit on top of rather than absorb into your hair.
In general, you’re better off with lightweight products.
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