Everything You Need to Know About High Porosity Hair

Have you ever noticed that your hair suddenly becomes frizzy in humid conditions? That your hair tangles easily, feels very brittle, absorbs products quickly, and air dries quickly? These are some signs that you probably have high porosity hair.

So, what now? What does it mean to have, and most importantly, what does it take to take care of your highly porous hair? Read on to learn more about your hair’s porosity type and how you can properly take care of it to keep your locks healthy and strong!

What is High Porosity Hair?

First and foremost, hair porosity is your strands’ ability to absorb and retain any type of moisture, like water and hair products. Hair porosity comes in three types: low, medium, and high. Ideally, it’s best to have medium porosity hair since it means you have an even balance of water absorption and retention.

Now, when it comes to highly porous hair, strands absorb too much moisture because they have a lot of raised cuticles. Because of these raised cuticles, all types of moisture – water, oils, creams, etc. – can easily be absorbed by your strands; however, they can also easily escape out of your strands. This is why with high porosity hair, you can soak up as much moisture as you can, yet most, if not all, of the attained moisture would just not retain. This is why people with highly porous hair often have dry, dull, damaged, or frizzy hair.

How Do You Find Out Your Hair Porosity?

If you have no idea what your hair porosity is, then you’re in the right place – we’ll be teaching you a simple way of how you can determine your hair porosity type in less than 5 minutes!

To do the hair porosity test:

1. Grab a glass or bowl and fill it up with lukewarm water.
2. Pluck out one clean strand from your hair. Make sure that it’s clean from any styling product, as well!
3. Drop your hair strand into the water.
4. Observe what happens to the hair strand in the water.
• If it floats on top before slowly sinking, then you have low porosity hair.
• If it stops to float in the middle of the water for a while before sinking, then you have medium porosity hair.
• If it quickly sinks to the bottom, then you have high porosity hair.

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Causes of High Porosity Hair

You can have highly porous hair because of genes – it runs in the family! But most of the time, it’s because of the damage you bring to your strands. Heat styling, chemical treatments, bleaching, and dyeing the hair are a few of the reasons why you have high porosity hair. These hair damaging activities cause your hair’s cuticles to open up and separate more than normal, which makes your hair absorb moisture as easily as it can drain out the moisture.

Hair Care Solutions for High Porosity Hair

Now that you have a better understanding of what it means to have high porosity hair, it’s time to understand what it takes to take care of high porosity hair. Since highly porous hair can be similar to damaged hair, you’ll be needing hair remedies that focus on nourishing, moisturizing, and repairing brittle strands. Here are some of our recommendations:

Cleansing and Repairing

Using cleansing and repairing products is essential for high porosity hair because they help to address the damage caused by external factors such as heat styling, chemical treatments, and environmental stressors.

K18 Damage Shield PH Protective Shampoo & Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask

This duo works together to repair and protect high porosity hair. The shampoo cleanses without stripping essential moisture, while the leave-in mask uses molecular repair technology to strengthen and restore your hair from the inside out.

Davines Nourishing Extreme Damage Repair Set

Recommended for a dehydrated scalp and for dry, brittle, and damaged hair. It thoroughly cleanses and deeply moisturizes hair to make it soft, bright, and stronger without changing its structure. Its formula contains natural active ingredients and is free from parabens and sulfates – which is healthier for your hair!

Leave-In Treatments and Oils

Leave-in treatments and oils are crucial for high porosity hair because they provide ongoing nourishment, hydration, and protection throughout the day. High porosity hair tends to lose moisture quickly and is more susceptible to damage, so leave-in treatments help to maintain moisture balance, strengthen the hair, and prevent further breakage.

AVEDA Botanical Repair™ Strengthening Leave-In Treatment

This leave-in treatment instantly strengthens and repairs hair from the inside out. It helps to protect your hair from heat damage and detangles to prevent further breakage.

Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Oil

This highly concentrated, lightweight oil provides intense hydration, reduces frizz, and offers UV and heat protection. It's perfect for high porosity hair that needs extra care and shine.

L'Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Absolut Repair Gold 10-in-1 Perfecting Oil

This multi-purpose oil offers ten benefits in one, including shine, smoothness, strength, and heat protection. It's ideal for treating and protecting high porosity hair from further damage.

Discover more of our hair care products for highly porous and damaged hair at HairMNL.com.

Congratulations! You’ve taken the extra mile of showing love to your mane by learning about hair porosity and how to take care of your high porosity hair! You are now one step, or wash, away from getting healthier locks! For any hair concerns or questions, you can send our HairMNL experts a message to get a hair consultation for FREE.