High Porosity Hair: Characteristics & How to Care
Table of Contents:
What is High Porosity Hair?
High porosity hair is characterized by a very open cuticle structure. These cuticles are little scales that cover the outside layer of the hair’s surface. They control how much moisture can penetrate into and leave the hair shaft. How open and closed these cuticles are determines your hair’s porosity.
High porosity hair has wide open cuticles. This means that the moisture can easily reach inside the shaft of your curly hair. However, just as easily as the moisture entered in, it can flow out again. Leading to dry hair, which is a cause of frizzy hair and more prone to hair damage.
6 Characteristics of High Porosity Hair
So, what does high porosity hair look like? Depending on how porous your locks are determines its unique characteristics. Identifying if you have the signs of high porosity hair can help you to work out if your hair falls within this category. Whilst taking a curl quiz can help you determine exactly which products your hair needs.
Here are some ways to help identify:
- There is a lot of frizz and the hair tangles very easily, and you may reach for frizz control hair products
- When you spray water on a clean, product-free strand, the water will instantly sink into the hair shaft
- Hair instantly becomes wet when under the shower
- Hair dries very quickly
- Light products don’t moisturize enough
- The hair takes color very easily and it can be stained even by semi-permanent dyes
As with all hair types, a different approach is required to rejuvenate and restore high porosity hair to its very best. Try spraying water on your tresses to test your hair porosity and identify which category yours falls into.
5 Tips to Care for High Porosity Hair
When it comes to high porosity hair the main focus with care is ensuring it is given the moisture it needs. As well as providing strength with proteins to ensure the moisture can stay inside the shaft. Doing this can ensure your tresses retain the right protein moisture balance. Here are our top tips for caring for high porosity hair:
- Use richer hydrating hair products that provide high levels of moisture
- Use plenty of protein-rich, hair strengthening products to help restructure the cuticle layer
- Do your final rinse with cold water to close the cuticles and help maintain moisture
- Try a multi-step routine by layering several products
- Seal the moisture in with a serum
Following these tips for high porosity hair can help you fall back in love with your curls.
Best Products for a High Porosity Hair Routine
Establishing a proper hair routine can help to leave your locks as healthy as possible. Here are the best products for high porosity hair:
Strengthening Products
It is important to restructure the protein hair bonds in damaged, high porosity hair. Regularly using a bonding treatment such as our Bond Curl Rehab Salve could help. This special product targets the weakened bonds of the hair, strengthens and repairs damaged hair. This can help reduce hair breakage and protect hair from future damage.
Moisturizing Treatments
It is essential to nourish this hair type with moisture. You’ll want to use sealing products that prevent water from leaving the hair shaft. Using the liquid, oil, cream method is a great way to do this. This involves hydrating the hair with water, and sealing it in with hair oils. Then smoothing the cuticles with a cream. Although this sounds like a lot of steps to reach gorgeous hair, we have combined all three steps into our Oil-in-Cream which is a leave-in conditioner. Smooth onto wet hair, and you’ll be left with non-greasy, non-crunchy luscious curls.
Protein & Moisture-Locking Styling Products
If your hair needs more, you can get an additional protein boost from our two versatile stylers. Try our Feather-light protein cream and Bouncy Strength Volume Foam. To finish it all off, once the hair is completely dry you can seal the moisture in with our Intense Treatment Serum. Use just a pea-size amount melted in your hands to lock moisture in with the best stylers for curly hair.
High Porosity Hair vs Low vs Medium
Depending on how porous your hair, affects how it appears. Unlike the other two porosity types, the cuticles in high porosity hair are very open which leads to dryness. The key differences between the hair porosities are:
- Low porosity - Low porosity hair suffers the opposite issue to high. Whilst it can be difficult to get moisture into the tightly packed cuticles of this type, once it’s in there it becomes difficult for it to leave, making the hair more hydrated.
- Medium porosity - Medium porosity hair sits in the middle of these two types. Its cuticles are looser than low, but tighter than high. This in-between means that moisture can more easily move into the hair and leaves at a slower rate.
- High porosity - High porosity hair has the loosest cuticles of all the hair types. It allows moisture in and out of the hair shaft very easily, which often causes it to become dry.
Identifying how porous your hair is means you can find a routine which works best for you and your hair. Determine the curly hair products you need to care for your highly porous locks, and learn how to strengthen your curly hair.
Why Choose Curlsmith?
At Curlsmith, we specialize in hair care for curly, coily, and wavy hair. From shampoos, to frizz control products, designed with trichologists, made from natural ingredients. No matter your hair type, find the best ways to care for your hair.
