Everything you Need to Know about Medium Porosity Hair
Medium porosity hair is one of the three hair porosity types. Sometimes known as normal porosity hair, it is one of the easier types to maintain and care for. As with other types, the ability to absorb and hold water varies compared to low and high porosities. As with any haircare routine, feeding your curls with the best ingredients and the right products is paramount to enjoying healthy locks.
WHAT IS MEDIUM POROSITY HAIR
Medium porosity hair is characterized by a looser cuticle structure. Hair cuticles are the scales that cover the hair’s surface and control how much moisture can enter into the hair shaft. In the case of medium porosity hair, they are half-way open, which means that moisture can reach inside the hair shaft quite easily, but at the same time it is not lost too quickly. It’s the easiest porosity type to manage. It’s important to remember though that with heat, bleaching or coloring the hair gets damaged and the porosity can change overtime.
MEDIUM POROSITY HAIR CHARACTERISTICS
There are some key tell-tale signs of medium porosity hair, from how it interacts with water and products, to how it takes up color.
- When you spray some water on a clean, product-free strand, the water will form some beads but then easily sink into the hair
- The hair is easy to manage and style
- The hair gets wet easily
- It doesn’t take too long to dry the hair
- The hair takes and holds color quite easily but it doesn’t stain with semi-permanent dyes
BEST TIPS ON CARING FOR MEDIUM POROSITY HAIR
Even with easily manageable hair, it’s still important to take the time to care for it properly. We’ve put together the key pieces of advice about caring for medium porosity hair.
- Clarify frequently to avoid reaching an unbalanced state
- Make sure to do frequent moisturizing and strengthening hair treatments to maintain your hair health
- Try a multi-step routine, but use lightweight products
- Experiment with several protein-rich products to find out your perfect protein moisture balance
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS FOR MEDIUM POROSITY HAIR
Medium porosity hair requires the lowest level of maintenance. Make sure you’re still using products that are gentle on the hair and won’t cause damage. We recommend using clarifying products frequently too to rid hair of any product build-up, our Vivid Tones Vibrancy Shampoo is a great way to do this.
To maintain protein moisture balance, make sure you are alternating moisturizing and strengthening treatments. Try our Bond Curl Rehab Salve every 3-4 wash days, to reduce breakage and protect hair from further damage, and use the Double Cream Deep Quencher every week to maintain good moisture levels.
When it comes to finding the best stylers for curly hair, layering lightweight products is the best option to make low porosity curls pop. Try our Hold Me Softly Style Balm to provide moisture and clump your curls, and follow with the Curl Defining Styling Soufflé for bouncy hold and incredible definition.
Since medium porosity hair is more flexible in its protein needs, feel free to experiment with several products from our Strength Recipes to discover your perfect protein moisture balance, and find how to strengthen your curly hair.
HOW DOES MEDIUM POROSITY HAIR DIFFER FROM HIGH & LOW?
Whilst medium porosity hair is the easiest to manage, due to its ability to take in and hold water, low and high porosity suffer from different problems. Low porosity hair has cuticles that sit tight and close together, this makes it difficult for moisture to get into the hair shaft. However, this also means that it will be able to retain moisture more easily. High porosity hair, on the other hand, has very loose cuticles that let hydration in easily, but also lose it very quickly.
About Curlsmith
We specialize in creating curl loving products for wavy, coily, and curly hair. Our conditioners, shampoos, scalp treatments, and hair stylers combine natural ingredients and kitchen cupboard staples such as rice water and avocado. Our range of curl loving products is created in partnership with curly hair stylists and trichologists to create formulas your curls will love!
