Hair Porosity: How to Care for High Porosity Hair

In high-humidity climates, this can lead to hair becoming poofy and frizzy. Also, if the cuticles are too widely spaced, your hair will have a harder time retaining moisture and staying hydrated. "I love to use OLAPLEX for anyone with high porosity hair," says Bailey. Since using heat is pretty much detrimental to your hair, always use heat protectors to protect your hair when heat styling your tresses. Most shampoos are too clarifying and will leave your hair dry and stripped. You can also go for a gentle apple cider vinegar rinse, if that is your thing.

What does hair porosity mean?

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Heat damage and other chemical processes can cause normal porosity hair to change over time. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that high ponytail may not be worth it. “For hairstyles, try to avoid ones that cause further damage or breakage like tighter hairstyles that can pull at the hair,” Dr. Kahen says. It’s also best avoid excessive heat styling and go easy when brushing your hair. Use a wide tooth detangling comb or a gentle brush to prevent breakage. “It is best to avoid sulfates when possible as these can be drying,” Dr. Garshick says, so opt for a sulfate-free shampoo at the very least.

How To Care For High Porosity Hair

“Remember that all hair is already dead, so it’s important to nourish it as much as possible, especially if you’re doing damaging treatments that can lead to high hair porosity,” Dr. Kahen says. This shampoo specifically targets damage so that users observe a significant improvement in their hair after each wash. Highly moisturizing yet cleansing, it’s suitable for all hair types and textures and is color safe to boot. Customers love the formula for how soft it leaves hair feeling, with one reviewer calling it the best shampoo she’s used in her life. The formula also eschews harsh cleansing ingredients like sulfates, opting instead for mild surfactants that thoroughly cleanse the scalp and strands of buildup, sweat, and pollutants without stripping hair of its natural oils.

How High-Porosity Hair Responds to Hair-Care Products

If you want to get a better understanding of highly porous hair, how to care for it, and the types of products to use, this article may have the answers you’re looking for. The reason high porosity hair behaves that way has to do with the structure of the hair strand. When the cuticles, which are the outermost layer of the hair, are too far apart, your hair is highly porous. Hair that is high in porosity typically tangles easier, so it’s important to detangle hair to prevent further breakage when brushing out knots, advises Dr. Kahen. A top-rated hair detangler will help moisturize those tangles so they are easily released and you have no breakage. Garnier Gentle Detangling Hair Milk features a blend of oats, rice extract and aloe juice to glide right through knots while adding hydration to thirsty strands.

According to our experts, moisturizing and hydrating products are crucial for managing high-porosity hair. “Deep-conditioning masks, leave-in conditioners, and lightweight hair oils can help maintain moisture and nourish the hair, reducing dryness and brittleness,” says Powell. When treating high porosity hair, it's best to adopt the LCO method—liquid or leave-in conditioner, cream, oil, which refers to the sequence the products are to be applied. In layman's terms, hair porosity is the hair's ability to retain and absorb moisture and affects how your hair responds to products and styles.

Bailey says, "I encourage regular cuts and trims, using a moisturizing and reparative shampoo, followed by a moisturizing conditioner." Having high porosity hair does not have to stop you from having beautiful healthy hair. The next step is learning what products work best for your hair and learning how to care for your hair. Another way to tell is if your hair color processes really quickly, which means your hair is definitely porous. “It’s also a good idea to test the pH of the water you wash your hair in—you can use a water pH test kit to determine what the pH of the water you’re showering or washing your hair in is,” suggests Cucinello.

Use Moisture-Rich Products

The strand cannot receive anything on the inside, which leaves the hair malnourished or heavy from products sitting on top of the strands,” says Groover. Below, we asked two experts to delve into some essential care tips tailored specifically to high-porosity hair types. Read on to find out how these methods can help you nurture and enhance your hair.

“These products are intentionally formulated to be acidic in order to preserve color or make your hair feel smoother by lowering the pH,” he explains. Black hair requires a lot of moisture when it's healthy, so when it's high porosity, it needs it even more. The goal here is to manage your damaged tresses while promoting healthy new growth that doesn't become high porosity. Bailey recommends using the Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Wash Day Deep Moisture Masque ($16). To help nourish, moisturize, and repair highly porous hair, you may have to use certain hair care products that include “heavier” ingredients like oils or butters.

Can you change your hair porosity?

These cuticles protect the inner layers of your hair by controlling how much moisture, as well as products and chemicals, can be absorbed. Hair with “normal” levels of porosity will absorb 75% of the maximum water possible within four minutes. People with normal porosity hair usually have an easy time getting their hair to hold bleach, hair dye, or relaxer, and the results tend to be predictable. After a few minutes of allowing the hair to rest in the water, take a look. And if the strand is somewhere in the middle of the water, you have medium to normal porosity hair. "High porosity hair has many gaps in the hair shaft because the cuticles are raised. Adding protein will reduce breakage, make your hair thicker and improve the elasticity of your hair."

High-porosity hair is more susceptible to external damage from heat styling, chemical treatments, and environmental stressors. Its raised cuticle layer leaves it prone to breakage and split ends, so it requires vigilant protection. To help nourish, moisturize, and repair highly porous hair, it’s important to use products that have the right formulation for this hair type.

“High porosity hair is often wavy or curly, and tangles easily,” explains Brandi Voorhees, a stylist at Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger Salon. For people with high porosity hair, the hair cuticle is compromised in some way. The more curly or coiled the hair fibers are, the more disrupted the cuticle may be. Other things that can damage your hair cuticle and lead to porous hair include chemical treatments, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and even basic grooming like brushing and combing your hair. Blow drying, bleaching, straightening, overwashing, and using harsh products can all damage your hair over time.

Its clean formula is packed with natural ingredients, too, such as coconut oil, moringa leaf extract, and false daisy extract, each of which support healthy hair and a balanced scalp. Consistent use of moisturizing hair-care products tailored to high-porosity hair types is key. Our experts also recommend regularly incorporating deep-conditioning treatments or hair masks into your routine. “These treatments should be applied weekly to replenish moisture and restore the hair's elasticity and vitality,” says Powell.