Do you know your hair porosity? All you need to know about hair porosity......

As no two curl patterns are alike, it’s necessary to know the porosity level of your own to get the most out of your hair. Understanding the porosity of your hair is the first step in managing your specific curl type with the proper product regimen.

What is hair porosity?

Hair porosity simply refers to your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture.There are three ways to determine your hair’s porosity.

THE STRAND TEST

Gently stretch a tiny section of curl strands from different areas of your head, front hairline, nape, crown and temple. Place the stretched curl between your thumb and finger and slide it up the hair strand from the tip towards the scalp. If your fingers move easily up the strand and it feels dense and hard, you have low porosity hair. If it feels smooth, you have normal porosity hair. And if the strand feels rough or dry or it breaks, you have high porosity hair.

THE SHEDDING HAIR TEST

To do the shedding test, drop hair that’s been shed as a result of combing into a glass of water. If it floats, your hair is low porosity. If your hair sinks slowly, it has normal porosity, and if it sinks immediately, your hair is high porosity.

THE WATER TEST

For water test hair porosity, spritz a small section of curls with water and watch how your hair reacts. If your hair absorbs the water quickly then it is  high porosity, if  it remains on top then it is  low porosity.

While these three tests are good places to start in determining your hair porosity-level, there are other tell-tale signs you should look out for:

Characteristics of Low Porosity natural Hair

Hair with low porosity has a tightly bound cuticle layer with overlapping scales that lay flat. This type of hair is usually considered healthy, and is often very shiny, especially when it's dark in color. Low porosity hair repels moisture when you try to wet it and is hard to process since it resists penetration of chemicals.

Low porosity hair is accumulates build-up especially from  deep conditioning products, which can leave it feeling stiff . Use  protein-free, daily conditioners with humectants such as glycerin or honey..

Low porosity hair requires hair moisturizers rich in shea butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil and mineral oil. It also benefits from humectant products, which attract and hold moisture to your hair. Choose lighter, liquid-based products such as hair milks that won't sit on your hair and leave it oily or greasy.

Characteristics of medium Porosity natural Hair

Hair with medium porosity often requires the least amount of maintenance. The cuticle layer is looser, allowing just the right amount of moisture to enter while preventing too much from escaping. Hair with normal porosity tends to hold styles well, and can be permed and colored with predictable results. Over time, however, these processes can damage your hair and increase its porosity.

Occasional deep conditioning treatments with protein conditioners can benefit medium porosity hair, but proteins should not be included in your daily regimen.(I think my hair falls into this category).

Characteristics of high Porosity natural Hair

High porosity can be either an inherent property of hair or the result of damage from chemical processing, rough treatment or environmental damage. High porosity hair has gaps and holes in the cuticle, which let too much moisture into your hair and leave it prone to frizz and tangling in humid weather. Even simple acts such as bathing, swimming and shampooing can create more damage and breakage due to the sheer amount of moisture highly porous hair can absorb.

Be sure to use anti-humectants in climates with high heat and humidity. This will help seal your damaged cuticles and prevent them from absorbing excess moisture in the air.

Because highly porous hair can also lose moisture easily, it's pertinent to use leave-in conditioners,moisturizers and sealers. Layering these products will hold on to the moisture you're giving it. Follow up with a heavy hair butter to help fill the gaps in your damaged cuticles and further protect your hair from losing too much moisture.

It is good to know your hair’s porosity as this will help you make informed decisions on the types of products to buy.

Carry out your hair porosity test and share your results here...