4 tips for maintaining high porosity hair
Porosity is still something that many don’t understand so let’s unpack it. The outer layer of the hair strand is called the cuticle layer and porosity refers to how susceptible your hair cuticle is to water. Hair that is highly porous has cuticles that are more sparse than they are dense. What this all means is, high porous hair is able to absorb a lot of water.
"Hair porosity describes how the hair's cuticle absorbs and holds on to moisture in its pores—hence, the term porosity"
In contrast, low porosity hair tends to have difficulty absorbing moisture because the hair cuticles are more dense. While high porosity hair absorbs moisture easily, it releases it with the same ease making it prone to dryness. So how does one care for their highly porous hair? Here are 4 tips for caring for high porosity hair:
Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize.
Because the outer hair layer of high porosity hair is so fragile, protecting it is very important. In order to do this effectively, you must regularly coat the hair with hydrating products to help reinforce nutrients on that outer cuticle.
Go very easy on harsh treatments and heat.
Because highly porous hair is prone to moisture loss, heat and harsh treatments like dyeing hair exacerbates loss of moisture. This is because when you use harsh treatments or daily high heat, you can actually damage the outer layer of your cuticle, making it more porous.
Resist the urge to overstyle.
Overstyling creates unnecessary pressure for the hair shaft and in the long run damages hair cuticles. If you have high porosity hair, you should not subject your hair to too much wear and tear via overstyling, brushing and even washing. All good things must be enjoyed in moderation, including haircare.
Go for creamy, thick products
The challenge with high porosity hair isn’t getting moisture in but keeping it in. Because of this, creamy, dense products create a thicker layer of protection in the hair shaft. This added protection is important to your hair health because a sparse cuticle means greater follicle exposure. Ensuring that our hair strands are protected is key.
High porosity hair is a pleasure to treat because of its ease to soak up nutrients. Make sure you are supporting your hair in keeping nutrients in by making these small but effective changes to your hair regime. Remember, when it comes to high porosity hair, easy come, means easy go but we can help reduce that,
If you want to learn more about hair porosity, you can read this article.
To happier hair days.
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