Is Your Hair Low or High Porosity? A Complete Guide to Understanding & Caring for Your Hair
Low Porosity vs High Porosity Hair: How to Know Your Hair Type
Understanding your hair is the first step to actually seeing results in your hair care routine. If you’ve ever wondered why certain products work for others but not for you, your hair porosity might be the missing piece.
So, what exactly is hair porosity? And how do you know if you have low or high porosity hair?
Before we get into it, remember for any hair needs or concerns, visit Afrotherapy salon at 235 Fore Street, Edmonton, London or call us on 020 8345 5621 to book a free consultation.
Now, let’s get right into it!
What is Hair Porosity?
Hair porosity refers to your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. It’s all about how open or closed your hair cuticles are.
Think of your hair cuticle like the shingles on a roof, if they are tightly closed, it means moisture struggles to get in (low porosity), and if they are wide open, it means moisture gets in easily but escapes quickly (high porosity).
There are three main types:
- Low porosity hair
- Medium (normal) porosity hair
- High porosity hair
In this article, we’ll focus on low and high porosity since they require more intentional care.
What is Low Porosity Hair?
Low porosity hair has tightly packed cuticles, making it difficult for moisture and products to penetrate.
Some signs you have low porosity Hair:
- Water sits on your hair before absorbing
- Products tend to build up on your hair
- Your hair takes a long time to get fully wet
- It takes longer to dry after washing
- Your hair feels dry even after applying products
If you have low porosity hair, you might feel like:
- Products just sit on your hair
- Your hair never feels moisturised enough
- Heavy oils make your hair feel greasy, not hydrated
What is High Porosity Hair?
High porosity hair has raised or damaged cuticles, allowing moisture to enter quickly, but also escape just as fast. This can be natural or caused by damage from:
- Heat styling
- Chemical treatments (relaxers, dyes, bleach)
- Environmental stress
Signs You Have High Porosity Hair:
- Your hair absorbs water very quickly
- It dries very fast
- It feels dry shortly after moisturising
- You experience frizz easily
- Your hair tangles more often
If you have high porosity hair, you might feel like:
- Your hair dries out so quickly
- No matter what you use, your hair doesn’t stay moisturised
- Frizz is always a problem
How to Know Your Hair Porosity
If you are still unsure about where you stand, here’s a simple guide:
1. The Water Test (fast guide)
Take a few clean strands of hair and place them in a bowl of water:
- If it floats, it’s low porosity
- If it sinks quickly, it’s high porosity
- If it sinks slowly, it’s medium porosity
2. The Spray Test
Spray water on your hair:
- If water sits on top, it’s low porosity
- If water absorbs instantly, it’s high porosity
3. Pay Attention to Your Hair Behavior
Sometimes, your daily experience tells you more than any test:
- Product buildup? Likely low porosity
- Constant dryness? Likely high porosity
How to Care for Low Porosity Hair
The key here is helping moisture enter your hair.
1. Use Heat When Moisturising.
Heat helps open up the hair cuticles. Try steaming your hair, using a warm towel or deep conditioning with a heat cap in order to retain moisture in your hair.
2. Choose Lightweight Products
Avoid heavy butters and oils. Instead, go for water-based leave-ins and lightweight oils like argan or jojoba.
3. Clarify Regularly
Because products sit on the hair, buildup happens fast. Use a clarifying shampoo occasionally to reset your hair.
4. Apply Products on Damp Hair
This helps products absorb better instead of sitting on dry strands.
How to Care for High Porosity Hair
The focus here is helping your hair retain moisture.
1. Layer Your Products (LCO or LOC Method)
This means liquid (water or leave-in), cream, oil. This layering helps lock moisture into your hair.
2. Use Heavier Products
High porosity hair benefits from thick creams; butters like shea butter and oils like castor oil. These help seal the cuticle and reduce moisture loss.
3. Deep Condition Regularly
Use protein treatments occasionally to strengthen your hair and repair gaps in the cuticle.
4. Avoid Excessive Heat
Too much heat can make the cuticle even more raised, worsening dryness.
Understanding Your Hair Porosity
Your hair is unique and understanding its porosity can completely change your hair care game.
Low porosity hair needs help letting moisture in, while high porosity hair needs help keeping moisture in. Once you understand this difference, everything else, products, routines and results, starts to make sense.
The goal isn’t perfection, it’s consistency. Learn your hair, listen to it and adjust your routine accordingly.
And remember, for any struggles you may face or if you simply need a professional’s input, then visit the salon at 235 Fore Street, Edmonton, London or call our team on 020 8345 5621 for a free personalised consultation.
