What Is Hair Porosity, and How Do You Check It? – OLAPLEX Inc.

Key Takeaways

• Hair porosity refers to your hair’s potential to retain moisture and is set by your hair’s cuticles. 
• Low porosity hair consists of tightly knit cuticles, whereas excessive porosity hair has cuticles which are spaced additional aside. 
• Excessive porosity hair is extra liable to breakage, frizz, and dryness, whereas low porosity hair is more durable to permeate with merchandise.

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What Is Hair Porosity, and How Do You Check It?

Tailoring your haircare routine to your hair’s porosity degree might help promote healthy-looking hair. Earlier than you begin customizing your hair routine, be taught which kind of hair porosity you’ve got with this information:

What Is Low Porosity Hair?

Low porosity hair has tightly sure cuticles, making it more durable for water to penetrate the hair shaft. Along with water and moisture, this additionally impacts the best way merchandise sit in your hair strands. You could have low porosity hair if: 

• Hair merchandise, particularly additional moisturizing hair merchandise, sit in your hair and are sluggish to soak up. 
• Your hair takes a very long time to air dry. 
• Water doesn’t penetrate your hair simply if you’re showering. 
• Your hair could seem dry and uninteresting.
• It may be immune to chemical remedy.

What Is Excessive Porosity Hair?

Not like low porosity hair, excessive porosity hair has loosely knit cuticles. You could have excessive porosity hair if: 

• Water penetrates your hair simply if you’re showering. 
• Moisturizing merchandise soak up into your hair rapidly. 
• Your hair air dries rapidly. 
• Your hair is liable to breakage and cut up ends.

Easy methods to Check Your Hair’s Porosity

Check your hair’s porosity with one in all these methods: 

The Cuticle Check

1. Take a single strand of hair. 
2. Run your fingers from the underside of the strand in the direction of your roots. 
3. In case your hair’s texture is tough and bumpy, you might have excessive porosity hair. A easy texture is an indication of low porosity.

The Spray Bottle Check

1. Spray a small part of your hair with water. 
2. Discover how the water interacts together with your hair. 
3. If it’s sluggish to soak up and varieties beads on the floor, you might have low porosity hair. If it absorbs rapidly, that’s an indication of excessive porosity.

The Float Check

1. Seize a transparent glass of water and a strand of fresh hair from a comb or brush. 
2. Take your strands and drop them into your glass of water. 
3. In case your hair sinks, you’ve got excessive porosity hair. If it floats, you’ve got low porosity.

Caring for Low vs. Excessive Porosity Hair

Now that your hair’s porosity, give your hair what it must hydrate every strand. Excessive porosity hair absorbs moisture simply, making it nice for deep conditioning, whereas low porosity hair retains moisture for longer intervals and sometimes requires light-weight conditioning.

Low-Porosity Haircare

• Use light-weight, water-based merchandise to keep away from buildup. 
• Use a clarifying shampoo as soon as every week to take away residue from scalp and hair strands.
• Apply conditioner to damp hair after cleaning with heat water to maximise absorption.
• For those who’re utilizing a leave-in or deep conditioning remedy, encourage your hair cuticles to soak up the moisture with a heated bathe cap. Apply the cap after your conditioning remedy and let it sit.
  

Low porosity hair tends to be more durable to situation, so select hydrating choices with mild textures:

Excessive Porosity Haircare

• Select heavier, moisturizing merchandise to lock in hydration. 
• Go for oils, lotions, or masks that seal the cuticle. 
• Deep situation repeatedly to stop moisture loss. 
• Trim hair repeatedly to attenuate breakage and cut up ends.
  

Excessive porosity hair requires a bit additional moisture, so attain for options that lock in moisture and supply hydration:

Wish to be taught extra about caring in your distinctive hair? Take our Hair Quiz to create an optimized routine.

Sources

1. https://www.byrdie.com/hair-porosity-test-5070329

2. https://www.healthline.com/well being/hair-porosity