Here is how to personalize your hair care regimen
Understanding your hair porosity can really help you make educated decisions on the right products for you. In this article we’ll talk about how to determine your hair porosity and how to treat your hair based on its porosity. Let’s dive in!
What is hair porosity and why is it important?
Hair porosity is an indicator of your hair’s ability to hold and retain moisture. The outer layer of your hair is called the cuticle and it is a flexible outer layer. When the cuticle is raised it means that moisture and product can get into your hair, but it also means that it can leave your hair. When the cuticle is laying tightly flat, it is difficult for moisture to enter the hair and when it does, it’s difficult to leave the hair.
Did you know? Your hairdresser will use hair porosity to test how well your hair will hold dye.
Hair porosity is mostly genetic however there are also grooming habits that can alter the porosity of your hair. Knowing your porosity will help you determine the types of products you need and how to better care for your hair type.
How to test your porosity
There are a few methods you can use to test your hair porosity.
Why are there so many ways to test? Because aside from porosity, the density of your hair is important. i.e., If you have thick hair, if you have a lot of hair. These factors can alter your results so it’s a good idea to try out a few tests to see what you’re working with.
You’ve tested your porosity, now what?
Here are some recommendations for what you can do based on your hair porosity
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Low Porosity |
Medium Porosity |
High Porosity |
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Low porosity hair does not absorb moisture easily, but once it does, it keeps it in for a longer period. For this type of hair opt for water-based leave-in products and a light oil. You might need to opt for steaming to get conditioning products into your hair |
You can play around with products a bit more whether oil or water-based since your hair is able to absorb and hold moisture quite easily. Sealing your cuticles with a light hair oil is advised to preserve the moisture in your hair |
High porosity hair absorbs and releases moisture quickly because of those raised cuticles. Opt for products that helps seal the moisture in. Cream based products followed by a hair oil are great. Moisturising your hair will also protect it from frizz. |
And lastly, it is possible to have multiple porosities. Personally, my top layer of hair (exposed to UV rays and a beating from blow-drying) leans more towards high porosity whereas the hair closer to my neck is more toward medium porosity. This helped me realize that I need to treat my hair at the top differently from my hair at the bottom. Over time I have managed to change the high porosity nature of the hair at the top understanding that it needs more conditioning and it is a lot softer than it used to be.
The hair care industry is slowly getting more personalized and hair porosity is a great determining factor on personalizing your hair care regimen.
References
Dr. Amber Evans, "An Overview on Hair Porosity". New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists. https://nyscc.org/blog/an-overview-on-hair-porosity/
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