Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD Your hair’s porosity is largely genetic. High porosity hair is common. And even if your hair is naturally low porosity, it can become high porosity if it gets damaged. Using hair products for high porosity hair can help you strengthen your hair and maintain the moisture levels that your hair craves. If you’ve got high porosity hair, your cuticles don’t lay as flat. Your cuticles are like shingles on a roof. And if you’ve got high porosity hair, those shingles are loose, and may even be missing! Your hair is more likely to tangle up and gets dry and frizzy very easily.
Knowing your hair porosity is important in guiding the hair styles and products that you use on your hair. If you know your hair porosity, you’ll have a better idea of how certain products are likely to react with your hair. Using products for high porosity hair can be helpful in your quest to retain moisture, length and health for your hair.
Hair porosity is essentially a measure of how easily water moves in and out of your hair strands. If you have high porosity hair, it’s easier for water, products and hair dyes to enter your hair. However, it’s also much easier for much needed hydration to exit your hair! As a consequence, people with high porosity hair often have hair that gets dry and parched quite easily. Knowing your hair porosity is important in guiding the hair styles and products that you use on your hair. If you know your hair porosity, you’ll have a better idea of how certain products are likely to react with your hair. Using products for high porosity hair can be helpful in your quest to retain moisture, length and health for your hair.
High Porosity Hair Characteristics
- Thinner hair strands
- Hair dries quickly after wetting
- Hair tangles more easily
- Hair breaks more easily when pulled
If you have high porosity hair, you should look for hair products that have some protein in them, as protein can help to strengthen your weaker strands. Also, you may not need to use external heat as much when deep conditioning. Remember, your hair cuticle is already pretty open, so it’s easier to for moisture to penetrate your strands. Your goal is to keep that moisture in place and to lock it in! Products for high porosity hair should do a good job of increasing moisture, decreasing frizz, fortifying your weak strands and reducing tangles. If a high porosity hair product can do all that for you…it’s golden!
High Porosity Hair Products
1. Shampoo: Shea Moisture Mongongo & Hemp Seed Oils High Porosity Moisture-Seal Shampoo
Enriched with mongongo and hemp seed oils, this sulfate free shampoo is good for dry, damaged and sensitive strands that are breakage-prone. It’s formulated to moisturize your hair as it cleanses, and to cleanse your hair without stripping it.
2. Co-wash Cleanser: EDEN BodyWorks Coconut Shea Cleansing Cowash
This sulfate free co-wash contains hydrating coconut oil and shea butter to hydrate as it gently cleanses your hair.
3. Protein Treatment/Hair Strengthener: ApHogee 2 Minute Keratin Reconstructor
This keratin amino acid rich reconstructor is ideal for restoring the strength of brittle and weak hair with a damaged cuticle. It’s ideal for high porosity strands, and can be used every other week or as according to the porosity and needs of your hair.
4. Deep conditioner: DevaCurl Heaven In Hair Divine Deep Conditioner
Sulfate, paraben and silicone free, this intense deeply moisturizing conditioner can be used weekly to help to moisturize dry high porosity hair
5. Moisturizer/Styler: Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic Curl Stimulator
This moisturizing product contains aloe vera and helps to tame frizz, improve shine and define and elongate your curls.
6. Moisturizer: Jamaican Black Castor Oil
A rich moisturizer and sealant that adds sheen and coats high porosity hair to help it retain moisture.
Tips for High Porosity Hair
- Use heavy oils and butters to seal the moisture into your hair. Jamaican black castor oil and shea butter are wonderful sealants.
- Use protein treatments to help repair and restore your weak cuticle. The frequency will depend on the nature of your hair.
- Use apple cider vinegar rinses or aloe vera spritzes to help smooth your cuticle and aid in moisture retention
How Do You Determine Your Hair Porosity?
Hair porosity doesn’t have to be complex. Check out this post for more information on the characteristics of high porosity hair, and some at-home tests that might help you figure out your hair porosity. If you think you have low porosity hair, check out informationon on low porosity hair products.
