Black hair is one of the most unique traits to a black person. Our coils and curls are almost unique to each individual. We are anything from 3a to 4c but some of us still have mixtures and blends that we just do not understand. But I will be frank with you, understanding your natural hair does not come down to your curl pattern it comes down to your porosity.
Hair porosity speaks to how porous your strands are which results in how much moisture it absorbs.
There are 3 types of Porosity:
- Low Porosity
- Medium Porosity
- High Porosity
Low Porosity
Low porosity means that your hair does not really absorb products easily. Products tend to sit on your hair and buildups are formed easily in this hair category. This means the lighter the product the better it is for you. The LCO (leave-in, Cream and Oil) would be the moisturizing method for you. While people do not always recommend heat on the hair. Using a little heat does help with low porosity hair when deep conditioning as it assists opening up the pores of the hair making your hair absorb products so that you can retain some moisture. You can wash your hair with warm water when you have low porosity as well.
When you have Low Porosity hair if not moisturized properly, your hair tends to feel dry and trashy since moisture is not absorbed in the hair to promote softness. Also products high in protein or contains glycerin are not your best friends.
Medium Porosity
This is the ideal porosity level. You are right in the middle your hair takes in the right amount of the moisture, not too much and not too little. This category is the easiest to manage when it comes to hair care as your product choice is endless.
High Porosity
Now this means the pores of your hair are wide open. Your hair absorbs all products and moisture. It does not dry easily when washed but when it does dry, it dries through and through. So spritzing it with a leave-in and water throughout the week to keep it refreshed until your next wash day, is always best for this hair type.
Most colour treated hair suffers from high porosity. The chemicals used to lighten your hair colour tends to open up the pores. Without that the hair will not lighten.
Please note: The porosity of your hair can change if you dye or process your hair. Also if you naturally have high porosity hair it is highly recommended not to use any harsh chemicals in your hair like relaxers and permanent colours.
How to test your porosity:
- Get a glass filled with water
- Get a strand of hair.
- Place hair on water.
- Leave for 30 seconds to 90 seconds
- If hair stays at the top it means that your hair is low porosity. While when it is halfway down the glass you have medium porosity hair. It will sink to the bottom if you have high porosity.
Moisture comes a far way in helping you to style your hair. So once you understand your porosity you will have a better styling experience. Get to know your hair, listen to it and you will see just how beautiful it can be. XOXO
