Porosity is basically the ability of hair to absorb moisture and in this case of the low porosity hair, it doesn’t absorb moisture and products easily as compared to other hair porosity. Therefore understanding how to care for your hair would help your hair thrive. This blog post will effectively cover how to test for your hair’s porosity, challenges associated with low porosity hair, tips and product recommendation.
LOW POROSITY HAIR
Low porosity hair is unable to absorb or retain moisture due to the structure of the hair cuticles which are tightly packed, making it hard for moisture to penetrate.
Factors that contribute to low porosity hair type
· Genetics
· Lack Of Moisture
· Damage
· Product Buildup
· PH Imbalance
There are a lot more factors that contribute to the hair porosity and understanding these factors will help you to care and manage low porosity hair.
Here are some of the things to look out for to check if you have low porosity hair
1. If you observe that your hair gets dried easily despite the amount of products used.
2. You might find that products applied sit on top of your hair instead of soaking in
3. It is difficult for your hair to remain moisturized even after applying products.
These are signs that your hair is low porosity but to be very sure, it is best advised you carry out a simple test. The commonly known one is the strand test.
HOW TO CARRY OUT THE STRAND TEST: For this test, you will need to pour clean water into a cup (preferably a glass cup so you can properly observe) and fill the water halfway, Take a small strand of hair and place into the water and observe for 2-3 minutes. If the hair strand remains floating, then it is for sure low porosity, if it remains somewhere in the middle (does not sink nor float), then it is medium porosity and lastly, if it sinks to the bottom of the cup then it is high porosity.
CHALLENEGES OF LOW POROSITY HAIR
The challenges associated with having low porosity hair are as follows:
Difficulty Absorbing Moisture: Due to the structure of this hair type, it is difficult to keep the hair moisturized.
Product Buildup: Low porosity hair is known for having a lot of buildup which can weigh the your hair down,
Dryness and Brittleness: Due to low porosity hair’s inability to retain moisture, it is always dry and brittle.
Breakage and Frizz: Low porosity hair can become frizzy because it often lacks hydration needed to maintain elasticity and hence it leads to breakage.
LOW POROSITY HAIR CARE TIPS
TIP #1 [ALWAYS USE A CLARIFYING SHAMPOO]
Clarifying shampoo contains cleansing agents and strong surfactants, they are made to deeply cleanse and purify the hair, it is very good in removing product buildup from hair, mineral deposits, dirt and impurities. It is best advised to use clarifying shampoo just once a week because they can be very drying.
TIP #2 [ALWAYS USE WARM WATER WHEN WASHING HAIR]
The heat coming from the water helps in opening up the cuticle and allow products such as your deep conditioner to penetrate better,
TIP #3 [USE LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS, DEEP CONDITIONERS, AND HAIR MASKS]
These products help low porosity hair by adding moisture to hair. For deep conditioners, it is best to use the ones that contain either silk protein, hydrolyzed protein or wheat protein (you can check the ingredient list of your product to see if it contains any of these).
TIP #4 [STEAM TREATMENT]
Steam treatments provide heat that helps the hair cuticle open up to allow moisture easily enter. Steam treatments are best done when doing a treatment or using a hair mask.
TIP #5 [USE LIGHTWEIGHT OILS]
For low porosity hair, it is always best to use a lightweight oil because heavyweight oils generally weigh the hair down and cause build up. Examples of lightweight oils you can consider using: Jojoba oil, Sweet almond oil, Olive oil, grape seed oil, Avocado oil.
STYLING TIPS FOR LOW POROSITY HAIR
Here are some tips to keep in mind when styling low porosity hair
· Avoid Heavy Styling Products: Because low porosity is known to have large amounts of buildup, it is best to stick to lighter products when styling.
· Low Manipulation styles: For low manipulation hair styles, you can consider twists outs or braids. These styles are important to reduce breakage, preserve the hair’s natural oil, and promote hair growth.
· Do Not Blow Dry Hair: It is important to avoid such harsh heat from a blow dryer because they tend to strip out moisture from the hair. If at all you do need to use a blow dryer, always use a heat protectant spray.
CONCLUSION
Getting a proper understanding of the low porosity hair will enable to effectively create a hair care routine that works for your hair. Taking notes of the Do’s and Don’t’s and also the tips will also help you in finding the right hair care products that are best suited with your hair porosity.