What is hair porosity? Do you have to care for your hair differently depending on your hair porosity? Important information and details will be reviewed in this article.

Have you ever heard of hair porosity? What does it mean for your hair health specifically? The answers and more are below:

What is hair porosity?

Hair porosity is a term that indicates how well the hair absorbs and retains moisture.

Hair porosity has several different degrees, and you may have to follow a special hair care routine depending on the degree of porosity of your hair.

In order to be able to better understand hair porosity, let us learn about the layers that make up the hair, which are: 

The hair cortex: It is the outer layer that covers the hair and protects its inner layers. It consists of small scales arranged in a manner similar to the alignment of brick stones on the roofs of houses.

Hair cortex: It is the thickest layer of the hair, and contains natural hair pigment in addition to protein fibers.

Hair medulla: It is the soft part of the hair that lies in the middle of the hair layers.

Hair porosity is related to the first and outer part of the hair, specifically the hair cortex. The hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture is determined by the extent of the compactness of the small scales that make up the outer cortex of the hair.

Causes of hair porosity

The degree of hair porosity is affected by factors that are usually classified into two main categories:

Factors related to heredity and genes, such as: the race from which the person comes, the speed of hair growth, and hereditary diseases.

External factors, such as: the method of combing, the treatments to which the hair is exposed, the type of shampoo and the method of using it.

Degrees of hair porosity

These are the degrees of hair porosity:

1. Low porosity hair

Low porosity hair is hair in which the small scales that make up its outer cortex are compact, making it difficult for moisture to penetrate the hair and penetrate into its inner layers. However, when it absorbs moisture, it does not get rid of it easily, that is, it does not dry easily after finishing showering. 

Due to the slow rate at which moisture infiltrates the hair, the hair care products used and various sebums tend to accumulate on the surface of the scalp over time.

These are the most important tips recommended for caring for low porosity hair:

Trim the ends of your hair regularly, because the ends of this type of hair tend to become brittle and dry quickly.

Use steam, wrap the hair with a hot wet towel, or apply warm oils to the hair. Taking advantage of heat in these ways enables the scales that make up the hair to move slightly apart from each other, allowing the hair to absorb moisture.

Focus on using these oils for hair: coconut oil, jojoba oil, and argan oil.

Other tips, such as: using a scalp-cleansing shampoo once a week, using moisturizing masks containing bananas or avocado once every two weeks, and using moderate amounts of hair care products.

2. Hair with moderate porosity.

Moderately porous hair is hair in which the small scales that make up its outer cuticle are moderately compact, meaning that the spaces between them allow the hair to obtain and retain sufficient moisture.

Due to the moderate porosity of this type, the hair takes on a healthy, shiny and dense appearance.

Moderately porous hair does not require special care procedures, but is easy to style and care for in simple ways.

These are the most important tips recommended for caring for moderately porous hair:

Do not over expose hair to heat and harmful chemicals, such as dyes.

Avoid excessive use of hair products, and avoid products that consist of silicone and are made from greasy or oily materials.

3. High porosity hair

High porosity hair is hair in which the small scales that make up its outer cuticle are far apart, allowing the hair to absorb moisture quickly and lose it quickly as well.

Therefore, this hair is often dry, weak, and brittle, and is often more susceptible to tangling than other types.

These are the most important tips recommended for caring for highly porous hair:

Do not over-wash, comb and style your hair, and make sure to regularly use suitable products that protect and coat the hair.

Use masks and oils before showering, as this may help the hair absorb them better, or use a leave-in conditioner once every two days.

Dry hair at low temperatures or let it dry automatically in room air.

Focus on using these oils for hair: coconut oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, and olive oil.

Wash hair with cold water when showering.

Hair porosity test

Would you like to know the degree of porosity of your hair? Try one of these methods:

1. Fragrance test

Visit a place where the atmosphere is filled with the scents of perfumes, and do not leave it before a full half hour has passed. These are the expected results and their meaning:

If your hair smells like the place you visited after going out, your hair has high porosity.

If your hair smells unchanged, your hair has low porosity.

If your hair has a slight odor, your hair is of medium porosity.

2. Buoyancy test

To perform this test, one or more dry hairs are taken and dropped into a cup containing moderately hot water, and the hair is observed for several minutes. These are the expected results and their meaning:

If the hair sinks and settles at the bottom, the hair has high porosity.

If the hair begins to sink slowly, the hair is of medium porosity.

If the hair floats on the surface or sits just below it, the hair is low in porosity.