Hello cuties! hope everyone is doing well?!
This is quite an interesting topic... its really a big deal when it comes to hair care. Anyone who is serious about achieving and maintaining healthy hair must know their hair porosity.
This is quite an interesting topic... its really a big deal when it comes to hair care. Anyone who is serious about achieving and maintaining healthy hair must know their hair porosity.
What is hair porosity?
It is simply the ability of our hair strands to absorb and retain moisture.
It is simply the ability of our hair strands to absorb and retain moisture.
How to do a Porosity test
* after detangling on washday when much products have not been added to your hair take some strands of hair from the comb.
* after detangling on washday when much products have not been added to your hair take some strands of hair from the comb.
*Get a clean bowl or cup of water
*gently lay d strands on top of the water.... that is place them gently on the water surface.
*watch what happens closely
(A) If your hair sinks almost immediately or in less than 5mins you have High porosity hair
(B) If your hair sinks in about 10-30 mins you have normal porosity hair
(C) If it sinks hours later (or never sinks...lol) you have low porosity hair.
(B) If your hair sinks in about 10-30 mins you have normal porosity hair
(C) If it sinks hours later (or never sinks...lol) you have low porosity hair.
Now you have done the test and found out your porosity.... first advice... DON'T FREAK OUT!!! lol.
Know that regardless of your hair porosity you can still have healthy hair. Even those with Normal porosity could still get their hair damaged by not doing things the right way. Second advice is this... get lots of information concerning your hair porosity and bear it in mind always because when moisturising and sealing or any other part of washday you need to know if its necessary to add more or layer your products, if the timing on a product is enough for your strands to absorb the goodness.
Know that regardless of your hair porosity you can still have healthy hair. Even those with Normal porosity could still get their hair damaged by not doing things the right way. Second advice is this... get lots of information concerning your hair porosity and bear it in mind always because when moisturising and sealing or any other part of washday you need to know if its necessary to add more or layer your products, if the timing on a product is enough for your strands to absorb the goodness.
Here's an explanation of the porosities and how to get the most out of them.
HIGH POROSITY
This is hair with cuticles raised and open in such a way that it allows free flow of moisture and also freely gives out the moisture in no time... meaning it receives and gives away moisture easily.
This is hair with cuticles raised and open in such a way that it allows free flow of moisture and also freely gives out the moisture in no time... meaning it receives and gives away moisture easily.
Here are some tips to help you handle your high porosity hair
* know that Your hair needs more of protein than moisture. Protein does help to fill in some cracked cuticles thereby helping more moisture retention. So deep condition more times with a protein conditioner than a moisturising one
*ensure that the final water used to rinse your hair is cool as this helps seal the raised cuticles.
*always seal your hair with butters like Shea butter or a heavy oil to help coat the strand and preserve the added moisture for a longer period of time.
*use light protein leave in conditioners
*do a heavy protein treatment at least once in a month
*completely eliminate the use of direct heat as it can further damage the cuticles.
*do not use baking soda treatments because baking soda has a high pH which enables it to open the cuticles of your hair strand which is bad for high porosity hair...opt for properly diluted apple cider vinegar as a final rinse to help it lock in the moisture and other conditioning treatments.
* know that Your hair needs more of protein than moisture. Protein does help to fill in some cracked cuticles thereby helping more moisture retention. So deep condition more times with a protein conditioner than a moisturising one
*ensure that the final water used to rinse your hair is cool as this helps seal the raised cuticles.
*always seal your hair with butters like Shea butter or a heavy oil to help coat the strand and preserve the added moisture for a longer period of time.
*use light protein leave in conditioners
*do a heavy protein treatment at least once in a month
*completely eliminate the use of direct heat as it can further damage the cuticles.
*do not use baking soda treatments because baking soda has a high pH which enables it to open the cuticles of your hair strand which is bad for high porosity hair...opt for properly diluted apple cider vinegar as a final rinse to help it lock in the moisture and other conditioning treatments.
NORMAL POROSITY HAIR
This is hair with cuticles slightly raised. Products enter and leave withing a certain period of time. This type of porosity retains moisture more than high porosity hair but not more than low porosity hair and this is okay...that's why it is called NORMAL.
This is hair with cuticles slightly raised. Products enter and leave withing a certain period of time. This type of porosity retains moisture more than high porosity hair but not more than low porosity hair and this is okay...that's why it is called NORMAL.
Here are some tips to help you handle your normal porosity hair
*use a cool water as your final rinse on washday
*moisturise and seal as needed
*maintain a balance between protein and moisture by rotating your protein and moisturising deep conditioners.
*use heat tools with moderation and always use a heat protectant. The safest way to escape heat damage is not to use them at all because all the porosities are prone to heat damage.
*seal with light oils like olive oil, grape seed oil.
*use a cool water as your final rinse on washday
*moisturise and seal as needed
*maintain a balance between protein and moisture by rotating your protein and moisturising deep conditioners.
*use heat tools with moderation and always use a heat protectant. The safest way to escape heat damage is not to use them at all because all the porosities are prone to heat damage.
*seal with light oils like olive oil, grape seed oil.
LOW POROSITY HAIR
This is hair with cuticles closed tightly. Moisture does not penetrate easily and when it eventually does it doesn't go out easily either. This type of hair does not take to relaxers well...meaning it comes out texlaxed and not bone straight most of the time.
This is hair with cuticles closed tightly. Moisture does not penetrate easily and when it eventually does it doesn't go out easily either. This type of hair does not take to relaxers well...meaning it comes out texlaxed and not bone straight most of the time.
Here are some tips to help you handle your low porosity hair.
*Always rinse first with warm water to open up your cuticles
*use only cooler water for final rinse
*Always deep condition mostly with a moisturising conditioner... bear it in mind that low porosity hair naturally has more protein than moisture so hard core protein treatments are not so beneficial... focus more on moisture treatments.
*Seal your hair with a light oil
*Do not layer products because they will further close the cuticles preventing any more moisture from entering the hair during daily moisturising and sealing
*Limit heat styling because too much heat styling will lead to damage.
*boost the penetrating ability of your deep conditioners by using heat in the form of hair steamers, hot head conditioning cap etc.
*do not use apple cider vinegar because it has an acidic pH and will further close the cuticles of your hair strands and this is bad opt for baking soda which has a higher pH to open up the cuticles... but don't forget to close it with a final cool rinse.
for more on high, normal and low porosity hair click here and here
*Always rinse first with warm water to open up your cuticles
*use only cooler water for final rinse
*Always deep condition mostly with a moisturising conditioner... bear it in mind that low porosity hair naturally has more protein than moisture so hard core protein treatments are not so beneficial... focus more on moisture treatments.
*Seal your hair with a light oil
*Do not layer products because they will further close the cuticles preventing any more moisture from entering the hair during daily moisturising and sealing
*Limit heat styling because too much heat styling will lead to damage.
*boost the penetrating ability of your deep conditioners by using heat in the form of hair steamers, hot head conditioning cap etc.
*do not use apple cider vinegar because it has an acidic pH and will further close the cuticles of your hair strands and this is bad opt for baking soda which has a higher pH to open up the cuticles... but don't forget to close it with a final cool rinse.
for more on high, normal and low porosity hair click here and here
When i did this test...my hair kept floating till i got tired of coming to check. So my hair is low porosity hair. I made my research and found out ways to care for my hair and even went crazy with moisturising and sealing. But now its not much of a big deal. Low porosity hair definitely needs longer time to absorb products so if a product says leave on for 15mins its advisable to leave it on for at least x2 of the time. This is common knowledge for bloggers and anyone that has gone far in their hair journey... If you know your hair porosity and work with it you will find that you hair will become healthier in no time.
My flexi rod set washday will be up pretty soon... thanks for always viewing my blog...
*much love.....muah! :-)*
*much love.....muah! :-)*
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