Hair is a very important part of our everyday lives, and understanding how best to take care of it will make sure that your hair stays stronger. One key aspect to consider when caring for hair is its porosity. While the general definition of porosity is the ability for water or air to penetrate through smaller spaces in the material, many people refer to hair as having high porosity when its fibers are easily penetrated by moisture and oxygen. In this article, we will talk about tips on growing high porosity hair. So, without further ado, let’s hop in.
Tips for Growing High Porosity Hair
Co-washing:
So you’re ready to begin growing high porosity hair? Maybe you’re more of a co-washing fan than a one-wash rule person. If so, the process of co-washing is totally fine. Co-washing involves rinsing each section of hair twice: once (after shampooing) with ONLY conditioner and then again with conditioner and water. You can complete this step 1x per week or as often as you desire! Continue from there with your usual regimen until all the hair is washed out.
Leave-in conditioners
So maybe you’re not a big fan of co-washing, or it’s just not for you. That’s fine! Your hair will still benefit from using a leave-in conditioner if you rinse your hair with only conditioner after shampooing. This is basically like co-washing, except that when you’re finished, you don’t pick the conditioner out of your hair.
Heavy Cream
For those who do not love leave-ins, heavy cream can be used to help protect and hydrate the hair. When selecting heavy cream, look for one that is rich in collagen and hyaluronic acid to help provide moisture and support to the hair. For easy washing, always add the heavy cream before you shampoo, and then wash it out at the end of your hair regimen.
Heavy oils
When you’re looking for oils to use for high porosity hair, you’ll want to stick with heavier texture oils. Oils that are thicker in texture (i.e., coconut oil and castor oil) tend to linger longer on the strands, which helps lock in moisture and support the hair structure. You can also use oils before co-washing or washing your hair with heavy cream if that’s easier for you.
Treatments
Treatments are another way to ensure that your hair is getting the support it needs. Treatments can help lock in moisture, repair the hair from damage and provide essential nutrients for optimal growth. Many natural oils contain essential fatty acids, which are great for growth and softness. Always remember to apply treatments after shampooing and/ or conditioning as that ensures that the treatment is properly distributed throughout the strands of your hair.
Aloe Vera Gel and Coconut Oil
Aloe Vera is known for its healing and regenerative capabilities, so its use in hair care can be very helpful for those who have high porosity hair. Aloe Vera gel works to repair the outer layer of damaged hair, and coconut oil is a great natural moisturizer that has been shown to help protect against long-term damage.
Protein Treatment
Protein treatments are products that restore essential proteins to the hair shaft. The protein treatments help reverse any damage that is currently taking place and promote health so that your hair can thrive. There are a variety of protein treatments, but one popular treatment is Biotin Shampoo, which contains biotin and is used to help restore the health of the hair.
Avoiding Harsh Shampoos
If you tend to use harsh shampoos (those containing sulfates like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate ), this can cause the cuticle layer of the hair to become more porous, meaning that it will then become more exposed and vulnerable to wear. These porous areas allow moisture and nutrients from products to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft, which is a good thing! However, you should be aware that depending on your regimen, harsh shampoos may cause some ill effects.
Limit Usage of Heat
While using heat to style your hair is a good thing, you want to make sure that you don’t overuse it, as this can cause damage. This is especially true if you frequently style with hot tools, such as flat irons and curling irons. The heat from these tools can cause the hair to become more porous (depending on how frequently and how long you use them), so it’s a good idea to stop every once in a while and allow your hair time to relax.
Shorter Styles Help
It’s important that when growing high porosity hair, you choose hairstyles that are easy to take care of. You should stick with shorter styles such as bobs and lobs, as these are easier to maintain. If you have medium or long hair that you want to protect, consider growing out your hair into a face-framing style that is easier to take care of on a day-to-day basis (like a ponytail, braid, etc.).
Wear Protective Styling Tools
If you do decide to use heat tools on your hair often, try wearing protective styling tools. These are usually made of keratin or plastic and help protect the hair when using hot styling tools like flat irons. They also help hold the hair in place while your hair is being straightened.
Protect Your Hair From Fine Spray Irons
If you don’t use protective styling tools, you can place a piece of clear plastic over your flat iron to protect your fine hair, or you can simply sweep the flat iron across the length of your hair instead of directly on it. This will help protect against damage from fine spray irons and will also limit direct contact with the hot iron.
How to check if you have high porosity hair?
If you have curly or frizzy hair, then there’s a good chance that your hair has high porosity. This type of natural hair is rougher than normal, and it can be difficult to style at times. If you want to minimize breakage or damage from the humidity of your environment, you’ll want to invest in a leave-in conditioner and oil or heavy cream. These are great for smoothing flyaways and frizzies when you’re styling your hair.
What does high porosity hair need?
High porosity hair needs protection and moisture more than anything else. We’ve already discussed how to protect your hair, so now let’s talk about moisturizing.
To moisturize your high porosity hair, you’ll want to use products that are rich in essential fatty acids. These include ingredients like shea butter or coconut oil which will help lock in moisture as well as provide essential nutrients for optimal growth. You can also use shampoos and conditioners that will help lock in moisture and repair the hair from damage.
How can I thicken my high porosity hair?
If you have high porosity hair, it helps to use products that will help thicken it up. You can do this by using products that are rich in proteins. During your hair regimen, you should apply a protein treatment (such as Biotin Shampoo) or use an egg treatment on your hair and then wait for the hair to dry before rinsing it out.
This is also an important aspect of protecting the hair since many people with high porosity hair feel like their hair is too thin, and they want to make sure that they don’t break as much while protecting their strands.
Can you change hair porosity?
If you have hair that has very few cuticles and a high porosity level, then you can actually change the porosity of your hair by simply cutting it. This is due to the fact that when the haircuts get damaged, it becomes more porous. If you want to see if this will work, then try a scissor cut on some of your hair, but be careful not to cut too much, or you’ll ruin your strands!
Bottom Line
As you can see from this article, there are many factors that play a role in determining how porous your hair is. High porosity hair can be difficult to style at times, and it can also be more prone to damage and breakage. To help protect the hair from damage and protect against the effects of high porosity hair, you’ll want to use a leave-in conditioner, heavy cream, or oil on your strands. This will tighten your strands and make them less prone to damage.