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Hair porosity is the ability of your hair to absorb and retain moisture. And if you have natural hair, knowing your hair’s porosity is essential to finding a routine that works. This post is for my high porosity chicas because I don’t think there is enough information out there for us! Everyone thinks high porosity means your hair is damaged, and that’s just not always the case! So, we need tips to help us keep our hair healthy, not fix/repair it. That’s why I’m bringing you this post: Tips for High Porosity Natural Hair.
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What is high porosity?
Having high porosity hair means that your strands’ cuticles are always open. Thus, your hair can absorb moisture quickly, but it can also lose moisture quickly. It’s not something you can see by just looking at your strands, but under a microscope, you would be able to see ridges in your hair–the open cuticles. Sometimes, high porosity hair is caused by unnatural forces, such as dye or bleach, but sometimes, it’s just caused by genetics.
How do I know if I have high porosity hair?
There are some characteristics of high porosity hair. These include:
- Frizz
- Easily becomes soaked with water (in less than 2 minutes under the showerhead, the hair is soaked)
- Dries quickly after washing/wetting
- Tangles
- Single strand nots
- Low sheen
- Easily absorbs products (when styling, the products “disappear” into the hair easily)
If your hair has a lot of these characteristics, it might be high porosity. Another way to tell is to take a single, clean strand of hair between two fingers. Rub up and down the strand. If you feel little bumps along the strand, you are feeling your open cuticles. This is a sign of high porosity hair. Since moisture easily leaves high porosity hair, moisture retention is the main goal. The following tips are my favorites to help absorb and retain moisture for high porosity natural hair.
Tip #1: Do protein treatments.
Protein is the key to maintaining healthy high porosity hair! Protein-based treatments help repair the broken bonds in high porosity hair, especially if you dye your hair often (like me) or straighten it often. Personally, I like to use protein deep conditioners once a month because that’s how much protein my hair needs. My holy grail protein deep conditioner is the Shea Moisture Protein Treatment. But, if your hair is really damaged or you color often, I recommend the Aphogee Two-Step Protein Treatment. Now this stuff is really strong, so don’t use it often. And make sure to ALWAYS follow-up with a deep conditioner. If used incorrectly, this treatment can cause dryness and breakage, so make sure to follow the directions carefully!
Tip #2: Deep condition every wash day.
If you’ve read any of my other natural hair posts, you know how much I preach about deep conditioning. And since we are doing protein treatments with our high porosity hair, it is important to balance it out by doing moisturizing treatments a.k.a., deep conditioning. Remember, moisture isn’t held easily in our hair, so we need to add all that we can! Even though we are high porosity, I still like to deep condition with heat because it just gives that extra oomph. For more tips on deep conditioning, read my post “How to Deep Condition Your Hair Like a Pro“!
Tip #3: Always use a leave-in conditioner.
After deep conditioning, it is important to use a leave-in conditioner. Remember, the deep conditioner gets rinsed out, so we have to add the moisture back in, which I like to do in the shower, while my hair is still warm and soaking. I do it this way because once it dries out, it DRIES OUT! Now, it doesn’t matter what leave-in you use, as long as it is something that works for you. There are sprays, milks, and creams, so experiment and see what your strands like best!
Tip #4: Use products with butters/oils in the ingredients.
Some people would recommend sealing high porosity hair, which is the process of using an oil as a barrier to lock in moisture. In my post “10 Ways to Use Oil on Natural Hair”, I explain why I don’t always like to do this. But, another great way to lock in moisture is to use products with oils/butters already in them! Some great ones I recommend are the TGIN Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer, Mielle Organics Avocado Moisturizing Hair Milk, and Shea Moisture Manuka Honey Leave-in Milk. These are just 3 of my favorite products that include heavy butters. They are my perfect way to seal moisture into my high porosity natural hair.
Tip #5: Use Aloe Vera.
Aloe Vera is a great ingredient to seal in moisture, and it is easy to find online and in grocery stores. It works as a conditioner, promotes growth, and can sooth itchy scalp. You can choose to use Aloe Vera gel or juice; the both work wonders! I use it mixed into my spray bottle with warm water to wet my hair before styling and to refresh/moisturize as often as I need to. So, if you’re following all the other tips and your hair is still dry, try incorporating Aloe Vera into your routine!
Tip #6: Do Hot Oil Treatments.
Hot oil treatments can do wonders for high porosity hair! They can reduce frizz, alleviate dandruff/itchy scalp, promote hair growth and length retention, help with split ends, and increase the strength of the hair. In fact, no matter your hair type, everyone could benefit from a hot oil treatment every once in a while! Just make sure you use natural, plant-based oils and wash them out afterwards. For more information, check out my post all about oils, here.
Tip #7: Trim as needed.
I mentioned trimming in my post “10 Rules All Naturals Should Follow”, and basically, I always say don’t trim regularly; trim as needed. And with high porosity hair, we are more prone to split ends and single strand knots–both of which need to be trimmed off. If you let a split end stay, it will just travel up the strand, and a little trim will turn into a big chop! And don’t trust those products that say they can repair split ends. Girl, they are lying to you! Once the strand is split, just trim that part off! There’s no need in holding on to damage, so in the words of Elsa, let it go.
Tip #8: Do protective styles often.
I always preach about the importance of protective styles! It’s even included in my “10 Rules All Naturals Should Follow”! Protective styles are an important part of any natural’s hair routine because our hair needs a break from manipulation, the environment, and friction. And with high porosity hair, protective styles can also help prevent those pesky single-strand knots because our strands are tucked away. Protective styles include braids, twists, weaves, wigs, and more! (Stay tuned for a future post about the dos and don’ts of protective styling.)
High porosity natural hair can be hard to manage, but it doesn’t have to be! Just make sure to create a balance of moisture and protein, use the right products, and trim as needed. That’s it! What tips or hacks do you have for your high porosity hair? Let me know by leaving a comment down below!
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