In today’s post, we’re going to dive into a must-know topic for curly girls-

H A I R  P O R O S I T Y.

One of the most important breakthroughs in my curly hair journey was learning about porosity. Everyone has one of three porosity types- low, medium, or high porosity. According to hairstylist and curly YouTuber Mell, professional hairstylists label porosity with grades 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Keep reading for 2 simple tests to discover your porosity type. Then, we’ll explore what each porosity type and grade look like, and tips for each one.

Here are 2 easy ways to find out your hair porosity.  

1. Product Test

For this porosity test, take a quarter-sized amount of a water-based styling product. Gently rub it into a small section of dry hair.

• If the product doesn’t absorb easily and sits on top of your curls, then you have low porosity hair.
• If it absorbs well with light finger strokes, you have medium porosity hair.
• But, if the product absorbs immediately with almost no effort, you have high porosity hair.

If you’re still not sure, move on to the second porosity test.

2. Slip ’n’ Slide Test

For this test, pull out a single strand of hair. Holding the bottom of the shaft with one hand, slide your fingers from base to top (toward the scalp). If your fingers slide with no resistance, you have low porosity hair. If the shaft feels bumpy and rough, you have high porosity hair. 

“Now what?” you might ask. “I have low/medium/high porosity hair, but what does that actually mean?” 

Low Porosity Curly Hair

First, let’s talk about cuticles. A cuticle is the outer cellular layer of a hair strand. The structure is very similar to a pine cone, with tight, overlapping cells. These cells hold in moisture. When your hair shaft is well hydrated, the cuticle is smooth, and your hair looks shiny and healthy. 

When you examine the microscopic structure of a low porosity strand, the overlapping cells are very close together. They look like a tight, closed pine cone.  

If you have low porosity hair, you have either grade 1 or grade 2 porosity. Grade 1 porosity is very rare. It is virgin hair that has never been colored or heat styled and has no environmental damage from sun or weather. Water droplets will sit on top of it. And, when you run your fingers down it, the strand will be very smooth.

On the other hand, grade 2 porosity is virgin hair that has had minimal heat styling. Or it may have been coloured with a shade that is very close to its natural tone. This hair is easy to wash and condition. You can also work your hands through the wet hair without conditioner.

Because low porosity hair has such a tight cuticle, it is slow to absorb moisture. If you have low porosity hair, you’ll want to follow these tips.

• Use lighter hair products with humectants.
• Use water-soluble products to reduce buildup.
• Wash your hair in warm water to ensure thorough hydration.
• Use protein-free deep conditioners with moderate heat for weekly deep conditioning. 
• Blow-dry your hair with a diffuser attachment (on a cool setting).

My best tip: After washing/conditioning your hair, use a t-shirt to squeeze out as much water as possible BEFORE applying gel and styling products. This will give you better definition and hold.

Personally, I have low porosity hair. If you do, too, my favourite products will likely work well for you!

Medium Porosity Curly Hair

If you have medium porosity hair, your cuticle is looser than low-porosity curls, but not too loose. The good news: this is the easiest porosity type to care for!

Professional hairstylists label medium porosity hair as grade 3 hair. This hair may have been lightened up to 5 levels lighter than its natural shade. It needs a lot of conditioner before you can work your hands through it.

Medium porosity curly hair will respond well to colour treatments. And, when you style it, the hairstyle will last well. Because the cuticle has been somewhat damaged, it will need regular treatments with protein, moisture, or a mix of both.

For medium porosity hair, follow these simple tips.

• Always use conditioners and leave-in conditioners to keep it hydrated.
• Keep an eye on your protein/moisture balance and add one or the other, as needed.
• Deep condition every 1-2 weeks to keep your hair hydrated. 
• Use protein treatments as needed (read more in the chapter on protein/moisture balance).

High Porosity

If you’ve just discovered that you have high porosity hair, here’s a photo of what your hair cuticle usually looks like…

Remember the pine cone we talked about? If you have high porosity hair, your hair strand looks like a pine cone whose scales are open wide. Here’s why.

High porosity hair has a raised cuticle. Because the cuticle has many gaps, it allows lots of moisture to penetrate the hair shaft. But that also means that moisture can easily escape. Unfortunately, high humidity or even washing your hair too roughly can cause breakage, tangling, and damage for high porosity locks.

Professional hairstylists divide high porosity hair into grade 4 or grade 5 hair. What’s the difference?

Grade 4 hair has had a significant amount of damage, but it can be revived and restored to health with time and effort. It occurs if you have changed your hair colour more than 7 levels of colour. This hair is frizzy, damaged, and easily tangled. If you don’t put in a leave-in product, it will get very big and frizzy. Due to damage, you have lost parts of the hair cuticle. Little bits of cuticle will flake off. To fix it, you will need to use regular hair treatments and be very gentle.

Grade 5 hair is caused by extreme coloring, processing, or chemical treatments. It feels gummy and soft when wet, and you can easily pull it apart. At this stage, there is no cuticle left, and the hair strand has been stripped down to the medulla and cortex. The hair becomes gelatinized and will literally fall apart. If you brush it, it will fall out or break. It will respond very strangely to colour. At this point, there is not a lot you can do, except trim off your damaged hair. It is just too far gone.

If you do have high porosity hair, how can you best care for your locks? Follow these simple tips.

• Choose lightweight, moisturizing products for your curl enhancers and stylers. 
• Always use a leave-in conditioner.
• Avoid using humectant products with glycerin. These will weigh your hair down too much.
• In humid weather, use products with anti-humectants(which help prevent humidity from affecting your hair).
• Use a deep conditioner that contains protein to give your curls structure.
• Be especially gentle with your hair when you detangle it.

Let’s Chat:

Curly girls, do you know what your porosity type is? If so, what are your best tips for caring for it? Let me know in the comments!

love,
Claudine

Want to learn more?

Purchase a copy of my ebook, Embrace Your Curls: A Manual for Curly Girls. It’s 120+ pages of information, techniques, and methods to help you have the hair of your dreams! Check it out here!