We all look after our hair. Oiling our hair, washing it with nourishing shampoos, and saving it from outdoor pollution and heat are all some measures that we take in order to maintain our hair. Well, that is just not enough.
Just like our skin which has some definite attributes that help us to take care of it, our hair too has some attributes that we should know about in order to provide it with adequate nourishment and care.
In this blog, we will be learning about hair porosity, its types, and the solutions to improve our hair condition. So, let’s get started!
WHAT IS HAIR POROSITY?
Hair porosity is defined as the ability of our hair to retain moisture. If explained in simple words, the cuticles present in our hair strands are supposed to hold moisture that leads to the nourishment of our hair. This concept identifies the way our hair holds moisture and how well hair oils are able to keep our hair healthy.
There are 3 components of our hair that determine the hair porosity of a particular hair strand.
CUTICLE- The cuticle is the toughest layer of a hair strand that exists on the outside. A single strand is made up of millions of cells that exist with each other and constitute the shell of a hair strand.
CORTEX- The cortex is another layer that is the thickest layer of a hair strand. This layer has fibrous proteins that add nourishment to our hair. The cortex also consists of the pigment that adds color to our hair. This pigment is known as melanin.
MEDULLA- The innermost component of our hair, the medulla is like the marrow of our hair that is hardly visible. This is because it is very soft and fragile.
These 3 components of our hair play an essential role in determining the type of hair porosity our hair has. There are numerous reasons behind a certain type of hair porosity. However, before we get started to learn about the concerns and solutions of hair porosity, we will first look at the different types of hair porosity.
TYPES OF HAIR POROSITY
Hair Porosity can be divided into 3 types on the basis of the distance between cuticles present in a hair strand. These are as follows -
LOW HAIR POROSITY
Low Hair Porosity refers to a condition wherein the hair cuticles are very close to each other. This leads to the repulsion of water or even moisture. With this kind of porosity, the cells in the cuticle tend to overlap each other leading to a tightly packed hair constitution.
Low porosity usually leads to hair quality that is not capable of holding moisture. Hair with low porosity tends to air-dry very slowly and does not let hair products or even water sink in quickly.
MEDIUM HAIR POROSITY
Medium Hair porosity is another kind of porosity that refers to a hair condition wherein hair cuticles are less tightly packed and have a moderate distance between each other.
This type of hair porosity leads to moderate retention of moisture and is thus considered to be an easy situation for moisture to access the cortex. This kind of hair does not take too long to air dry. Moreover, it goes well with hair products.
HIGH HAIR POROSITY
The third type of porosity is High Hair Porosity. This type is defined as the placement of the hair cuticles at a distance wherein moisture can easily reach the cortex and thus hair can effectively hold moisture.
The hair cuticles in this condition are loosely packed and do not let moisture slip out easily. Unlike low hair porosity, the distance between 2 hair cuticles is comparatively more. Hair with high porosity takes very little time to dry.
In addition, this kind of hair is dry and frizzy too!
FINDING OUT MORE
ABOUT HAIR POROSITY
First things first, it is very important for an individual to know what kind of hair porosity they have. To do this, there is a quick test one can conduct in order to know whether they have high porosity, medium porosity, or low porosity. One of the easiest methods to test your hair for hair porosity is with a glass of water.
Wash your hair with a mild shampoo bar so as to remove any buildup or dirt. Take a glass full of water and let your hair dry. As soon as your hair gets dry, drop a single hair strand into the glass of water. Now, watch it for a few seconds.
If the hair strand floats on the surface of the water, your hair has a low hair porosity. If the strand begins to sink in yet it is afloat in the middle of the water, you have medium hair porosity. However, if the hair strand immediately sinks in and reaches the bottom of the glass, your hair likely has a high porosity level.
Another way to determine your hair porosity is to feel your hair. That’s right! If a hair strand feels rough or coarse in nature, then your hair has a high porosity level since the cuticles are open. Yet, if the strand feels smooth and even in nature, it is likely that you have a low porosity level because the hair cuticles are tightly packed.
CAUSES OF HAIR POROSITY
There are a number of causes that lead to a certain kind of hair porosity.
Here are a few mentioned for your reference.
Genetic Traits
Hair Porosity can be genetically passed on from one generation to another. Parents with high hair porosity can pass on this trait to their offspring.
Genetic traits are one of the most common causes of hair porosity.
Hair Treatments
Chemical treatments on hair or even straightening can certainly deteriorate the quality of our hair and lead to great damage. Hair treatments can eventually lead to higher porosity level as these chemicals tend to open up the hair cuticles.
Hair Products
Even when you are not getting any hair treatments done, it is likely that your hair products from everyday use are the reasons why you have high or low hair porosity.
Did you just think of searching for solutions to treat high or low hair porosity?
We’ve got you covered! Read on!
WAYS TO TREAT HIGH &
LOW HAIR POROSITY
Hair with medium or normal hair porosity is considered to be the best kind. Since not everyone has medium hair porosity, we brought you some solutions to help you improve your hair health over time and care for your hair in a better manner.
For those who have tested positive for low porosity, here are some solutions to help you get started.
- Use protein-free hair products. Products enriched with protein find it harder to get absorbed and might lead to a buildup on your hair.
- Avoid hair oils. Instead, apply natural conditioners like Aloe Vera to keep your hair conditioned. This is because oils can take more time to seep through the cuticle.
- Add conditioner to your hair when it is wet in order to allow easy percolation of the product into the hair cuticle.
For those who have tested positive for high porosity, here are some solutions to get started!
- Add hair oils to your hair care routine. Try out our Hempseed, Kalonji, & Babchi Hair Treatment oil for treating the dryness and frizziness of your hair.
- Use moisturizers that seal moisture in your hair for a long period of time.This allows your hair to hold moisture for a long time, treating the damage.
- Apply hair masks enriched with protein to your hair. High porosity hair requires more protein to help the cuticles close down and hold moisture.
SUMMING UP
That’s all folks! Get started with determining your hair porosity and take good care of your hair. In a world where pollution and heat are major factors for hair damage, don’t let your hair get affected by anything else other than your smile and shine!
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