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HIGH POROSITY HAIR: Ultimate Tips for Hair care
We all have compared our hair to others’ at some point in time, haven’t we?
Sometimes you might have discovered that even though you have the same hair type as the other person, yet managing your hair seems to be a lot more difficult , and we are here to tell you why!
Watching those Youtube gurus in hopes of finding the right kind of routine catering to your specific hair type may or may not work for you as a major chunk of understanding the right hair care regime for your hair depends on understanding your hair porosity.
WHAT IS HIGH POROSITY?
High Porosity means ‘highly porous’ which is self-indicating of something having too many pores. Having hair with high porosity means that water, oils, and other types of products can be easily absorbed by your hair. On the flip side, because your hair is highly porous, it is unable to retain moisture for long which results in lack of proper nourishment.
To understand it better, let’s get to know a bit about the hair structure:
The outermost layer of your hair shaft consists of tiny cuticles that are too small to see with the naked eye. These cuticles protect the inner layers of your hair by controlling how much moisture, as well as products and chemicals, can be absorbed.
When these cuticles are far apart, open or damaged ,moisture can easily get in and out resulting in High Porosity Hair. Under a microscope, the strand would look like a Christmas tree as opposed to the smoother textures of strands pertaining to other hair types.
COMMON CAUSES BEHIND IT
Since your good looks aren’t the only thing you inherit from your family, high porosity hair can be genetic too. However, most of the times it is caused due to excessive chemical treatments and styling endured by your hair like bleaching, straightening, coloring or using heat appliances very frequently. These types of treatments can damage your cuticles, causing them to lift or separate. This can create gaps between your cuticles and, as a result, your hair may be more porous than it would normally be.
A few other causes for a porosity shift can be:
- Excessive exposure to direct sunlight
- Chlorinated or Sea-salt water
- Harsh ingredients, such as sulfates and silicones
- Frequent use of extremely tight hair bands/head bands.
- Friction caused by cotton pillowcase/towel
SIGNS YOU HAVE HIGH POROSITY HAIR
You might have hair with high porosity if :
- They look and feel dry
- They are prone to frizz
- They air dry very quickly
- They absorb products/moisture easily
- It's almost impossible to keep them tangle free
- The appearance is mostly dull and lacks shine
However, these signs don’t offer a definitive way of knowing your hair porosity and that’s where a strand test comes into play.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF HIGH POROSITY HAIR
Taking care of highly porous hair will surely be a task if you want to do it the right way!
The damage suffered by the cuticles causes them to spread apart and be lifted which makes your hair highly porous. The only way to reverse this damage is by encouraging the cuticles to lie flat by repairing them and sealing them so hair can stay strong and hydrated.
Establishing a healthy hair regimen that protects your hair’s cuticles on a regular basis is the only way to treat your high porosity hair. If you want your hair to retain the required amount of moisture, it is vital that you switch to products with the right kind of formulations that cater to this hair type. Typically, this will involve using hair care products that include “heavier” ingredients like oils or butters.
Here are some ways for you to get your hair health back on track:
One of the best ways to improve the porosity is to use a moisturizing deep conditioner every week which will aid in sealing the cuticle temporarily. The goal here is to manage your damaged tresses while promoting healthy new growth that doesn't become high porosity.
You can use thick DCs like Bamboo Charcoal Purification Mask and Shea Butter Hair Mask. We have a variety of deep conditioners available and we would recommend you to choose according to your specific hair type !
If you’re someone willing to go the extra mile to get better results, you can pair it with a Flaxseed Heat Cap to help lock in the moisture.
Due to the fragile nature of High Porosity hair, they are very prone to breakage and giving them more protein will help reduce that. Treating your hair with protein will make them thicker along with improving the elasticity.
While protein may strengthen your hair, as a downside it can also be very drying. Hence, it is usually recommended to analyze how your hair is reacting to the treatment and then decide how frequently you want to use it. For some people it could be a weekly routine while for others it could be a monthly one.
Look for ingredients like Hydrolyzed Wheat/Rice/Soy/Quinoa protein while getting a mask or just go for this PROTEIN POWERED DEEP CONDITIONING MASK. or one of our most loved NANGAI & TSUBAKI STRENGTH RESTORE PROTEIN TREATMENT
All those efforts put in to moisturize your hair will go to waste unless you lock in that moisture and therefore, we would like to introduce to you: the L.O.C. Method!
It stands for Liquid/Leave In Conditioner, Oil, Cream and helps you remember the three easy steps for hydration. After washing, conditioning and rinsing out your hair, the first step is to soak up the moisture and help seal it in where a leave in conditioner comes into play. Make sure you are using a moisturizing conditioner like TGIN-Green Tea Super Moist Leave In Conditioner otherwise your hair is going to appear dry.
For the second step, we need an oil to provide a barrier for your freshly hydrated strands and to prevent moisture leaving your hair. Since high porosity hair loses moisture quickly, we recommend you to use a heavy oil like castor oil or olive oil.
You can finish it off by applying a cream or butter as the outermost layer and the primary sealant. Preferably use thick creams containing shea butter or mango butter.
Check out some of our most loved hair creams and hair butters.
Your highly porous hair can break off easily and hence, you should make sure to be gentle with them. Completely avoid products with harsh chemicals that can further increase the damage to your hair. While detangling, use a wide toothed comb starting from the ends and working your way up.
Making extra efforts for your hair before bed can go a long way. Utilizing silk or satin pillowcases and covering up your hair with silk/satin bonnets can help keep your curls or straightened hair intact while maintaining moisture.
BE A PRO:
High Porosity hair does not equal to unhealthy hair. Knowing the type of porosity your hair has can already take you halfway towards having healthier hair. As for the latter half, it depends on how well and consistently you are following your hair care routine specific to the needs of your highly porous hair!
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