Reviewed By Dr. Kalpesh Kumar Maheshbhai Prajapati MBBS, DNB (Dermatology, Venereology, Leprosy)
Unlocking the Secrets of Hair Porosity: Why Moisture Retention Matters?
Do you struggle to maintain your hair's health and wonder why your hair treatments are not giving you the desired results? Understanding hair porosity might just be the answer you're looking for.
Hair porosity is the ability of your hair to absorb and retain moisture that helps determine the effectiveness of hair treatments. In this article, we dive deep into hair porosity, how it affects hair treatment, and recommendations for maintaining healthy hair with the right hair treatments.
What is Hair Porosity, and Why is it Important?
Hair porosity determines the condition of the hair cuticle, the outermost layer of the hair that protects the inner layers, and determines how much moisture can penetrate the hair shaft, which affects your hair's overall health.
Your hair's porosity level determines how it reacts to different products, how much moisture it retains, and how easily it gets damaged. For instance, high-porosity hair absorbs moisture quickly but loses it just as fast, causing dryness, frizz, and breakage. On the other hand, low-porosity hair resists moisture absorption, making it difficult for it to absorb hair treatments and oils.
Also Read: The Impact of Environmental Factors on Hair: Pollution, Heat & More
Factors Affecting Hair Porosity
Here are some factors that affect hair porosity and may require attention to prevent damage and maintain optimal moisture levels:
- Genetics: The ability of your hair to soak up and maintain moisture is highly dependent on genes. Thus, if people in your family generally have low-porosity hair, you may also have the same.
- Heat styling: Overuse of heat-styling tools, such as blow dryers and straighteners, can damage the hair cuticle, causing it to become more porous.
- Chemical Treatments: Bleaching, colouring, and perming can alter hair porosity, leading to damage and dryness.
- Environmental Factors: Environmental factors such as overexposure to the sun's UV rays can weaken the hair cuticle.
How to Determine Your Hair Porosity?
You can determine your hair porosity by performing a simple porosity test. Put a couple of clean hair strands in a glass of water. If the hair strands sink to the bottom, your hair has high porosity, and if they float somewhere in the middle, it has normal porosity. Finally, if your hair strands float at the top, your hair has low porosity.
Types of Hair Porosity
Hair Porosity is of Three Types:
- Low porosity hair has a tightly packed cuticle making it difficult for moisture to penetrate, resulting in a dull and dry appearance.
- Normal porosity hair has a slightly open cuticle, allowing it to absorb and retain moisture effectively.
- High porosity hair has gaps and holes in the cuticle, causing it to quickly absorb and lose moisture, leading to dryness, breakage, and frizz.
How Does Hair Porosity Affect Hair Treatment?
Knowing your hair's porosity is crucial in selecting the right hair treatments and products. The wrong products can lead to further hair damage and hair fall.
If you have high porosity hair, avoid heavy oils and deep conditioners as they can cause product buildup and weigh down your hair. Instead, use lightweight products and deep conditioners containing proteins, like keratin and other plant proteins, that penetrate the hair shaft without clogging the follicles and can restore moisture. If you have low porosity hair, go for deep conditioning and products containing glycerin and honey that provide extra moisture and hydration.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Understanding hair porosity is crucial for maintaining healthy hair. It is essential to select products that work best for your hair type. You must seek medical assistance if you're experiencing excessive hair fall or any other hair-related issues. Hair regrowth for men and women is possible with the right treatment plan.
