10 Things Your High Porosity Hair Needs Right Now

Natalee Fairley
Apr 21, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Jul 17, 2023

One of the things I wish I had learned when I was younger was how dyeing my hair would change it’s very structure. What started off as a golden brown, quickly became a bright orange in the sun. I was mortified! Letting it grow out seemed like an eternity of dryness & breakage.

In this post we will dive into identifying your high porosity hair, caring for your high porosity hair properly and equipping you with the products necessary to ensure your hair routine is customized to nurture your high porosity hair.

What are the characteristics of high porosity hair?

You may have high porosity hair if your hair:

· Air dries very quickly

· is prone to breakage

· absorbs products quickly

· feels and looks dry

· is often frizzy

· tangles very easily

· lacks shine/dull

If you prefer other ways to help determine if you have high porosity hair, I recommend performing a 3 minute Float Test or taking take this Hair Porosity Quiz. Please note: during the 3 minute Float Test; if your results show the hair sinking to the bottom, the result is high porosity.

How do you maintain High Porosity Hair?

1. USE A PRE-SHAMPOO TREATMENT

So here’s the great news… when you have high porosity hair products and treatments are more easily absorbed. The gaps in the cuticle make it super easy to take in all the goodness in your products that lower hair porosities tend to keep out. That’s why using a treatment mask before shampooing has the most benefit. You should be opting for products with dense nutrients, butters and oils.

2. USE COLOR-PROTECTING SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONERS

Have color-treated curls? These shampoos and conditioners keep your colors looking vibrant. When the hair is dyed, the pigments of color settle between the spaces within the hair shaft. When the hair is porous, the pigments have no where to settle and make it extremely difficult to retain it’s color (dye). Using shampoos and conditioners formulated for color-treated hair help keep your color longer. This means less touch ups and minimized chemical damage.

3. DENSE, CREAMY PRODUCTS

The real challenge with high porosity hair is that it’s so fragile. You have the best chances of sealing in moisture with nutrient-rich, super creamy hair care products. This includes cleansers, conditioners, deep treatments and every day styling products.

4. HARSH TREATMENTS AND TOOLS

We all know that high porosity hair can be genetic but it can also be caused by chemical treatments and styling tools (ie: flat irons, blow dryers, chemical treatments etc.). Aggressive styling methods and frequent high levels of heat can damage the hairs cuticle; removing some of the hair’s outer cuticle layer, making it more porous.

5. PROTECT YOUR MOISTURE

Since high porosity hair is so fragile it’s extremely important not to over-style it or wash too frequently. By regularly coating the hair with creamy, dense, moisture-rich products you reinforce the strand; protecting it and keeping it moisturized. The more moisture you retain, the stronger, healthier, and happy your curls will be.

6. WHERE PROTIEN FITS IN

Now that we know high porosity hair loses moisture as quick as it absorbs it, adding protein to the hair is more of a must rather than an option. Protein treatments fill in the gaps in the cuticle; strengthening it. Make sure not to over do it by using a protein treatment monthly or bi-weekly. Take note of how your hair feels after protein treating to better understand how much protein is needed in your regimen.

7. LOW EFFORT STYLING

This type of styling is most recommended for high porosity hair due to it’s tendency to not hold styles very well. It’s best to choose styles that require a minimum amount of effort and manipulation (ie: braid outs or twistouts, etc).

8. HOT OIL TREATMENTS

High porosity hair loves heavier oils (ie: castor oil, avocado oil, olive oil, etc.) If you enjoy using hair oils, you should stick with the heavier ones when doing a hot oil treatment. A few benefits that hot oil treatments provide to high porous hair are fewer split ends, controlled frizz, and increased hair strength.

9. APPLE CIDER VINEGAR RINSES(ACV)

High porosity hair has open hair cuticles. The low pH levels in apple cider vinegar help seal the cuticle; that’s why an apple cider vinegar rinse is a great way to help trap in moisture without the hair drying too quickly. The brand I love to use is Braggs because it's unfiltered and you know you're getting raw, unprocessed vinegar goodness.

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*Note: ALWAYS dilute ACV with water before using it as a rinse. Ex: ½ cup ACV to 1 ½ cups Water

10. THE RIGHT PRODUCTS

There’s no getting around it, maintaining your high porosity hair requires consistent care and the use of products that support delicate strands. There are a few brands that have really simplified things when it comes high porosity formulated products and have created product lines that cater to high porosity hair care.

One of them is Curlsmith. Their product line for high porosity hair includes a kit designed to moisturize and lock in hydration. The kit includes their Core Strength Shampoo that strengthens the hair's structure and contains low amounts of protein for frequent use.

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Shea Moisture also has a great shampoo and leave-in conditioner that helps the hair draw in moisture and condition chemically treated curls.

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For protein treatments I really enjoy ApHogee products. They are all formulated to restore balance to the hair but this protein treatment in particular stops hair breakage and strengthens the hair's structure within 6 weeks.

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