Porosity 101

Porosity, please! If this is not something you’re considering when it comes to picking the right types of products for your hair routine, you’re doing it all wrong! Unfortunately, it’s not exactly easy to figure out what your porosity is, but that’s what I’m going to help you out with here. And you can put down the glass of water, we won’t be doing the “float test”.

What is Porosity?

Hair Porosity refers to how well your hair is able to absorb and hold moisture. The hair’s outer cuticle layer protects what’s inside and determines:

  • How easily moisture and oils pass in and out of your hair
  • How well your hair can hold onto moisture
  • Hair color dye longevity.
  • Hair’s shine factor.

If you search for “healthy hair” in an encyclopedia, you would basically get the description of low porosity hair. Many people assume their hair is healthy/low porosity if they have never colored or damaged it in a conventional way (that they’re aware of), but you can actually be born with higher porosity hair.

FUN FACT: Fine hair has less cuticle layers which are easier to permeate and damage, and coarse thick strands have more cuticle layers. In fact, you can have different areas of porosity on your head. Curly and textured hair in general has a greater porosity due to its unique protein structure. In most ways, your porosity is genetic – but it can change.

There is one more level of porosity: Grade 5 Porosity – but if you have grade 5 porosity you probably don’t have much hair because at that stage, there is a total loss of your cuticle, breakage is extreme, the hair is compromised beyond repair and might even be melting off. Nothing will fix this besides a haircut and I hope for your sake that this isn’t you! You should definitely avoid the following in excess if you are grade 3 or 4 so you do not get to this point:

When Does Your Porosity Change?

It starts with a swollen cuticle. As hair swells, its roof-like scales lift and become susceptible to flaking off which hinders how well it can protect the inner contents of the hair. Some situations that influence porosity: 

  • Alkalinity. On the pH scale, hair sits between 4.5-5.5 and anything over that causes some degree of swelling. Anything over pH 8 can significantly increase permeability, this includes most permanent hair color (professional or box dye), hair lightener (bleach).
  • Hygral Fatigue, this is caused by frequent and excessive wash & dry cycles of the hair. See my video on this topic here
  • High temperature, this accelerates water penetration. 
  • Chemical processes, such as permanent waving, relaxing, bleaching and coloring
  • High exposure to UV radiation See my blog on Sun Damage
  • High humidity. 

The thing about porosity is that it’s not a sliding scale, but an uphill battle. In other words, if you start off low porosity, it can only increase. There is no natural way to lower your porosity, but by applying the right products, you can mimic the look, feel, and function of “healthy” hair that holds its moisture.

Products That Help Even Out Porosity:

Hair Peptide:

K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask - Peptide Hair Treatment Mask for Bleach, Color, Chemical + Heat Damaged Strands - Immediate + Lasting Damage Reversal in 4 Minutes (0.5 Fl oz)
  • 4-Minute Molecular Hair Repair Treatment: A leave-in peptide hair mask designed to repair and reverse damage at the molecular level for stronger, smoother, more resilient hair in just 4 minutes.
  • How It Works: Patented K18PEPTIDE repairs hair at a molecular level to reverse damage from bleach, color, chemical services, and heat*. The biotech-developed peptide mimics and clicks into hair's keratin structure to reconnect polypeptide chains and disulfide bonds for strength along the length + width of hair.
  • Works on All Hair Types: Because our hair treatment works at the innermost layer of the hair rather than only targeting the outer cuticle like many deep conditioning hair masks, it's effective on all strands, even coily and curly hair.

Bond Builder:

Protein:

Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve - Protein-Rich Treatment, Bond-Building Hair Treatment, For All Curl Types, Vegan & Cruelty Free (8 oz)
  • Clinically proven to reduce damage**
  • Visibily helps restore your hair
  • 86% said the product helped seal and reduce the appearance of split ends*

Moisturizing:

CURLSMITH - Hydro Crème Soothing Mask - Vegan Soothing Deep Conditioner for any Hair Type, Encourages Growth (8 oz)
  • WEIGHTLESS HYDRATION - The Hydro Crème is an intensely hydrating deep conditioner suitable for all hair types, including thin and low porosity hair. It helps promote natural growth by supporting hair's elasticity, reducing the appearance of breakage and shedding. Its buttery texture melts instantly on the hair, providing deep hydration without weighing it down.
  • HOW THE MAGIC HAPPENS - Healthy, beautiful-looking hair starts at the scalp. That’s why treating it and deep conditioning regularly is so important. Our Hydro Crème Soothing Mask is super-charged with Hyaluronic Acid, known as a moisturising miracle in the skincare world. Just 1 gram of it can hold up to 6 litres of water, which makes it the perfect ingredient to revive the hair without the weight of traditional oils and butters.
  • WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT - Inspired by generations of homemade hair remedies, Curlsmith blends fresh curl-loving foods with kitchen cupboard staples and rare natural ingredients to make premium products that really work. Healthy ingredients, professional results, no compromise.

Oils:

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