How to Care For High Porosity Hair, According to Experts

There is a lot to consider when it comes to hair care, from cleansing and masking to cuts and styling. But what works for other hair types may not work for you, depending on one key factor: hair porosity. This term refers to how easily your hair can soak up and retain moisture. And if your hair skews towards the high porosity side, there are plenty of things you can do to optimize your routine and mitigate concerns like frizziness and dullness.

Unlike low porosity hair, which has an extremely flat cuticle layer, making strands less likely to absorb water and products, high porosity hair has a more open cuticle layer. This allows hair treatments and water to penetrate strands easily. However, it's harder for high-porosity hair to retain moisture due to the cuticles' openness. To learn more about how to care for high porosity hair, we turned to top dermatologist Joyce Park, MD, as well as hair specialists Alicia Bailey of Design Essentials and Leigh Hardges of Maxine Salon.

Scroll on to see how you can test your hair's porosity at home, plus what product ingredients to look for.

What Is Hair Porosity?

Hair porosity measures how well your hair retains and absorbs moisture based on how open or closed the cuticle layer—the outermost layer of each strand—is. To better understand the role of the cuticle in hair porosity, here's what you need to know about the structure of hair strands: "The medulla is the innermost layer of the hair shaft, and it is composed of cells and air spaces and is generally more prominent in thick or coarse hair," Park tells Byrdie, "The cortex is the middle layer and makes up the majority of the hair structure. It contains keratin, which provides strength and elasticity to the hair. The cortex also determines the color and texture of the hair."

"Then we have the outermost layer of the hair shaft, the cuticle, which consists of overlapping, transparent cells that resemble shingles on a roof," Park continues, "The cuticle serves as a protective layer for the cortex, preventing damage and contributing to the hair's overall strength and shine. The health and condition of the cuticle also affects the hair's texture and appearance."

What Is High Porosity Hair?

High porosity hair has a more openly sealed cuticle layer, making it receptive to moisture absorption yet prone to moisture loss. "This type of hair may feel rough and is prone to frizz," according to Park.

What Causes It?

Depending on how you care for and process your hair, you could have a porosity shift. According to Park, coloring, relaxing, frequent thermal styling, over-manipulation, harsh products, and even environmental damage can affect your hair's cuticles. Typically, but not always, hair that has been bleached or chemically treated with color or relaxers is also considered to have high porosity.

How to Determine Your Hair's Porosity

Testing your hair's porosity can be done at home with a few simple steps. "These tests provide insights into your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture, helping you tailor your hair care routine accordingly," Park says, "[But] keep in mind that individual hair strands may vary, so it's helpful to consider the overall pattern across your hair." Here are the two methods that Park recommends:

The Float Test

"Take a few strands of clean, shed hair and drop them into a bowl of water. If the hair floats on the surface, it indicates low porosity," Park says. "If it sinks quickly, your hair likely has high porosity. Hair that floats in the middle has normal porosity."

The Spray Bottle Test

"Spritz a section of clean, dry hair with water," Park says, "If the water beads up and takes a while to be absorbed, your hair may have low porosity. If it quickly soaks in, it suggests high porosity."

How to Take Care of High Porosity Hair

Get a Trim

First things first: Hair that's already damaged isn't going to magically repair itself. Schedule an appointment with a professional for a cut, or a major trim. We know, we know. You're working to retain length, and saying goodbye to those ends is going to be difficult, especially if your stylist recommends cutting off more than you expected. Taking this step is the best way to start on the road to a well-conditioned, healthy hair. You're setting your hair up for it's best possible growing conditions by chopping of those split, dull ends. If you have color-treated hair and find your strands prone to split ends, aside from a good trim, try a product like Olaplex's No.3 Hair Perfector ($30). The sulfate- and paraben-free formula help to stop those pesky split ends before they start. Their line comes highly recommended, and it is beloved by stylists for its ability to repair damaged hair.

Cut Down on Styling

To revive your hair, drastically minimize your heat usage, and having chemicals applied only (if at all) in a salon setting can be a great help. Also, don't be afraid of protective styling. Bantu Knots, box braids, and even rocking a stylish head wrap can give your hair a much-needed break from manipulation. One thing to keep in mind with protective styling is to watch out for too much tension. If your hair is experiencing breakage, talk with your stylist about the best type of protective style for your hair's current condition.

Avoid Sulfates and Alcohol-based Formulas

Any drying ingredients will further strip your hair of the moisture it needs and can cause breakage. That's why Park recommends swapping out products that have alcohol-based formulas or sulfates in them.

"High porosity hair should be treated with care," Bailey adds. "Products that restore moisture, reduce frizz, seal in moisture, and protect the hair from heat are great products for high porosity hair."

Use Moisture-Rich Products

Next, take a look at the products you use. "For high-porosity hair, regular deep conditioning and the use of heavier oils and creams help improve moisture retention," Park says.

Hardges recommends cremes, oils, and butters to aid in moisturizing and strengthening highly porous hair. Jojoba oil is among her favorites. "Jojoba oil most closely mimics the hair's natural oils," she explains. "Citric acid is another great ingredient. It helps to close the cuticle, so the rich butters and oils that have been infused into the hair through conditioning stay in the hair longer." 

Get a Dose of Protein

Next, try a dose of protein as soon as you can possibly get it. Protein treatments come in different forms. If you're experiencing severe breakage, you may need an emergency product like ApHogee Two-Step Protein Treatment ($26). An intense treatment like this only needs to be applied once, and you must follow all directions carefully to avoid further damage. Less severe damage can be managed with maintenance protein products like Ouidad's Curl Quencher Moisturizing Conditioner ($24). Protein may strengthen your hair, but it might also be drying—apply a protein mask once a month to condition without breakage.

Use a Hydrating Mask

Black hair requires a lot of moisture when it's healthy, so when it's high porosity, it needs it even more. Get into the habit of weekly deep conditioning. The goal here is to manage your damaged tresses while promoting healthy new growth that doesn't become high porosity. Bailey recommends using the Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Wash Day Deep Moisture Masque ($16). "To restore moisture," she says. "I would recommend using the Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Wash Day Deep Moisture Masque. Apply generously to the hair and sit with a plastic cap for up to 15 minutes. Rinse with cool to tepid water to allow the cuticle to close and lock in moisture." For an extra boost, sit under the dryer to help the hair reap all the benefits of your hair treatment.

Try the L.O.C. Method

As you moisturize your hair, don't let all that conditioning work go to waste by not holding that moisture in. The L.O.C. method will work very well on high porosity hair, especially with heavy butter like shea or mango as the "cream" sealants. Use a lighter hand with the butter if your hair is relaxed, but focus on the ends, every night if necessary. Good oils to use on high porosity hair include:

Relaxed

• Grapeseed
• Jojoba

Natural

• Shea butter
• Mango butter

Relaxed or Natural

• Coconut
• Avocado
• Almond

Treat Your Hair Gently

"High porosity hair should be treated very gently because it is so fragile," says Hardges. She recommends detangling and combing with a wide-tooth comb working from the ends of the hair working upward, and taking an extra step to care for your hair before bed. "Utilizing silk or satin scarves and pillowcases keep in moisture that cotton is known to absorb." In addition to wrapping the hair with a silk or satin scarf at night, twisting, wrapping, or pineapple-ing your hair can help keep your curls or straightened hair intact while maintaining moisture. 

It may take weeks or months before you notice a difference, but as long as you're practicing good hair care, your tresses will eventually get healthy again. Remember: minimize heat, use chemicals wisely (or not at all), stick to moisturizing products, and treat your hair with TLC. You can get a handle on damaged, high porosity hair and grow healthier, medium to normal porosity hair this way—instead of living with breakage and frizz.