Things Your High Porosity Hair Will Love

By Choya Randolph

Hair porosity is how our hair absorbs moisture. Our hair can either have low or high porosity. Low porosity means your hair struggles at absorbing water. High porosity hair is the opposite meaning it absorbs water quite easily. For my naturals with high porosity hair, it may feel like you won but before you take that W, let’s really get into high porosity hair and the best way to take care of it.

The outer layer of high porosity hair is spread out which is why it’s so easy for high porosity hair to absorb moisture. Though high porosity hair can be genetic, it can also be a consequence of hair processing and style treatment. This damage can cause the hair to be more porous which makes the hair strands absorb moisture quickly — but also lose moisture quickly. Because of this, it’s imperative that those with high porosity hair keep their hair moisturized. Here are some things that will keep your high porosity hair hydrated and healthy.

Protein Treatments

Because high porosity hair loses moisture as fast as it absorbs it, adding protein to the hair could feel more like a must than an option. Protein treatments are like deep conditioners on steroids. They make your hair stronger and healthier by binding proteins on your hair cuticles. To get scientific, hair is mostly made up of a protein called keratin. Because high porosity hair has cuticles that can be far apart, protein treatments can fill in those spaces. It’s kind of like patching a tire. You can buy protein treatments at your local beauty supply store or make your own protein treatments. When using protein treatments, it should be done once a month unless your hair is extremely damaged. 

Heavy Oils

As naturals, we use oils for many different things. We use oils when we DIY our own products, for scalp massages, and when doing the LOC or LCO method. For those with high porosity hair, heavy oils will be your new best friend. Heavy oils include castor oil, olive oil, avocado oil, and more. If you’re committed to your oils, try using one of these heavy oils when doing a hot oil treatment. If you’re looking for an oil, try using a heavy oil next time you’re doing the LOC or LCO method.

The LOC and/or LCO method is an ideal way to moisturize natural hair. The name refers to the order. LOC is the original method that involves using a leave-in conditioner, oil and cream. When doing the LOC method, not only will your high porosity hair appreciate a heavy oil but it may also benefit from using the LCO method instead. The LCO method means using a leave-in conditioner, cream and then sealing in all that moisture with an oil. This method can work better for high porosity hair because heavy oils can seal in that moisture to make your hydration last. 

Prepoo

Prepooing is exactly like its name. It’s the process of prepping your hair for a shampoo. To do this, you apply a treatment to your hair. I know treatment may sound like another expensive product to buy but you can actually prepoo using only oil. The point of prepooing is to add a layer of protection to the hair before shampooing. Oils are great at sealing and protecting our hair. If your shampoo leaves your hair feeling robbed of everything it has, prepooing is for you. Not only will this protect your high porosity hair, it will make your hair easier to detangle. Prepooing also combats frizz and if you have high porosity hair, frizz can be a problem. But with prepooing, your gel will have an easier time getting rid of frizz and giving you curl definition. 

Whether you have high or low porosity hair, keeping your hair moisturized is important for your hair’s health. To receive maximum hydration, knowing your hair’s porosity will not only leave you with moisturized hair but with healthy hair. Understanding your hair is part of loving your hair and all hair porosities deserve some love.