Our coils and curls are fragile, meaning they are very susceptible to breakage without a sufficient amount of moisture. That is why it’s extremely helpful to understand the structure of your hair and how it absorbs and retains moisture – aka hair porosity! In this article, we will focus solely on high-porosity hair characteristics and how to care for it properly.
High Porosity Characteristics
Your hair can be characterized as having high porosity if the cuticles in the outer layer of your hair are far apart causing your hair to be highly porous. As a result, your hair strands tend to absorb and lose moisture very easily. You may have high porosity hair due to genetics, straightening, bleaching, or as a result of any other chemical applications. Below are some common characteristics of high-porosity hair.
- Gets wet very quickly
- Air dries very quickly
- Absorbs product fast
- Does not retain moisture
How To Care For High-Porosity Hair
Now that you understand the characteristics of high-porosity hair, let’s get into caring for it! Due to your hair strands absorbing and losing moisture quickly, it’s important to use moisturizing products! Start with a good moisturizing shampoo such as Rich & Funky from Uncle Funky’s Daughter. A shampoo that is too clarifying may strip your hair of its natural oils. You want to retain as much moisture as possible! Follow up with a deep conditioner or a protein-rich conditioner such as Heal & Renew. This masque will help strengthen your fragile, dull hair strands.
It’s also important to use creams and oils rather than water and gel-based products, as water and gel-based products will not provide you with the sufficient amount of moisture that you need. We recommend trying methods such as the LCO (Leave in, Cream, Oil) to hydrate, moisturize and seal your hair. A great LCO combo from Uncle Funky’s Daughter is Midnite Train, Extra Butter (or Supercurl), and Shining Star!
In conclusion, high porosity hair can make it challenging to detangle and retain moisture. However, now that you have a better understanding of the follicle structure, you can choose products and techniques that will make a huge difference in the manageability of your hair. If you’d like to learn more, we encourage you to do your research and pay close attention to your curls!
xoxo
Team Funky! (@unclefunkysdaughter)
