Does your high porosity hair always feel brittle and dry despite your best efforts? Trust us, we know the feeling all too well. You drench your curls in your moisturiser, and it soaks up all the moisture like a sponge only to end up feeling super dry in less than two days–the frustration can leave you feeling defeated and completely fed up with your hair. But don't worry, having high porosity hair does not mean you are cursed with a lifetime of dryness. With the right routine and carefully curated tips and tricks, you can kick dryness to the curb.
In this article, we'll be revealing how to tackle dryness on your high porosity hair. Not sure what your hair's porosity is? Read ahead to find out if you have high porosity strands.
What Is High Porosity Hair
Before we explain what, high porosity hair Is, it is important to give you a quick rundown of what hair porosity is. See, the hair is made of cuticles that overlap to create a protective layer around the hair shaft. To allow moisture in, these cuticles have openings and spaces that open. The level at which your hair can open its cuticles and allow moisture in is what is known as hair porosity. Hair porosity comes in three levels namely: high, medium, and low.
Now let's come back to what it means to have high porosity hair. This hair type has very open and lifted cuticles that allow easy flow of moisture into the hair. However, it also means your hair can lose moisture just as quickly as it absorbs it since the cuticles remain open even after the hair is moisturised.
How To Tell If You Have High Porosity Hair
The nature of high porosity hair gives it certain characteristics that make it very easy to tell if your hair is high in porosity. So, if you are unsure whether you've got high porosity curls, look out for some of these signs.
- Your hair gets wet and soak up water very quickly. This applies whether you are washing your hair or spraying it with water to moisturise it.
- Your hair gets dry not too long after you moisturise it
- Your hair basically drinks up any product you apply to it without any effort.
- You get a ton of frizz not too long after styling your hair
- Tangles and breakage are the bane of your curly existence
Is High Porosity Hair Damaged Hair?
A very common misconception with most curly naturals is that having highly porous hair strands means your hair is damaged. However, this is not true at all. While it is possible for your hair to become higher in porosity as a result of damage caused by chemical texturizers and colour treatments, it is also possible for your hair to be naturally high in porosity without the effect of any external factors. So high porosity hair does not automatically mean damaged hair.
How To Combat Dryness On Your High Porosity Hair
Don't Go Overboard With Shampoos
Since your hair is already prone to moisture loss, it is important to avoid shampooing the hair too often. Most shampoos contain ingredients that are designed to fully strip the hair and remove all traces of oil and dirt. So, try to wash your curls only twice a month or at most once a week. To help keep your hair moisturised while you cleanse, opt for a gentle shampoo like our Hydration Shampoo.
Seal Your Hair With An Oil
When you have high porosity hair, you have got to hold on to the moisture in your hair by any means possible. sealing your hair with an oil like Sofnfree's Manuka Honey Hair & Scalp Oil is one of the best ways to minimise moisture loss from your strands. If you are worried about having greasy hair, don't worry you don't have to soak your hair with oil. Just apply a few drops from your roots to your ends after moisturising with our Manuka Honey Leave-in Conditioner.
Incorporate Hot Oil Treatments Into Your Wash Days
Hot oil treatments can really work wonders for high porosity hair when consistently done on every wash day. Not only does this treatment reduce frizz and help keep your hair moisturised for longer, but it also strengthens the strands and improves hair shine. Before shampooing your hair, try to do a hot oil treatment with our Hair & Scalp Oil which is loaded with a blend of different nourishing oils.
All you have to do is pour some of the oil into a bowl. Then place the bowl into a bigger container filled with hot water and cover the oil for about ten minutes. Once the oil is warm, divide your hair into sections and apply it evenly. Then cover the hair with a shower cap for 40-60 minutes before proceeding to cleanse the hair.
Deep Condition Regularly
Combating the dryness on your high porosity requires intense hydration from a deep conditioner like our Manuka Honey & Avocado Oil Deep Conditioning Mask. This kind of deeply penetrative treatment will replenish your curls with nourishment and moisture while preserving their health and strength. You do not have to deep condition all the time, but it is crucial to do it at least once a week or twice a month.
Try Layering Your Stylers And Moisturisers
Layering your moisturisers and styling products together can help add an extra barrier of protection to reduce moisture loss from your hair. The LOC (liquid-oil-cream) method is a great way to do this. Start off with a moisturiser like our Manuka Honey leave-in Conditioner, then follow up with our Hair & Scalp Oil before finishing off with either our Coconut & Jamaican Black Castor oil Curling cream or Curl Elongating Gel to define your curls. With these three layers of product, the moisture in your hair will have a hard time escaping.
Protect The Hair Before Going To Bed
If you often go to bed without protecting your curls, you are making your high porosity dryness worse. The friction from your cotton bedding can evaporate moisture out of your hair and leave it super dry and rough. To prevent this, you will need to cover the hair with a silk or satin bonnet at night. You can use a scarf if you do not have a bonnet but make sure your ends are properly tucked in. For extra protection, switch out your cotton pillowcase for a silk one to avoid any chance of dryness while you toss and turn in your sleep.
Be Gentle When Handling Your Hair
High porosity hair can be very fragile since it loses moisture very quickly. This leaves it prone to breakage and tangle which can make your hair feel even more brittle and lacklustre. So, you have got to be very gentle when manipulating your hair to avoid causing any breakage. Try using your fingers on your hair first before going in with any combs. Additionally, make sure you style your hair in sections.
Having high porosity hair does not mean you have to be stuck with constant dryness. As long as you establish a well-tailored hair routine with some of the steps we have outlined in this article, you can tackle moisture loss from your curls.