I’m sure you’ve probably come across the terms “high porosity” or “low porosity” hair.
In the attempt to achieve healthy hair it’s imperative to know the nature of your hair as well as which product and hair routine is appropriate for your hair type.
First things first, let’s begin with the term “porosity”. Porosity is defined as the hairs ability to hold moisture to the hair’s cortex.
The cuticle layers of the hair, or the outer layer of the hair, determines the degree of porosity.
Cuticle layers exposed to external factors such as heat, colouring, treatments and even chemical treatments can affect the hair’s cuticle, making it more porous.
In an effort to understand what category your hair falls in, we need to determine whether your hair has high or low porosity.
Low porosity hair:
In low –porosity hair, the cuticle usually ridges along the hair shaft and is tightly closed. Black hair tends to have low porosity and is less porous (unless you’ve chemically treated your hair) than Caucasian or Asian hair types. Low porosity has the inability to absorb moisture readily in the attempt to wet the hair.
This type of hair requires a lot of moisture as well as emollients such as shea butter, jojoba oil and coconut oil. It also requires humectants such as glycerine as it pulls moisture from the
environment and retains it. Natural sources of glycerine can come from sources such as shea butter or coconut oil.
High porosity hair:
High porosity hair is either genetic or alternatively is caused as a result of chemically treating, chemically processing or applying heat to hair.
The excessive treatment causes the hair cuticle to have gaps and holes, allowing water to flow through the hair, however loosing moisture readily.
High-porosity hair favours products such as moisturisers, leave in conditioners and sealers such as butters.
Still confused? Take the POROSITY TEST!!
The easiest way to determine whether your hair is porous or not is by taking a porosity test. This taste is based on whether your hair floats or not.
1. Take a bowl or cup of water and place a few hair strands in that bowl or cup.
2. Allow the strands to sit in the bowl or cup for a few minutes
3. After a few minutes, your hair should either float or sink. If your hair floats, you have low porosity hair. If it sinks you have high porosity hair.
Use the recommended products mentioned in the article above. Natural Aura has a whipped hair soufflé that contains shea butter, cocoa butter and other oils that can aid in the retention of
moisture.
Visit our online store at www.naturalaura.co.za or 0720601542