Have you ever spent money on a fancy hair product, only to find it makes your hair feel dry, greasy, or just doesn’t work? The secret to finding your perfect hair care routine might not be your curl pattern, but your hair porosity. Porosity simply means your hair’s ability to absorb and hold onto moisture. Knowing your hair’s porosity level is like having a personal guide to choosing the right products.
Think of each hair strand like a sponge. Low porosity hair is like a dense, tightly-woven sponge that resists water. High porosity hair is like a full-of-holes sponge that soaks up water quickly but loses it just as fast. Normal porosity is the happy medium. Let’s find out which one you have.
The Simple Float Test for Hair Porosity
One of the easiest ways to check your porosity at home is the float test. Start with a few strands of clean hair, free from any products like conditioner or stylers. Drop the strands into a glass of room-temperature water. Let the glass sit for about four minutes, then take a look. If your hair floats at the top, you likely have low porosity hair. If it sinks to the bottom, your hair is probably high porosity. Hair that floats somewhere in the middle indicates normal porosity.
What Your Hair’s Behavior Can Tell You
Your hair’s daily habits are also a big clue. Pay attention to how it reacts when it’s wet and when you apply products. Low porosity hair often takes a long time to get fully saturated in the shower and dries very slowly. It can also be prone to product buildup, as lotions and creams tend to sit on the hair rather than being absorbed.
On the other hand, high porosity hair absorbs water almost instantly and air-dries very quickly. It often feels dry and can be fragile or prone to tangles because the cuticle is raised. If your hair soaks up deep conditioners rapidly but still feels dry soon after, you might be dealing with high porosity.
Caring for Your Unique Hair Porosity
Once you know your porosity, you can choose products that actually work. For low porosity hair, use lighter liquid-based products and gentle heat when deep conditioning to help open the cuticle and let moisture in. For high porosity hair, look for richer creams and butters that can help seal moisture into the hair shaft. Ingredients like shea butter and coconut oil are excellent for locking in hydration.
Figuring out your hair porosity takes the guesswork out of your routine. By listening to your hair and performing a simple test, you can finally give your hair the specific moisture it’s been looking for.