HOW TO CARE FOR LOW POROSITY HAIR?

Having low porosity hair can be challenging to keep hydrated and healthy. Understanding how your hair type performs and the ingredients it craves is essential.

Let’s get into it!

WHAT IS LOW POROSITY HAIR?

Hair porosity is your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. This affects how well oils and moisture pass in and out of the outermost layer of your hair, known as the cuticle.

With low porosity hair, the cuticles tend to overlap each other and are tightly packed together. Because there are no spaces between the cuticles, it makes it harder for water, as well as products like oils and conditioners, to deliver moisture to the hair shaft.

Because this type of hair tends to repel moisture. It can also be more challenging to process and style.

WHAT CAUSES LOW POROSITY HAIR?

Usually, if you have low porosity hair, it’s due to genetic factors. Using chemicals and heat on your hair typically doesn’t cause low hair porosity. 

While heat or styling does damage the cuticle layer, it’s more likely to result in high porosity hair. That means the cuticles are raised and have spaces between them. This can make it hard for the hair shaft to retain moisture.

HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE LOW POROSITY HAIR?

• Products sit on your hair- If you have low porosity hair, you may find that hair products tend to sit on your hair instead of being absorbed.

For instance, you may apply an oil or moisturizer to the ends of your hair. Half an hour later, you may notice that the product is still on the surface of your hair. It may even come off on your fingers if you touch it. 

Your hair probably absorbed very little, if any, of the product.

• Washing & drying takes longer- With low porosity hair, washing and drying can take longer than you’d expect. Because water isn’t easily absorbed, you may find it can be difficult to get your hair really wet and for the water to fully penetrate your hair.

HOW TO CARE FOR LOW POROSITY HAIR?

When you have low porosity hair, you may be tempted to apply a larger quantity of a product, or more than one hair product at a time, to saturate your hair. 

But because the cuticles are so close together, not much product will penetrate, no matter how much you apply. 

The key is to find products that have the right formulation for low porosity hair. These products will have ingredients that can more easily penetrate your hair. 

Another important tip is to apply products when your hair is wet and warm. Heat can lift the hair cuticle, allowing oils and moisture to penetrate the hair shaft more easily. 

If you want to know what types of products tend to work well for low porosity hair, here are some suggestions.

Shampoo

Shampoos that don’t leave a lot of residues are your best bet. Look for products that contain honey or glycerin. These ingredients can penetrate the hair cuticle more easily than products that contain oils.

Conditioner

Try diluting your conditioner with a small amount of water when you apply it to your hair. This can help make the conditioner more easily absorbable and less likely to just sit on your hair.

Deep Conditioner

Sometimes your hair may need a little extra boost of moisture. One way to do this is with a weekly deep-conditioning treatment. 

It can help if you use a steamer, heat cap, or hooded dryer when you condition your hair. 

Or you can put a shower cap over your hair once you’ve applied the deep conditioner, then use a blow dryer on the warm setting for a few minutes to heat up your hair under the cap. This can help open the cuticles. 

For low porosity hair, you’ll want to stay away from protein treatment conditioners. Protein formulas can increase the risk of hair breakage since they tend to pull moisture out of the hair.

Styling Products

If you’re looking for an effective curl and style enhancing products that will penetrate your hair shaft and retain moisture Conceited Luxe, has you covered. We recommend our Thick & Fine Curls styling cream for Kinky-Coily textures. This styling cream was specifically designed with you in mind.

NOURISH YOUR CURLS & COILS WITH CONCEITED LUXE

Our products provide certain ingredients that can make low porosity hair easier to care for. Conceited Luxe understands the types of products to use, and which ones to avoid. This makes a difference in the manageability and health of your hair. Get those silky, soft & stunning curls you deserve & crave.