Hair porosity :Why it is important to know that for your hair to grow.
- Kimberly Nhundu
- Apr 25, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 30, 2020

You may have heard the term “hair porosity” and wondered what it means. Essentially, hair porosity is about your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture.
The porosity of your hair affects how well oils and moisture pass in and out of the outermost layer of your hair, known as the cuticle.
Hair porosity is typically divided into three broad categories:
Low porosity: Cuticles that are close together.
Medium porosity: Cuticles that are less tightly bound.
High porosity: Cuticles that are more widely spaced.
This article will take a closer look at what affects the porosity of your hair, how you can figure out the type of porosity you have, and, depending on the hair porosity you have, how best to treat your hair.
What does hair porosity mean?
To understand the concept of hair porosity, it helps to know a bit about the structure of your hair, which consists of three layers. These layers include:
The cuticle: This is the tough, protective outer layer of your hair that’s made up of smaller cuticles that overlap each other, similar to shingles on a roof.
The cortex: This is the thickest layer of your hair. It contains fibrous proteins and the pigment that gives your hair its color.
The medulla: This is the soft, central part of the hair shaft.
For your hair to stay healthy and hydrated, water, oils, and other moisturizing products need to be able to pass through the cuticle to get to the cortex.
But, if the cuticles are too close together, it’s not easy for water and oils to penetrate the hair. This can make it harder for your hair to get the moisture it needs.
Also, if the cuticles are too widely spaced, your hair will have a harder time retaining moisture and staying hydrated.
What causes low or high hair porosity?
How your hair absorbs and retains moisture is largely due to genetics. So, if low porosity hair runs in your family, there’s a good chance you’ll have low porosity hair, too. But while genetics can affect porosity, it isn’t the only contributing factor.
Blow drying, bleaching, straightening, overwashing, and using harsh products can all damage your hair over time. This can cause your hair cuticles to become raised and open, which may make it harder for your hair to retain moisture.
In addition to hair treatments, too much ultraviolet exposureTrusted Source can also increase the porosity of your hair. To protect your hair from the sun, wear a hat or some type of head covering when you’re outdoors.
Is there an easy way to test your hair porosity?
One of the easiest ways to test your hair porosity is by using a glass of water. Here’s how to do it:
Shampoo and rinse your hair to remove any product buildup.
Fill a glass with water.
Once your hair is clean and dry, drop a single strand of your hair into the glass of water.
Watch the strand to see if it sinks to the bottom of the glass or floats at the top.
The results
Low porosity: If the strand floats at the top before sinking, you likely have low porosity hair.
Normal porosity: If the strand floats somewhere in the middle of the glass, you probably have medium or normal porosity hair.
High porosity: If the strand quickly sinks to the bottom of the glass, you likely have high porosity hair.
You can also test your porosity level by running a finger down a strand of your hair. Low porosity hair will feel smooth, whereas high porosity hair will feel rough and bumpy because the cuticles are open
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