Porosity Test What Does Your Hair Say about You ?

'Porosity' refers to the hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. There are 3 main categories, so which one are you? Take this quick and easy test to determine your answer!

Ready to try the porosity test? Keep reading!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:

1. Fill a Small Bowl or Sink with Water

Ideally, there just needs to be enough water to hold your strand of hair

2. Take a Single Strand of Your Hair

Either directly from your head or your hairbrush if it's easier

Frequently asked questions

3. Wait a Few Minutes

Drop your strand into the water and leave it for 3 to 4 minutes

4. What Has Happened to the Strand?

Has it sunk to the bottom, half sinking in the middle of the water or completely floating on the surface?

Ready for your answer?

5. Floating on Top = Low Porosity Hair

This means:
It doesn't let moisture in or out easily
Products simply 'sit' on your hair and are not absorbed quickly or easily
Build up of products is common when they are absorbed
It doesn't absorb hair colour or treatments easily
It can take a long time to dry, since water is not absorbed straight away but over time (much like products)
Considered healthy hair, often has a shine
Lacks volume and elasticity

6. How to Look after Low Porosity Hair:

Let moisture in by using heat to open cuticles (e.g. heat deep conditioners, hot water, hot towel around your hair)
Reduce build up by using lighter products (e.g. argan oil and grapeseed oil)

7. Sinking in the Middle = Normal Porosity Hair

This means:
Your hair allows absorbs and retains the perfect amount of moisture
Has a great balance
Considered healthy hair, often has a shine
Has plenty of volume

8. How to Look after Normal Porosity Hair:

Keep doing what you're doing
Don't change anything as this can disrupt the perfect balance (this leads to a change in the porosity level, and you may become low or high porosity instead of normal)

9. Sunk to the Bottom = High Porosity Hair

This means:
It absorbs too much moisture and can't retain it
Looks and feels dull and dry
Prone to frizzyness and tangles
Hair dries relatively quickly, since water is absorbed straight away
Cuticles may be torn and over-processed

10. How to Look after High Porosity Hair:

Try using coconut oil and aloe vera gel
Opt for heavy products and creams
Use a deep conditioner regularly
Try an egg wash every now and again, using the protein to strengthen cuticles

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

This is a very flawed article. There's too many variables to state the condition of hair. 1) Stage of hair (greasy, not greasy, in the middle) 2) Hair may not be able to absorb new hair colour due to its colour, for instance black hair is one of the most difficult hair types to absorb hair colour application. There's many more flaws but I respectfully leave it as this.

what is porosity ?

Oh my goodness @Lucy Rebecca xx Ur so pretty!!! Btw I luv ur background

Hottey

nice post!

I'd like to know the references for the article before I believe it as truth.

Categories