Low-Porosity Hair: What You Need To Know

Low-porosity hair has its challenges, but when you know how to take care of it and keep it looking healthy, it’s a lot easier to deal with!

If you have low-porosity hair, you know that it can be a bit of a challenge to keep it looking and feeling its best. This type of hair is characterized by a reduced ability to absorb moisture, which often leads to dryness, frizziness, and scalp issues. In this blog post, our team of experts here at Modern Core have weighed in share everything you need to know about low-porosity hair! We will talk about how to identify it, what to avoid, how often to wash and moisturize it, and how to keep it looking and feeling its best.

What Is Porosity?

To understand low-porosity hair, it is important to first understand what porosity is. Porosity refers to the ability of your hair to absorb and retain moisture.

There are three different types of porosity: 

• High
• Medium
• Low

High-porosity hair absorbs moisture easily but has difficulty retaining it. This type of hair is often dry, frizzy, and prone to tangles. You’ll see this type of hair among those with naturally curly or wavy hair.

Medium-porosity hair is somewhere in the middle — it’s not too dry and not too oily. This type of hair is easy to manage and style.

Low-porosity hair has difficulty absorbing moisture but can retain it well. This type of hair is often characterized by being oily, limp, and flat. It can be difficult to style because it doesn’t hold onto products well.

How Do I Know if I Have Low-Porosity Hair?

There are a few different ways to test your hair’s porosity. One way is to take a strand of your hair and place it in a bowl of water. If the strand sinks, you have high-porosity hair. If the strand floats, you have low-porosity hair.

Another way to test your hair’s porosity is to do the “slip and slide” test. Take a strand of your hair and slide your fingers down it from the root to the tip. If you feel resistance, you have high-porosity hair. If you feel no resistance, you have low-porosity hair.

What Should I Avoid if I Have Low-Porosity Hair?

There are a few things you should avoid if you have low-porosity hair. One is using heat to style your hair. This includes blow drying, flat ironing, and curling. Heating low-porosity hair is especially damaging because it can cause the hair cuticle, the outermost layer of the hair shaft, to lift, making the hair even more susceptible to damage and breakage. 

Another thing to avoid is using products that contain alcohol. Alcohol-based products will dry out your hair, exacerbating any existing dryness or frizziness. Examples of products that might contain alcohol include hairspray, hair gel, and mousse.

You should also avoid using products that contain sulfates. Sulfates are harsh detergents that can strip your hair of its natural oils, leaving it dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. Many shampoos contain sulfates, so be sure to read the labels carefully before you buy.

Finally, you should avoid using products that contain silicone. It is used in hair products because it makes hair feel softer and look shinier. However, it can build up on your hair over time, leaving it feeling heavy and greasy. Silicone can also make it difficult to absorb moisture.

How Often Should I Wash My Low-Porosity Hair?

You should wash your low-porosity hair about once a week. This will help to prevent your hair from becoming too dry or damaged.

This type of hair does not need to be washed as often as other types of hair because it does not absorb moisture as easily. When you do wash your low-porosity hair, be sure to use a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo.

How Do I Moisturize My Low-Porosity Hair?

The best way to moisturize your low-porosity hair is to use a leave-in conditioner. Apply the leave-in conditioner to your damp hair, and let it air dry. You can also use a light oil or serum to help seal in moisture.

Hair masks are also effective at moisturizing low-porosity hair. Choose a hydrating mask that is free of alcohol, sulfates, and silicone. Apply the mask to your damp hair and let it sit for 20-30 minutes before rinsing it out.

How Do I Cut My Low-Porosity Hair?

When cutting low-porosity hair, it is important to use sharp scissors. Sharp scissors leave a clean cut and won’t disturb the hair cuticles as much as scissors that are more on the dull side. This will help prevent damage to your hair.

If your hair is curly, you’ll want to see someone who specializes in curl patterns. Curl patterns are the way your curls fall, and they vary from tightly wound curls to loose curls. Knowledgeable salons will know how to cut your hair in a way that will minimize frizz and maximize definition.

If your hair is straight, you can get it cut in any style you like. Just be sure to avoid styles that require heat styling, such as flat ironing or curling.

How Do I Keep My Low-Porosity Hair Looking Its Best?

There are a few things you can do to keep your low-porosity hair looking its best. One is to use a wide-tooth comb when detangling your hair. This will help prevent damage to your hair. The best time to use a comb is when your hair is damp and covered in conditioner.

Another idea is to use a leave-in conditioner or light oil to help keep your hair moisturized. You might have to do some trial and error to find the best one for your hair because some hair responds really well to one type, while it may feel too heavy for someone else.

Another thing you can do is to use a silk pillowcase. Silk pillowcases help to prevent damage to your hair while you sleep. They also help to keep your hair frizz-free.

You can also keep frizz to a minimum with hair plopping. It’s a technique where you use a cotton t-shirt to help dry your hair. It works especially well for people with low-porosity hair because it helps to prevent frizz while simultaneously keeping moisture in your hair after a wash, as it lets your hair dry more slowly.

Finally, try to avoid heat styling your hair as much as possible. If you do need to use heat, be sure to use a heat protectant spray or leave-in conditioner and keep the temperature on low. You’ll also want to apply heat in small sections of your hair, going slowly to make sure you don’t overdo it by accidentally reapplying heat.

A Few Final Thoughts

Low-porosity hair is not a wash-and-wear kind of hair. It needs much more maintenance than someone who has flat, straight hair that is high porosity. But, it’s also the kind of hair that makes a statement because it has so much character when you sport those beautiful curls or voluminous waves. 

Even though caring for low-porosity hair can be a bit of a challenge, it is definitely possible! By following the tips in this blog post, you should be able to keep your low-porosity hair looking and feeling its best. 

For more on hair care and product recommendations, please check our blog for more information. If you have any questions about any Modern Core hair care products, you can also contact us for more information. We’re always happy to help!