Does hair absorb water how to#
Does hair absorb water free#

What you may see is that hair with low porosity looks weighed down. What does low porosity hair look like? Just as there isn’t one hair type that will have less porous hair, you can’t expect low porosity hair to have a specific look.

Does hair absorb water how to#

Now that you’ve identified your hair porosity type with this easy hair porosity quiz, let’s dig into how to care for your hair. If it floats in the middle, then it’s in the medium to normal porosity range, and if it sits on top, then it has a low porosity. If your hair immediately sinks to the bottom, then it’s highly porous. You likely also have different curl patterns around your head, so it’s best to gather strands from different parts of your head. Grab One or Two Strands of Hair and Drop Them In The GlassĪs previously mentioned, your hair’s porosity can change depending on your styling habits and the types of products you use. Since porosity is all about moisture retention, you can test how well your hair absorbs moisture by analyzing your hair in water. Two people, both with 4C hair, can have very different porosities.ĭo you find yourself asking, “What is my hair porosity?” Luckily, it’s pretty easy to find out with a quick hair porosity test. This means you can’t ask, “Is 4C hair low or high porosity?” and get one clear answer. Medium porosity is most ideal since moisture is able to penetrate but doesn’t easily escape-that’s the best of both worlds.Ĭurlier hair tends to be drier because of how difficult it is for scalp oils to make their way through the coils from root to tip, but this doesn’t always mean that all highly textured hair has the same porosity. Whereas high porosity strands have more space between the cuticles or less layering, high porosity is often the driest of the bunch because water just flows in and right back out.

This is because with low porosity hair, the cuticles are shut so tightly that the moisture cannot absorb. With low porosity hair, you may notice that product or even water from your shower just beads up on top of your hair. In this case, you’ll naturally start to notice that your hair feels and looks really dry. Tighter hair textures may have cuticles that overlap with each other, causing hair to have a low porosity. you have low porosity, not a lot of moisture can get in at all. On the other end of the spectrum, if your cuticle is hard to open, a.k.a. There’s a distinct difference between low vs.

Does hair absorb water free#

So, while moisture is free to enter, without the cuticles closing to seal it in, it basically just runs right back out-this is high porosity. Products, certain styling practices, and hair dyeing are all things that can leave your hair in an open and vulnerable state where the cuticles stay open. It’s important to note that your hair’s porosity can change for either the good or the bad.

Hair porosity types are determined by how open or closed those shingle-like cuticles are. These stacked layers open up when things like heat hit them and close when you smooth a product on top or hit your hair with cold water. These cuticles are like doors that open and close to channel moisture and then seal it in. Each strand of your hair has an outer shell of cuticles that kind of look like shingles on the side of a roof. There are three levels of porosity: low, medium, and high. In the simplest terms, porosity is your hair’s ability to soak up and hold in moisture and products. Before your next wash day, take a hair porosity test and find out how to adjust your routine based on how porous your hair really is. While it makes sense to assume that your hair porosity is directly related to your curl type, this isn’t always the case. The answer to why your hair gets dry, soaks up your curl cream, or is easily weighed down by a hair moisturizer has a lot to do with whether you have porous hair. It’s one of the more confusing natural hair concepts, but with an understanding of the various hair porosity types-namely low porosity and high porosity-you can really transform the way your hair behaves and how it responds to certain natural hair products.