The aim of the hair game for the vast majority, is to maintain healthy, shiny hair and a key part of achieving this is to understand what your locks want and need.
You may hear people refer to hair porosity and its importance to your hair. High porosity hair is known to be difficult to manage and grow as breakages are frequent leaving it less chance to grow before it snaps. The trick to growing high porosity hair lies with maintaining the hydration and health of your mane. Read ahead to see the best steps to take in growing high porosity hair!
What Is Hair Porosity?
Hair porosity is a little more scientific compared to more commonly known hair types and concerns. Hair porosity refers to how easily your hair can absorb and retain moisture and there are three categories within this, low, normal, and high.
Low Hair Porosity
Typically, those with low hair porosity have a tight cuticle structure which means strands don’t easily let moisture in or out.
You may find your locks suffer more with product build up and can feel dry. Similarly, to high porosity hair, if you are wanting to grow locks of a low porosity you will need to keep them hydrated and healthy. Eating a protein rich diet and applying lightweight nourishing formulas are vital to growing low porosity hair.
Normal Hair Porosity
As the name would suggest, this level of hair porosity needs the least amount of maintenance as it retains the correct levels of moisture, both incoming and outgoing. Normal porosity hair won’t be dehydrated and will hold hair styles such as curls better.
High Hair Porosity
Having high porosity hair means your locks easily take on moisture but struggle to keep hold of it leaving it more susceptible to extreme dryness and frizz.
High porosity tresses tend to be more damaged by chemicals such as colour or relaxer treatments, so it’s vital you use natural hair products. The hair cuticles have holes that make it easy for moisture to be absorbed but equally as easy for it to escape. Your hair will benefit more from thicker consistency, rich products and oils.
What causes high porosity hair?
It’s likely you have high porosity hair if you have the following:
- Frizz
- Dry hair
- Knotty, easily tangled hair
- Dull, lacklustre locks with no shine
- Breakages
The most common causes of high porosity hair are over manipulation, exposure to chemicals and hair colour, regular heat application and over processing.
Can high porosity hair be fixed?
The good news is high porosity hair can be fixed with some simple lifestyle and hair care changes. From diet change to product switch ups, here’s how to encourage high porosity hair to grow in 12 steps:
1. Ditch the chemicals
Switch out chemical-based products such as shampoos containing sulphates with natural products designed for dry, damaged hair. Due to the absorptive nature of high porosity hair, your locks will more easily absorb chemicals making strands weaker and more likely to break. Look for products that contain ingredients such as marula oil for hair growth and other oils with strengthening and re-growth properties.
2. Diet
It’s no secret that maintaining a healthy diet is key to a lot of life successes and it is no different for your hair.
Consuming balanced meals, rich in vitamins and nutrients, will make a big difference to the look and feel of your tresses as well as encourage growth. Vitamins A, B and E are all essential for healthy hair as well as protein and iron. Consider taking a supplement designed to aid hair health but also, increase your intake by consuming foods such as spinach, oily fish, and nuts.
3. Deep Conditioning
A great method for hydrating hair and restoring it to glory is deep conditioning. Apply a thick, restorative formula to hair such as the Babassu Oil Treatment Hair Masque and leave for 40 mins before washing. This technique will repair dry and damaged hair by rebuilding the hair’s molecular layer, replenishing moisture, and encouraging a thicker, softer, more revitalised mane.
4. No towels allowed
Towel drying is the most obvious way to dry your locks post washing but if you have high porosity hair, its not a great idea as the abrasive nature of this action can damage the hair cuticle, which further heightens hair porosity but also cause further breakage from the harsh rubbing.
Instead, gently squeeze water out of your hair using your hands and let it air dry to keep it protected.
5. Oils (coconut oil)
Applying oil to hair is a must with high porosity hair. Using rich, indulgent formulas like black seed or marula oil, is highly advisable with hair of a higher porosity as heavier products tend to lock in moisture in this hair type with relative ease, providing much needed hydration, as well as smoothing frizz and flyaways.
6. Protein treatment
Damaged hair often comes because of high porosity hair but can be rectified, as already mentioned, by increasing your protein intake via food consumption but also through use of a protein treatment. These types of treatment work to fill in the gaps created from damage to hair. It is these gaps that cause breakages.
By using protein treatments, you will fill the gaps in the strands providing strength to the lengths of your hair meaning it won’t break as easily. Using the right products can help with hair damage recovery as well as reinforcing the strength of hair strands and cuticles.
7. Reduce heat exposure
It is common knowledge that styling your hair with heat, from a quick blow dry to straightening or curling, can damage the hair and lead to breakages. Sadly, for those with high hair porosity, heat damage is even more likely to occur.
Step away from styling tools and hair dryers whenever possible to avoid stripping the hair of further moisture and exposing your locks to more damage and breakages. If you need to dry your hair, lower the temperature or for afro and curly hair, use a diffuser on a cool setting. Be sure to use a heat protectant before applying any heat to hair.
It isn’t just styling hair that exposes your mane to heat; being out in the sunshine can also leave you more prone to damage. Just like your skin, it is essential to apply a UV protectant to hair and keep it safe from the damaging sun rays.
8. Gentle brushing
High porosity hair can be more likely to knot and mat which means brushing hair might be more regularly required. As frustrating as knotty hair can be, it is important not to pull hard through any tangles as this can lead to breakages and leave hair damaged.
Try to avoid brushing hair in the shower as this is when locks are at their weakest and the most susceptible to snapping but if you find you need to brush it through during the wash process, apply some conditioner to your hair as this coating helps to giver a layer of protection and lets the brush glide through. Look for specific detangling products that are designed to relieve knots whilst protecting your locks. If you have developed knots and mats, use intensely restorative treatment products to rehydrate, treat and repair tresses as well as encourage regrowth.
9. Cut shower times
Reduce the time you spend in the shower to protect your hair from its extra delicate state when wet. With hair being at its weakest when wet, keeping its exposure to washing and water to a minimum will help prevent breakages.
If you live in a hard water area, it is worth investing in a shower filter or water softening treatment as hard water is known to dry out your locks again reducing growth and increasing hair’s likelihood to break. High porosity hair is also more likely to absorb the chemicals in hard water which will continue to weaken strands.
10. Keep conditioning
We’ve established that high porosity hair is dry and delicate. To reduce breakages and encourage growth, apply a conditioner every time you wash your locks, as it will work to strengthen hair strands and restore moisture that those thirsty high porosity locks will love to drink up.
11. Avoid hair ties and braiding
If growth is your main aim, then steer clear of any braiding or use of hair ties which can cause tension and pulling on your locks. With high porosity hair being more likely to break, styling hair in these ways will place it under more stress and prevent growth.
If you do need to tie your hair up, we would highly recommend purchasing a silk or satin scrunchie which is much kinder to your locks and reduces the friction caused by its elastic counterparts.
12. Aloe vera
Aloe vera gel is known for its restorative properties on skin but it’s also good for high porosity hair. Mix a small amount with water in a spray bottle and lightly mist the hair with the solution. Allow it to work for a few minutes and then rinse. Using this formula will seal in essential moisture to your tresses and encourage better hair growth. 
Does rice water grow hair?
A trend that has popped up recently thanks to the likes of Instagram and TikTok, is washing hair with rice water. Whilst you’d be forgiven for thinking this is another social media trick, it is in fact true. It is a practice that extends far beyond TikTokers, having been around for hundreds of years, originating in East Asia.
Rice water contains a high volume of the complex carbohydrate, starch, which will coat the hair, increasing shine and hydrating your scalp and locks. Such is its nourishing abilities it can remain in hair fibres even after rinsing meaning it continues to hydrate long after stepping out from the shower. Amino acids within it also means it strengthens, volumizes, detangles and smooths making it easier to manage and grow. A great addition to your high porosity hair care regime! 
