Every curly girl wants juicy, luxurious locks. When you decide to wear your hair in its naturally curly state, you have to re-educate yourself on how to care for your hair. This is especially true if you have low porosity curly hair.
Low porosity curly hair has a hard time absorbing products and it can repel water, making it more difficult to care for. Keep reading to learn about your hair’s porosity and how to care for low porosity curly hair.
Low Porosity Hair
Before we talk about low porosity hair, first we need to explain what that means. Porosity refers to the openness of the cuticle layer of your hair. The cuticle layer is the outside layer of your hair.
The higher the porosity the more open your hair cuticle is. The lower the porosity the more closed your hair cuticles are. Water molecules and hair products have a more difficult time penetrating low porosity hair. Generally, water will roll off your head without soaking it into the hair shaft.
Hair comes in low, normal, and high porosity. Porous hair that retains a lot of water has its own challenges as well. It can be difficult to dry fully and it’s quite a challenge to apply color on.
Do I Have Low Porosity Hair?
If you’re curious about the water-absorbing qualities of your hair. There are a few tests you can perform to see if you have low porosity curly hair:
The Sink Test
Gather a few strands of your hair that have naturally fallen out. Then grab a cup of room temperature water. The water needs to be at room temperature because if the water is too hot it will open the cuticle and the hair with water forcing it to sink.
Place the hair on top of the cup of water. Low porosity hair will float. If the hair hovers in the middle of the cup you have normal porosity. If the hair immediately sinks you have high porosity hair.
The Spray Test
To perform the spray test simply spray a section of your hair with a bottle filled with water. If the water beads up on your hair you have low porosity hair. Sometimes the water will even roll right off the section of your hair.
The Slide Test
For the final test take a strand of your hair and slide your fingers along the strand toward the scalp. If the strand feels bumpy you probably have high porosity hair.
These tests are pretty accurate but keep in mind that different sections of your hair may be more porous than other sections. Just like your face may have a section that is more oily than another section, parts of your hair could have more porosity and result in different curl patterns.
So what does this mean? Is there low porosity help for your curls? Don’t worry, next we will cover hair care rules for low porosity curly hair.
Low Porosity Hair Care
Moisture is the key ingredient to a good hair day. Look for products with softening ingredients such as avocado, jojoba oil, shea butter, and aloe. These ingredients will form a barrier around your hair and help trap water inside the shaft.
The secret to juicy curls starts in the shower. Curly girls should rethink their shower time. Shampooing curly hair should be less about cleaning your hair and more about cleansing your scalp.
Cleansing your scalp regularly produces healthy curly hair. Use a sulfate-free shampoo because sulfates can be quite drying and harsh on your curls. If your hair is extremely dry try pairing your shampoo with a hydrating hair mask.
Your main goal when it comes to styling curly hair is to make sure your hair has enough water retention. The more hydrated your hair the shinier and healthier your curls will be.
You want to trap as much water inside the shaft of your hair as possible. Before you step out of the shower, squeeze out the excess moisture. Whatever you do, don’t towel dry your hair!
Use a pillowcase for curly hair to avoid losing moisture in your hair at night when you sleep. A normal cotton pillowcase can suck the moisture out of your hair leaving it dry and dull by the morning. But, a specialty-made curly hair pillowcase will help lock in moisture and you’ll wake up to healthy shiny hair.
After a thorough scalp cleanse apply curling milk while your hair is still wet for best results. If you have tight curls you may require a product that is a little thicker than milk and more the consistency of a custard. Play around with a few products before you find one that works for your hair and climate.
Curly Hair Care Tips
It’s important to eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water to nourish your hair from the inside. Eating a diet that is high in protein and fatty oils like eggs, salmon, seeds, and spinach will give your hair a boost.
The sooner you embrace your natural hair the better. Many curly girls spend years fighting with their hair and chemically straightening it. They may spend hours with a blow dryer and a straightening iron trying to get it to lay flat.
It will require a mindset shift for you to see your curls as beautiful and unique. But the sooner you make that shift the easier it becomes to have healthy shinier hair.
Naturally, curly hair is not easy. In fact, for many, it may be more work than getting your hair chemically straightened. But rest assured that the work will be worth the reward.
Low Porosity Curly Hair Is Manageable
Low porosity curly hair can be challenging to manage but every hair type has its own challenges. Use the tips in this article to reclaim your natural curls. With a little hydration, you too can have juicy, luscious locks in no time.
If you enjoyed reading this article, be sure to check out our other fashion and style articles next.
