The porosity of hair – what is it all about?

The porosity of hair - this has been an increasingly popular topic lately. How do you test the porosity of your hair? To answer this question, let's start at the beginning, which is hair structure.

Table of contents

Hair structure

Hair does not only add beauty and is an important part of our appearance. It also has another very important role. Hair also plays a very important role as it protects the brain from overheating and excessive cooling. For this reason, it is even more important to take care of it. Each hair is built of adherent scales. They retain water inside the hair and thus take care of its hydration and protect it from damage. Porosity is therefore nothing more than the opening of these scales. The hair becomes less moisturized, loses elasticity faster and is more susceptible to mechanical damage. The more open the cuticles, the higher the porosity.

How is hair’s porosity assessed?

 

There are three degrees of porosity. Medium and high porosity is most often genetic, however the most common is acquired high porosity. This is due to improper styling and hair care. If you frequently blow dry your hair with hot air, don’t care for your hair’s moisture, or color your hair, you often contribute to the porosity of your hair. 

The condition of your hair is significantly related to its porosity. This has a significant impact on how you care for your hair. It is therefore helpful to effectively assess your hair’s porosity level and apply the appropriate hair care treatment according to it. 

There are 3 different levels of porosity: 

  • Low porosity
  • Medium porosity 
  • High Porosity porous
The porosity of hair - what is it all about? | Killys
The porosity of hair - what is it all about? | Killys

Low-porosity hair

is the healthiest hair. They have tightly clinging cuticles. However, they are also the most difficult to style. It is difficult for them to absorb water. In spite of these disadvantages, low-porous hair has many advantages because it hardly loses any nutrients and is shiny and nourished. They do not frizz and do not become static. You can recognise medium-porous hair by the fact that it dries very slowly after being wet. 

 

Medium Porosity hair

can be thought of as a mixture of low- and high-rough hair. This is the most common hair type. They are considered to be the ones in good condition, but . beware – it is very easy to damage them. Too frequent or intensive styling or coloring make them very weak. If you have such hair, it is important to take care of it. 

 

High-Porosity hair

is the stark opposite of low-Perforated hair. This type of hair has very broadly dilated cuticles, so it absorbs all the nutrients just as intensely as it loses them. This is hair in very poor condition, which can be seen right away. It’s not easy to style. It is easy to style, but unfortunately it breaks quickly. They also tend to dry out in a jiffy when wet.

You already know how to recognise porosity and you are familiar with the hair characteristics. This makes it easier for you to select the right cosmetics and styling accessories for your hair. Pay special attention to the brushes you use to comb your hair. On the market, there are models enriched with special oils, which additionally care for your hair. You can choose a brush for low-porosity hair, medium-porrosity hair, or high-porosity hair.

The porosity of hair - what is it all about? | Killys