Low Porosity Hair, A Bad Thing?

[likelikepenny]

Over the years I've seen so many (myself included) complain about having low porosity. I understand it can be a pain to find something that works to moisturize and not get build up, but is it a bad thing? I was under the impression that low porosity hair was healthier than high or normal and almost preferred.

Lately, I've seen many using baking soda treatments to forcibly open the cuticle to raise their porosity. I don't see the point of this, you're just damaging already healthy hair. Opinions?

[Crystawni]

I find with my own low porosity hair, less is more. It doesn't need more moisture as it seems to hold its own, and remains fairly healthy with minimal build up (if any). I actually dilute my conditioners, or apply them to sopping wet hair so they spread well, and find if shampoos dry it a bit, a touch of conditioner does the trick. Oils are hit and miss--the lighter the better--and I only use a drop at a time smooshed into my palms. ROO also works well, but I use it rarely. I also find if I use a leave in on my ends (fave is a teeny dabble of a mask), I only apply it when my hair is damp, otherwise it's either not effective (wet hair) or too much (dry).

As for the baking soda treatment, I wouldn't mess with it--the idea of destroying your hair strands (well, prying them open) to improve them? A bit wacko IMO.

[Aredhel]

I have low porosity hair and nope it's not a bad thing! We just aren't good with hair products which means we don't need very many at all. I enjoy not having to deal with the weight of products on my head. :) Granted, I do find it hard to moisturize my hair since nothing really goes in it, but heat treatments and deep conditioning (on my ends only!) really help with that. I think forcing open cuticles is unnecessary too. No need to try to fix what isn't broken.

[pandabarrier]

I did an informal porosity test a while ago, and according to that I have low porosity hair. I dropped a couple of clean hair strands on a glass of water, and they were still floating on the water after hours!
I agree that it doesn't make sense to use baking soda to open the hair cuticles, doesn't baking soda have high pH, therefore it throws scalp pH off balance? I use baking soda to unclog my bathroom sink, I wouldn't put that in my hair!

[rmani]

There's definitely more products coming out geared to low porosity and I agree with other posters re: deep conditioning, leave-ins and oils, less is more. I also find anything with proteins, too chemically, or that makes my hair clump (gel namely) are no-nos for me. No moisture can get in.

No thanks - I'm not interested in damaging my hair so a few more products will work to re-heal them. Totally backwards :confused:

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

When I do that porosity test my hair sinks - so it would be high porosity. But my hair does LOTS of low porosity hair type things.
Does not like protein too much, less product is more, does not hold moisture and usually feels grabby/tangled by day 3-4 as its lost all moisture from my wash.
I dont know, I try to not pay to much attention to it. My hair is ALL OVER THE PLACE. Texture constantly changing.
As long as its healthy I dont think low or high porosity in the end really matters.

[lizardspots]

I am learning through experimentation that my low porosity hair is VERY prone to build-up, and that oils/leave-ins really aren't working for it at all despite my best efforts. The products just sit on the surface of the hair and leaves it slightly sticky and gross. I take this to mean that my hair cuticle is sealed and in good condition, I see no reason to try and damage it just to make the hair absorb something. Surely smooth hair cuticle is what we're all striving for in haircare?

[likelikepenny]

When I do that porosity test my hair sinks - so it would be high porosity. But my hair does LOTS of low porosity hair type things.
Does not like protein too much, less product is more, does not hold moisture and usually feels grabby/tangled by day 3-4 as its lost all moisture from my wash.
I dont know, I try to not pay to much attention to it. My hair is ALL OVER THE PLACE. Texture constantly changing.
As long as its healthy I dont think low or high porosity in the end really matters.

Sounds normal porosity to me if it doesn't hold onto moisture. Low porosity hair is notorious to hold onto any moisture it absorbs for a lonnggg time. My hair will stay moisturized for a week but I moisturize everyday to keep my moisture level optimal.

[Reyesuela]

Low porosity means healthy. A lot of things don't "work" with low porosity hair because there's no damage to correct. Hair becomes porous when the cuticle is damaged or doesn't lie flat due to hair kinks.

l've also seen people deliberately damaging their hair to make it "take" treatments better. This is silly. Low porosity hair can be so incredibly silky that it just spits out hair pins, so some people damage it to make it more manageable. I prefer a little coconut oil. :). The silkiness of my hair freaks people out sometimes. It's been called unreal even by hair dressers. It feels like satin.

[likelikepenny]

Low porosity means healthy. A lot of things don't "work" with low porosity hair because there's no damage to correct. Hair becomes porous when the cuticle is damaged or doesn't lie flat due to hair kinks.

l've also seen people deliberately damaging their hair to make it "take" treatments better. This is silly. Low porosity hair can be so incredibly silky that it just spits out hair pins, so some people damage it to make it more manageable. I prefer a little coconut oil. :). The silkiness of my hair freaks people out sometimes. It's been called unreal even by hair dressers. It feels like satin.

My hair is not silky by any means (hyper curly here) but it is obscenely soft when it's properly taken care of and pretty shiny for my hair type.

I just don't understand why people would intentionally damage their hair, seems counterproductive.

[Shepherdess]

Low porosity is healthy hair!!! I really wish that my hair was low porosity! A lot of my hair seems to be high porosity unfortunately. It absorbs products easily, but then dries out if I don't seal it with an oil after moisturizing. It can be hard to keep up and I get lazy oftentimes and don't moisturize my hair enough and when this happens it always ends up dry with fraying/splits. My hair has been this way for years and even though I have tried different things and try to take care of it as best I can, it still seems to stay the same porosity. I can't understand why someone would purposefully try to make their hair more porous to absorb treatments.

[Reyesuela]

My hair is not silky by any means (hyper curly here) but it is obscenely soft when it's properly taken care of and pretty shiny for my hair type.

I just don't understand why people would intentionally damage their hair, seems counterproductive.

The straight nonporous hair usually fights curls and can be SUPER slippery and hard to style. Damaging it makes it easier to style. I use alternatives to that!

[likelikepenny]

The straight nonporous hair usually fights curls and can be SUPER slippery and hard to style. Damaging it makes it easier to style. I use alternatives to that!

Maybe that's why my curly hair will only last for a day or two at most? :confused:

[lizardspots]

The straight nonporous hair usually fights curls and can be SUPER slippery and hard to style. Damaging it makes it easier to style. I use alternatives to that!

My hair is super silky and difficult to style too! I love the texture though, I don't want to roughen it up with damage or oils. Trying to figure out styles that work with it instead :) I've found a paranda braid very secure.

[pili]

When I do that porosity test my hair sinks - so it would be high porosity. But my hair does LOTS of low porosity hair type things.
Does not like protein too much, less product is more, does not hold moisture and usually feels grabby/tangled by day 3-4 as its lost all moisture from my wash.
I dont know, I try to not pay to much attention to it. My hair is ALL OVER THE PLACE. Texture constantly changing.
As long as its healthy I dont think low or high porosity in the end really matters.
My hair is like this too. I think it's actually high porosity, but behaves like low porosity. No protien, takes forever to dry, hard to get moisturizer. I also lose my curl after day two, but I think that's my texture since I'm in between.

[Aredhel]

Low porosity means healthy. A lot of things don't "work" with low porosity hair because there's no damage to correct. Hair becomes porous when the cuticle is damaged or doesn't lie flat due to hair kinks.

l've also seen people deliberately damaging their hair to make it "take" treatments better. This is silly. Low porosity hair can be so incredibly silky that it just spits out hair pins, so some people damage it to make it more manageable. I prefer a little coconut oil. :). The silkiness of my hair freaks people out sometimes. It's been called unreal even by hair dressers. It feels like satin.

I get this from people too. I figure it's why people often take one look at my hair and ask if they can touch it. :rolleyes:

[Anje]

I suspect my hair is on the low end of porosity (at least it was before I bleached it). Things like the fact that leave-ins left it less silky and that it couldn't take more than 4-5 drops of oil at classic length before looking oily and usually wouldn't absorb more than that contribute to that impression, though I haven't examined it microscopically to confirm.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, except that perhaps it has a tendency to escape from updos a bit more due to slickness. When it was more worn and damaged, it took moisture just fine in the form of SMTs. When that was grown out, it simply didn't need moisture treatments because it wasn't dry. I didn't try to rough it up or anything -- I just didn't do such treatments much because not doing deep treatments is easier than doing deep treatments. Seems like a best-case scenario to me.

[proo]

I used to be high porosity from heat damage-
Now I'm low porosity from healthy habits.
I love not needing products; a very dilute vinegar rinse, rinsed off is more than enough conditioning.

[Mrstran]

I think you are very lucky to have it. Mine is just awful and dries out very quickly. A heathy balance between the two I guess might be ideal (just guessing) but I doubt anyone is that lucky. Better to be low than high from my personal experience.

[sarahthegemini]

Low porosity means healthy. A lot of things don't "work" with low porosity hair because there's no damage to correct. Hair becomes porous when the cuticle is damaged or doesn't lie flat due to hair kinks.

l've also seen people deliberately damaging their hair to make it "take" treatments better. This is silly. Low porosity hair can be so incredibly silky that it just spits out hair pins, so some people damage it to make it more manageable. I prefer a little coconut oil. :). The silkiness of my hair freaks people out sometimes. It's been called unreal even by hair dressers. It feels like satin.

So people damage their hair just so they can 'fix' it with treatments? :-/

[likelikepenny]

So people damage their hair just so they can 'fix' it with treatments? :-/

Basically.

[yamsha23]

Have you watched Greenbeautychannel's last videos on low porosity?
Very very interesting :heart:
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw88xVmRyj0&t=601s
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9_bj7INWcM

[Reyesuela]

Maybe that's why my curly hair will only last for a day or two at most? :confused:

Ha! I have friends who only get their hair washed and styled at a salon once a week. Even with all my tricks, my hairdos are 12-15hr max.

[Reyesuela]

So people damage their hair just so they can 'fix' it with treatments? :-/

Yep. Really.

[MoonRabbit]

Have you watched Greenbeautychannel's last videos on low porosity?
Very very interesting :heart:
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw88xVmRyj0&t=601s
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9_bj7INWcM

Thanks for posting this, it really helped me!

I did the strand test a few months ago and my hair floated. I already had it in my thoughts it was a 'informal' test and there was no way my hair could be low porosity. I was a daily heat user, hard brusher for YEARS. After two years going natural, no heat, doing everything I can to take care of my hair. My hair is prone to build up, takes 5+ hours to dry, constantly needs moisture and a cold rinse after a shower doesn't work for me. But my hair doesn't seem as healthy as it could be, I still struggle with frizz...maybe that's a wavy thing? I might have to experiment with more low porosity techniques.

[florafox]

I have extremely curly hair and low porosity. I see nothing wrong with it. I just don't use heavy products and watch the ph of shampoo/conditioners. I sit under a hooded dryer I bought from sally's twice a week when I condition. My hair is slippery because I straighten it (very low heat) but I love it. I had high porosity, relaxed hair that snapped constantly and never grew past my shoulders. My hair is also fine so I avoid cone shampoo/conditioners and ingredients like shea butter. I do use a light coney serum when its wet before blowdrying.

[ravenreed]

My hair is low porosity, and like others said, less is more. I get build up easily, don't do well with most oils or protein, etc, etc. I wash and condition every other day, use a vinegar rinse and then a catnip leave in, and my hair is pretty happy. I wouldn't mess with opening the cuticle or anything like that. I don't see the point. Why should I force my hair to need more attention? My hair isn't particularly silky because I have rather coarse strands and wavy hair. However, it is smooth, and keeping pins in can be difficult.

[lizardspots]

Have you watched Greenbeautychannel's last videos on low porosity?
Very very interesting :heart:
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw88xVmRyj0&t=601s
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9_bj7INWcM

Thanks for linking to this, very informative! My hair is the total opposite to the presenter's hair, but much of what she said about the properties of low porosity hair ring true. Very prone to product build up, having no luck with oil leave-ins, and using heat making the hair more manageable and easier to detangle. I always felt a little guilty about my occasional use of my blow dryer, because of the anti-heat advice everywhere on LHC. I'll feel less guilty now!

[paulownia]

It's not a bad thing in itself to have low porosity hair, because it means it's healthy:D but it can have some disadvantages. Like hair bands and bobby pins constantly gliding out.
My hair used to have high porosity, was crazy dry and frizzy when I was starting my proper haircare journey. Oil treatments, gentle shampoo, lots of conditioner. Now, after almost 8 years I can say that my waves changed a lot, gradually becoming healthy and less porous. Frizz disappeared, hair became shiny and easy to weight down. And I had to give up sulfate free shampoos because they stopped doing the job;) my hair felt greasy and as not washed at all. Now I use only sulfate shampoo.

[runningmoon]

Your hair is GORGEOUS! My hair type is also 1a/F and low porosity. Please tell me what shampoo and conditioners you use and your routine. For whatever reason the site isn't letting me read people's personal forums on their page even though I have an account :(

[Ylva]

Your hair is GORGEOUS! My hair type is also 1a/F and low porosity. Please tell me what shampoo and conditioners you use and your routine. For whatever reason the site isn't letting me read people's personal forums on their page even though I have an account :(

You'll need to post some more before you can do that. Just get in on the hair talk and you'll reach those (I think it's 25?) posts in no time.

[MusicalSpoons]

I know the thread is a bit old but for anyone reading it through for the first time (like I was) just wanted to point out that the float test is pretty useless. https://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com...sts-float.html Porosity is more accurately determined by observing how your hair reacts to various products and situations. http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.co...e-sort-of.html

[lapushka]

Your hair is GORGEOUS! My hair type is also 1a/F and low porosity. Please tell me what shampoo and conditioners you use and your routine. For whatever reason the site isn't letting me read people's personal forums on their page even though I have an account :(

Please read this. :) It's at the top of the newbie forum, BTW. ;)
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=68520