Having curly hair is a beautiful thing. There is nothing more attractive than seeing someone wearing their curly hair confidently. Approximately 65% of the US population has either wavy, curly, or coily hair. Despite such a large portion of the population falling underneath one of these categories, there are few educational resources to guide those who want to embrace their natural hair. While so many products and treatments are available to people with textured hair, it is hard to know what products suit your hair best.
Here is a crash course on choosing the right products for your hair type.
Knowing your porosity level is the first step to identifying the treatment and products that best suit your curly hair so it can flourish and stand out.
What is hair porosity?
Hair Porosity is your hair cuticles’ ability to absorb and retain moisture. There are three groups of hair porosity: low porosity, medium porosity, and high porosity.
How to determine your porosity level with the float test on curly hair?
First, on a clean head of hair, retrieve strands of your hair from various parts of your hair. Second, test these strands of hair by placing them in a cup of water. Lastly, after waiting 5-10 minutes, your hair should either sink to the bottom of the cup, submerge below the water’s surface, or completely float.
- The hair strands that float have low porosity. Furthermore, it is a sign that your hair is not absorbing moisture. But, when moisture actually does penetrate, it becomes trapped and is hard to leave.
- The hair strand that floats in the middle of the cup or beneath the water’s surface has medium porosity. It is a sign of healthy hair that can effectively absorb moisture.
- The hair strand that sinks to the bottom of the cup has high porosity. It is a sign that cuticles are wide open and water can pass in and out freely. Highly porous hair can lead to dryness and frizz because of the cuticles’ inability to retain moisture.
What kind of product do I use for my porosity type?
Low porosity has a hard time receiving hydration. As a result, your hair will hold onto the moisture. Consequently, low-porosity hair is prone to product build-up and resistant to chemical processing and coloring.
- To care for low-porosity hair, find a hair salon that can include hair steaming as a part of your hair care regimen. Since low-porosity has tightly closed cuticles doing this will prompt your cuticles to open up and allow moisture to penetrate your hair. At home, utilize a sulfate-free shampoo to cleanse your hair of any product build-up to prevent it from being weighed down.
Medium porosity requires the least manipulation. The best hair care tip to maintain your hair if you have medium porous hair is the age-old saying, “Less is More.”
- Wash your hair at least twice a week with an organic sulfate-free shampoo to avoid an oily scalp and product build-up. Try to avoid harsh chemicals and styling methods that can damage the hair. Do not over wash; that can dry out the scalp and hair. Be sure to use lightweight leave-in conditioners coupled with natural oils as a part of your wash regimen.
Since high-porosity hair has a hard time retaining its moisture, it is therefore prone to frizz and damage due to genetics, sun damage, heat damage, and chemical processing.
- Above all, nourishment and moisture are the cornerstones of treatment for highly porous hair. See your local hair stylist for protein-rich treatments that focus on hydration and repair. Use an anti-humectant in addition to leave-in conditioner to prevent frizz caused by the moisture in the air.