Low vs High Porosity Hair: The Missing Reason Your Hair Care Isn’t Working

Written By Emma Walker

Low vs High Porosity Hair: The Missing Reason Your Hair Care Isn’t Working

If you’ve ever invested in “good” hair products and still felt underwhelmed by the results, there’s a high chance the issue isn’t the product, it’s porosity.

Hair porosity is one of the most important (and most ignored) factors in hair health. It determines how your hair absorbs moisture, how it holds onto it, and how it responds to every product you apply.

Once you understand your porosity, hair care stops being guesswork and starts working.

What Hair Porosity Really Means

Hair porosity refers to how open or closed the cuticle layer of your hair is.

The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair shaft. When it lies flat, moisture and products struggle to penetrate. When it’s raised or damaged, moisture enters easily but escapes just as fast.

This is why two people with similar hair can need completely different routines.

How to Identify Your Hair Porosity (Accurately)

Forget unreliable online “tests.” The most accurate way to identify porosity is by observing how your hair behaves during washing, conditioning, and styling.

Low Porosity Hair

What’s happening:

Low porosity hair has tightly compact cuticle layers, making it resistant to moisture absorption.

Signs you likely have low porosity hair:

  • Hair takes a long time to get fully wet

  • Water sits on the hair before soaking in

  • Products feel like they coat the hair rather than absorb

  • Build-up happens easily

  • Hair feels dry but becomes greasy quickly

Low porosity hair is often virgin or minimally processed, though it can exist in any hair type.

What Low Porosity Hair Needs

The priority: helping moisture get into the hair shaft.

Cleansing

  • Lightweight, hydrating shampoos

  • Clarifying every 2–4 weeks to remove build-up and reset the hair

Conditioning & Treatments

  • Lightweight conditioners and masks

  • Heat during treatments (warm water or warm towel) to open the cuticle

  • Minimal protein unless hair is visibly weak

Styling

  • Apply products to damp hair

  • Choose water based leave ins

  • Use oils sparingly, mainly on the ends

Avoid

  • Thick oils

  • Excessive product layering

  • Overuse of protein

High Porosity Hair

What’s happening:

High porosity hair has raised or damaged cuticles, allowing moisture to enter easily but escape just as quickly.

Signs you likely have high porosity hair:

  • Hair becomes wet almost instantly

  • Dries very quickly

  • Feels dry shortly after washing

  • Frizzes easily

  • Tangles and breaks more easily

High porosity hair is common in bleached, coloured, heat styled, or chemically treated hair.

What High Porosity Hair Needs

The priority: retaining moisture and reinforcing the cuticle.

Cleansing

  • Gentle, moisturising shampoos

  • Avoid frequent clarifying

Conditioning & Treatments

  • Rich conditioners and deep moisture masks

  • Occasional protein treatments to strengthen the hair

  • Bond-building treatments where hair has been chemically compromised

Styling

  • Cream based leave ins

  • Seal moisture with oils or serums

  • Finish with cuticle smoothing products

Avoid

  • Over clarifying

  • Skipping conditioner

  • Relying solely on lightweight sprays

Low vs High Porosity: At a Glance

Low Porosity

  • Hard to get wet

  • Product build up

  • Needs heat to absorb

  • Protein sensitive

  • Slow to dry Dries

High Porosity

  • Gets wet instantly

  • Product absorbs quickly

  • Needs sealing to retain

  • Often protein responsive

  • Dries quickly

Why Porosity Matters More Than Hair Type

Hair type, texture, and curl pattern matter but porosity determines how your hair behaves day to day.

Using products that don’t align with your porosity can lead to:

  • Ongoing dryness

  • Excessive frizz

  • Dullness

  • Breakage

  • The feeling that “nothing works”

When your routine matches your porosity, hair becomes:

  • More hydrated

  • More manageable

  • Shinier

  • Stronger

  • Predictable again

Porosity is the foundation of healthy hair care.
Once you understand how your hair absorbs and retains moisture, you can stop chasing trends and start making informed choices that actually support hair health.

If your hair has felt inconsistent or unresponsive, porosity is likely the missing piece!

Use the drop down main menu to find out what best suits your hair 🫧

Emma Walker
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