Should hair porosity affect how you care for your hair
Hair porosity does affect how you care for your hair. Once you know how, it’s easy to do!
Porosity tells you which hair care products in our Kitsilano salon you should be using and which you should avoid. Here’s how it works.
Hair absorbs moisture, and hair porosity indicates how well your hair absorbs moisture.
For instance if the cuticles (protective outer layer) of your hair lie flat and tightly along the strand, your hair has low porosity. So it’s harder for water or oil to penetrate. Low-porosity hair is often due to genetics. It tends to be shiny and a tad resistant to products.
On the other hand, if the cuticles are open along the strand, your hair has high porosity. This kind of hair absorbs moisture easily. High-porosity hair is often the result of damage. For example, from too much styling heat, UV rays, over-washing, chlorine, colouring, bleaching, or other chemicals. It has a tendency to feel dry and brittle and will frizz in humid air.
Medium-porosity hair lies in the middle of these two extremes.
Additionally, if your hair absorbs moisture slowly (low porosity), it also loses moisture slowly. Vice versa, hair that absorbs moisture quickly (high porosity), loses it just as fast.
So what does it all mean? Well, hair porosity affects which products work best.
Low-porosity hair doesn’t absorb well, so products tend to sit on top of the hair, weighing it down. Use lightweight products and avoid heavy oils and proteins.
Best low-porosity hair care products
Clarifying shampoos
Lightweight products
Water-based products
Products with honey, aloe, glycerin
Products with humectants
Hair masks
Products to avoid for low-porosity hair
Heavy oils
Silicone
Protein
Sulphates
High-porosity hair loses moisture fast so it tends to need more moisturising and products that lock it in. Avoid drying alcohol-based products and clarifying products that strip the hair.
Best high-porosity hair care products
Moisture-locking products
Deep conditioners
Leave-in conditioners, oils, creams
Products with honey, avocado
Protein treatments
Heat protectors
Products to avoid for high-porosity hair
Clarifying products
Products with sulphates
Products with alcohol
Visit our hair salon in Kitsilano to find out what your hair porosity is. Our expert stylists will show you a selection of the best products for your type of hair (see here and here, for example). Once you start working with your hair porosity, you’ll notice the difference–healthy, gorgeous-looking hair!
Rush Salon is proud to offer a world-class line of hair care products in our Kitsilano salon. We invite you to come check them out! 778-379-9505