Whereas high porosity strands have more space between the cuticles or less layering, high porosity is often the driest of the bunch because water just flows in and right back out. Medium porosity is most ideal since moisture is able to penetrate but doesn't easily escape — essentially it's the best of both worlds.
Lower porosity is generally great. It is still true that higher hair porosity absorbs water and product quickly and just can't hold on to it while lower porosity hair maintains better moisture.
Medium hair porosity is an easy type of hair to maintain as moisture can penetrate and retain itself for a long time. This hair type can be styled and coloured but be careful not to do it often.
There is no such thing as a rare hair porosity. Hair porosity is a measure of how easily hair can absorb and retain moisture, and it can vary from low to high. All three types of hair porosity (low, medium, and high) are common and can occur in individuals of any ethnicity and hair type.
If you have colored, bleached or damaged hair, it tends to be of higher porosity than virgin hair. Also, one person has have several porosities at once - the ends of the hair tend to be more porous than the ones near the scalp.
We often get asked this and yes, frizzy hair is usually a sign of high porosity. When the cuticle is open or damaged, it allows moisture to escape, leaving the hair dry, brittle, and prone to frizz.
It can be more vulnerable to certain scalp problems and tends to be dryer and more prone to breakage, whereas Asian hair usually has higher porosity levels, absorbing and retaining moisture more quickly.
This can lead to hair that is dry, damaged, and has a tendency to tangle easily. When you have high porosity hair, there is an imbalance. Your hair is porous enough to let the moisture out but not porous enough to let the moisture in.
High porosity hair : dry within 2-4 hours. Medium porosity hair : dry between 4 and 6 hours. Low Porosity Hair : Needs more than 8 hours to dry.
Grade 1 Porosity: Virgin hair that has been exposed to little or no environmental damage. This is very hard to find, and it's more common in straight hair. The cuticles on this hair type are extremely tight, and they don't allow moisture in or out.
Low porosity is when your hair is water-resistant, making it harder for moisture to be absorbed into your strands. High porosity hair easily absorbs moisture, but it's harder for the hair to retain or hold onto that moisture.
Having High Porosity hair means your hair cuticles are fully open and can absorb moisture easily but it does not retain moisture very well. So easy in, easy out!
Additionally, your hair's natural oils struggle to travel from the roots to the ends due to the tightly packed cuticles. As a result, low porosity hair tends to be: Dry and/or frizzy, especially at the ends. Prone to product build-up, resulting in weighed-down or limp hair.
High porosity hair is notoriously tough to grow. It's typically a pretty slow process, since high porosity hair often breaks off faster than it grows in.
In the case of low porosity hair , the cuticles are naturally closed, leaving little room for moisture to penetrate naturally. Low porosity hair can also be difficult to style, as it tends to get oily quickly and doesn't last long.
High porosity hair typically absorbs moisture quickly but loses it just as fast, leading to issues with dryness, brittleness, and frizz.
Grade 2 Porosity: This is still natural virgin hair, but it's been exposed to some type of environmental damage. This applies to most people with virgin hair. The hair is still very healthy and easy to manage. It doesn't tangle too much and looks shiny.
We tend to think of curly hair as dense and prone to dryness. Low porosity curls tend to be looser, wavy, or S-shaped. The curls are distinct with a tight, flat cuticle that prevents moisture from entering and exiting the hair. This is why low porosity hair can often look limp or flat.
People with high-porosity hair should try to limit things like heat and chemical treatments. These can further damage cuticles, making it even harder for your hair to retain moisture and nutrients. If you live in an area with high humidity, avoid products with humectants.
It's Low Porosity
Hair porosity also affects drying time. High-porosity hair dries faster because water enters and exits it more easily. Conversely, low-porosity hair is much harder to saturate, and once wet, it holds on more strongly to the water. "Low porosity hair takes forever to dry," Hardges tells us.
As your hair has an acidic PH, usually 5.5, it will react much better to slightly acidic products. Alkaline or basic pH shampoos and conditioners cause the hair to swell and the cuticles to open - increasing the hair porosity.
Can white people have low porosity hair? Yes, people of all races and ethnicities can have low porosity hair. Hair porosity is determined by the structure of the hair cuticles, which can be influenced by genetics, hair care practices, and environmental factors.
Type 1A is the rarest hair type and is stick-straight without even a hint of a wave.
How Often Should You Wash High Porosity Hair? Well, the most effective healthy hair routines allow for a gap between washes of 4-5 days to one full week. In between, you can co-wash your hair using only conditioner to keep it healthy. If you live an active lifestyle, there are a few tricks to keeping your curls fresh.
Asian hair is the thickest, with a larger diameter of about 70 µm. Caucasian hair has an average diameter of 65 µm, and African hair is the finest, with a diameter of 55 µm. The cross-section of Asian hair is the most round and uniform, Caucasian hair has an elliptical shape, and African hair has a flattened shape.