Hair Porosity Test: The 1-Minute Trick + 9 Hair Care Tips From Experts
Hair care, when you really dive into it, is complicated. See, hair has so many variables: To start, you have your hair type, which ranges from straight to kinks and coils. You also have your scalp type, which can range from oily to dry to irritated (sort of like your facial skin). Then you can have dense hair or sparse hair. You can have a thick strand diameter or you can have thin.
One of the most critical things to know about your hair is its porosity. Let's dive in, shall we?
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Hair porosity: What is it, and why does it matter?
To understand hair porosity, you should know a bit about the hair structure—specifically the outermost layer. "The outer layer of the hair strand is called the cuticle layer. It's called this because it is made of little tiny cuticles that lie slightly over one another," says hairstylist Danielle Malary of Lumiere Vive Salon. The most common analogy to use is like shingles on a roof: The shingles slightly overlap one another, so there are no gaps for water to seep through. Porosity comes in, maybe you've guessed by now because when something is porous, it is more able to absorb moisture. Thus hair that is "more porous" has more pores between the cuticles for water to get through.
"Hair porosity describes how the hair's cuticle absorbs and holds on to moisture in its pores—hence, the term porosity," says hairstylist Miko Branch, co-founder of hair care brand Miss Jessie's.
Now, hair porosity is a spectrum, ranging from high to low. It's good to know roughly where you fall on it, as it can determine how you care for and style your strands. We'll get into it more later, but as a briefer: Hair that has high porosity means the cuticles are more open, so hair absorbs water easily. But it also means it evaporates easily. Hair that has low porosity has dense cuticles. This means the hair has a harder time absorbing water, product, or even your scalp's natural oils, and you'll see buildup faster. It also takes longer to dry after getting wet as it's holding all that water in. Then you can fall somewhere between these two ends of the spectrum, which is considered medium porosity.
Porosity matters because it will affect how you care for and style your hair. We tend to think of hair care just in terms of hair type. Or, we may even consider our scalp type or how thick or thin our hair is. But one of the most important considerations for care is actually porosity—and many people don't actually know what their level is. That's why it's so important to test yours.
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Hair porosity test.
The classic test to evaluate your hair porosity is super simple—deceptively so—but it can help you understand your hair so much better. It's worth trying, no matter your hair woes, as it will help you care for strands more effectively.
- You'll want to make sure you're testing on freshly shampooed and dry hair. If your hair or strands have buildup, it will affect the results of the test (as some hair products leave a coating on the strands, which will affect the porosity).
- Fill a clear glass of water. You'll want clear because you want to see what happens to your hair when you drop it in (your next step). Fill the glass with water.
- Drop in the hair and see if it floats or sinks to the bottom. If it floats, you have low porosity hair. If it sinks to the bottom, you have high. If it's somewhere in the middle you have medium or normal porosity.
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Don't have time at the moment to try the water test, but want a quick indicator? Well, here's a simple way to get an idea: Simply slide a single hair between two fingers. If the strand is bumpy, that means the cuticles are lifted and there are gaps in the strand—meaning it's porous. If it's smooth, then it's not porous. However, we still recommend doing the water test.
High porosity
So your strand sank. Now you know you have porous hair, in which water tends to flow more freely in and out. So hair absorbs water easily, as noted above, but it also means it evaporates easily. If this is you, here are a few qualities that might give it away: After a shower, your hair dries very quickly. It also becomes dry and brittle easily, needing moisturizing agents between washes. And when you do apply products, your hair will "drink" it up. Hair that has high porosity also tends to frizz easier and has a more matte appearance.
The top 3 hair care tips, here:
- Only use low heat or air dry. "Freshly washed, high-porosity hair will absorb the moisture very quickly—and dry very quickly," says Branch. Take advantage of this key characteristic. Since it dries easier and quicker, you likely won't need to blast it with high-wattage blow-dryers to get the job done.
- Protect the strand. Because the hair's outer is so fragile, don't subject it to too much wear and tear via over-styling, brushing, and washing. And regularly coat the hair with hydrating products to help reinforce that outer cuticle.
- Use a pre-shampoo treatment. "The good news is that when you have high-porosity hair, essential proteins and hydrating oils are also easily absorbed—so take advantage of it," says Branch, noting you should use treatments like pre-shampoo masks and oils.
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If you want a full list of hair care tips, please visit our full guide to high-porosity hair.
Low porosity
Hair that has low porosity has dense cuticles. This means the hair has a harder time absorbing water, product, or even your scalp's natural oils, and you'll see buildup faster. It also takes longer to dry after getting wet as it's holding all that water in; you'll also find that this hair type doesn't deal with frizz as much since water in the air doesn't affect the cuticle as drastically.
- Keep an eye on the ends. "Make sure to get trims regularly; because the hair is resistant to moisture, the ends tend to become dry and brittle faster," says Malary.
- Apply conditioner in sections. "A great way to ensure hydration in low-porosity hair is to keep the hair wet with warm water as you apply conditioner to small sections and work through with your hands to ensure better distribution of moisture," says Matrix artistic director and celebrity stylist Nick Stenson.
- Use steam to your advantage. Low-porosity hair has the fun task of opening up the cuticle to get moisture in. When you use conditioning treatments, heat and steam are going to be your friends. Try a hot oil treatment, or use a hair mask in a warm, humid environment, like a sauna, hot yoga class, or shower.
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If you want a full list of hair care tips, please visit our full guide to low-porosity hair.
Medium or "normal" porosity
If you fall somewhere between these two ends, you're in luck: Your hair tends to be less high maintenance, as it doesn't swing to extremes on either end. Now you may have other things that concern you, like getting your curl pattern just right or adding volume, but as far as hydration and absorption are concerned, you're in the sweet spot.
That doesn't mean you can do whatever your heart desires, however—there are ways to make sure your hair stays healthy. Quick tips, here:
- Try not to overprocess it. Just because your hair has a nice cuticle balance doesn't mean it stays that way no matter what. Heat, chemical, and color processing can blast open the cuticle, causing damage and gaps in the outer layer. This means you can actually make your hair more porous than it would otherwise be.
- Don't let products build up on the strand. You can also push your hair in the opposite direction with product buildup. Certain styling tonics and creams can leave a film around the hair—particularly when made with oil-based silicones—that are hard to get off in the wash. The seal closes the cuticle and makes it lie flat, essentially making your hair less porous.
The takeaway.
Porosity matters. Thus, it's essential that you know about your hair traits' so you can better care for it. Luckily, there's a very easy test to try, which will guide you in the right direction.
Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com. In her current role, she covers all the latest trends in the clean and natural beauty space, as well as lifestyle topics, such as travel. She received her journalism degree from Marquette University, graduating first in the department. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.