Mansa's Blog - Qu’est ce que c’est la porosité ?

What is porosity?

When it comes to hair care, especially for textured hair, porosity is an often-mentioned but little-understood term. Understanding hair porosity is essential to developing an effective and tailored hair care routine. But what is hair porosity and why is it so important, especially for textured hair?

What is Hair Porosity?

Hair porosity refers to the hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. It depends on the structure of the cuticle, the outer layer of the hair. The cuticle is made up of small scales that can be more or less open, thus influencing the porosity. There are three levels of porosity: low, medium and high.

Low Porosity : The cuticle scales are tight and closed. The hair has difficulty absorbing moisture and hair products have difficulty penetrating.
Medium Porosity : The scales are slightly open, allowing for optimal moisture absorption and retention.
High Porosity : The scales are widely open, allowing the hair to absorb moisture easily, but lose it just as quickly.

The Importance of Porosity in Textured Hair Care

Textured hair (curly, coily, kinky) often presents unique care challenges. Understanding porosity can transform the way you approach your hair care routine.

Choice of Products

For low porosity hair, it's essential to use lightweight, non-weighting products that absorb easily. Ingredients like aloe and glycerin can be beneficial.
Medium porosity hair typically benefits from a wide range of products. It responds well to lightweight oils and moisturizers.
For high porosity hair, using rich, nourishing products, such as butters and heavy oils (like castor oil), is recommended to help seal in moisture.

Hydration and Moisture Retention

Low porosity hair may require techniques such as co-washing (washing with conditioner) and using steam to help open the cuticles.
For medium porosity hair, a balanced routine of washing, moisturizing, and sealing in moisture is often enough.
High porosity hair benefits greatly from regular protein treatments to strengthen the hair structure and sealing methods like the LOC (Liquid, Oil, Cream) technique.

Care Techniques

Low porosity hair may require techniques such as co-washing (washing with conditioner) and using steam to help open the cuticles.
For medium porosity hair, a balanced routine of washing, moisturizing, and sealing in moisture is often enough.
High porosity hair benefits greatly from regular protein treatments to strengthen the hair structure and sealing methods like the LOC (Liquid, Oil, Cream) technique. moisture.

How to test hair porosity?

A simple way to test hair porosity is to place a clean strand of hair in a glass of water:

If the strand floats, your hair has low porosity.
If it flows slowly, they have medium porosity.
If it flows quickly, they have high porosity.

Conclusion

Understanding hair porosity is a key part of optimizing hair care, especially for textured hair. This knowledge helps you choose the right products and techniques to maintain the health and beauty of your hair. Adopting a hair care routine that matches your hair porosity can transform your hair experience, leaving your hair stronger, shinier, and more hydrated. Take the time to discover your hair porosity and adapt your care accordingly to unlock its full potential.