What Is Porosity? High Porosity Hair Products vs. Low Porosity Hair Products- Hair Porosity 101
Summary
TLDRThis video dives deep into the topic of hair porosity, debunking common myths and clarifying the differences between low and high porosity hair. The host explains how hair cuticle structure affects porosity and that it's not a static characteristic but can change due to damage. The video offers practical tips on how to determine your hair's porosity and provides tailored hair care advice for both low and high porosity hair types, including product recommendations and techniques for maintaining healthy hair.
Takeaways
- 😀 The video discusses hair porosity, a topic with much misinformation, aiming to clarify common misconceptions.
- 🏠 Hair cuticles are compared to shingles on a roof, being made up of overlapping scales that form a hydrophobic barrier against liquid penetration.
- 🔒 Both normal and resistant hair types have flat cuticles, but resistant hair has an even tighter, more compact layer, making it more resistant to chemicals and moisture.
- 💧 Porosity refers to a hair's ability to absorb liquids, with porous hair having raised cuticles that allow for easier absorption compared to flat cuticles in normal or resistant hair.
- 🙅♀️ Contrary to popular belief, hair porosity is not a permanent characteristic and can change due to damage from various hair treatments.
- 📈 Damage is the primary factor affecting hair porosity, with increased damage leading to higher porosity levels.
- 🌡️ High pH hair care products can also increase porosity by damaging the hair, so it's important to use pH balanced or low pH hair care.
- 💦 Characteristics to determine hair porosity include how quickly hair absorbs water, dries after wetting, and how well products absorb into the hair.
- 🧪 A strand test can be done at home to assess hair porosity by feeling the texture of individual hair strands.
- 🛠️ Hair care tips for different porosities include adjusting protein use, choosing appropriate leave-in conditioners, and using deep conditioning masks effectively.
- 🌟 The video emphasizes that while porosity is important, other hair characteristics such as texture and curl pattern also significantly impact how a product works for an individual's hair.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video?
-The video focuses on explaining the concept of hair porosity, its effects, and how to care for hair with different porosity levels.
What is the hair cuticle and why is it important?
-The hair cuticle is the outer protective layer of the hair strand, made up of overlapping scales. It is important because it forms a hydrophobic barrier that resists the penetration of liquids and protects the hair from damage.
What is the difference between low porosity hair and high porosity hair?
-Low porosity hair has cuticles that lie flat, forming a tight barrier against liquid penetration. High porosity hair has raised cuticles, which do not form this barrier and readily absorb liquids.
Can hair porosity change over time?
-Yes, hair porosity can change due to various factors such as hair damage, chemical treatments, and heat styling, which can increase porosity over time.
What is a porosity gradient and what does it indicate?
-A porosity gradient refers to the varying levels of porosity along a single strand of hair, typically with higher porosity at the ends where the hair is more damaged and lower porosity near the root.
How can one determine if their hair is high or low porosity?
-One can determine hair porosity by observing how quickly their hair absorbs water, dries after wetting, and how products absorb into the hair. A strand test can also be performed at home for a preliminary assessment.
What are some common misconceptions about hair porosity?
-Some common misconceptions include the belief that hair porosity is solely dependent on hair type and is a permanent characteristic, and that low porosity hair is damaged hair, when in fact, the opposite is true.
How does hair damage relate to porosity?
-Hair damage increases porosity. Damaged hair has raised cuticles, which leads to higher porosity and an increased ability to absorb liquids.
What are some characteristics to look for in determining hair porosity?
-Characteristics include the speed at which hair absorbs water, the drying time after wetting, and how easily products absorb into the hair.
How can one care for high porosity hair?
-High porosity hair requires products with added proteins to strengthen and prevent breakage, as well as regular deep conditioning to maintain moisture. It's also important to avoid protein buildup by not overusing protein-rich products.
What are some hair care tips that are beneficial for all hair types, regardless of porosity?
-Some beneficial hair care tips for all hair types include oiling the hair before shampooing, using deep conditioning hair masks, properly conditioning the hair throughout the week, and using a clarifying shampoo to remove buildup.
Why is it important to use pH balanced hair care products?
-Using pH balanced hair care products is important because high pH products can damage the hair and increase porosity, leading to potential issues like dryness, brittleness, and breakage.
What are some recommended leave-in conditioners for resistant hair?
-For resistant hair, lighter weight leave-in conditioners like the Pureology Smooth Perfection Heat Protectant Smoothing Lotion and the Red Hair Oil are recommended to avoid product buildup.
How can one enhance the effectiveness of a deep conditioning hair mask for resistant hair?
-For resistant hair, placing the hair under a towel or shower cap while the deep conditioning mask is in can help. The heat from the towel or cap can lift the cuticles, allowing the product to penetrate the hair more effectively.
What is the role of proteins in hair care products?
-Proteins are one of the major structural components of hair. They help to strengthen the hair and prevent breakage, especially when the hair is damaged and has lost its natural protein content.
Why is it suggested to use protein-free products for resistant hair?
-For resistant hair, it's suggested to use protein-free products to avoid protein buildup, which can lead to hair issues such as stiffness and difficulty in managing the hair.
How often should one perform a strand test to check hair porosity?
-While there's no specific frequency, a strand test can be performed whenever one suspects a change in hair porosity or before making significant changes to their hair care routine.
What are some signs of protein depletion in hair?
-Signs of protein depletion in hair include increased damage, breakage, and a lack of strength and elasticity.
How does the video suggest using leave-in conditioners for different porosity levels?
-For resistant hair, lighter leave-in conditioners are recommended to prevent product buildup. For porous hair, slightly thicker leave-in conditioners can be used as they are more readily absorbed.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Hair Porosity
The video script begins with an introduction to the topic of hair porosity, which is a trending subject with much misinformation. The speaker aims to clarify misconceptions and provide detailed insights into low and high porosity hair, their characteristics, and how porosity can change. The analogy of hair cuticles being like shingles on a roof is used to explain the structure of healthy hair. The script also touches on the myth that porosity is a permanent characteristic, emphasizing that it can change due to hair damage, which is a common cause of increased porosity.
💧 Understanding Porous and Resistant Hair
This paragraph delves into the differences between porous and resistant hair, focusing on how quickly hair absorbs water and dries as indicators of porosity levels. The script discusses the signs to look for in determining hair porosity, such as the hair's reaction to water and product absorption. A strand test is suggested as a home method to assess porosity by feeling the texture of the hair. The video also addresses common hair care tips applicable to all hair types, emphasizing the importance of certain practices regardless of porosity.
🛠️ Hair Care for Different Porosities
The speaker provides hair care advice tailored to different porosity levels, starting with protein use. For resistant hair, the recommendation is to avoid protein buildup by being mindful of protein-rich products. Conversely, porous hair requires more protein to prevent breakage due to depletion. The paragraph also covers the importance of leave-in conditioners, suggesting lighter options for resistant hair and thicker options for porous hair. Additionally, it discusses deep conditioning strategies, such as using heat to enhance product penetration for resistant hair and recommending specific protein-free and protein-based deep conditioners.
🌟 Conclusion and Personalization in Hair Care
In the final paragraph, the speaker wraps up the discussion on hair porosity, emphasizing that while porosity is important, it is not the sole factor in hair care. Other elements such as hair texture and type also significantly influence how a product works for an individual. The speaker encourages viewers to experiment with products and find what works best for their unique hair needs. The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to share their thoughts and experiences with the discussed topics and products, and a reminder to subscribe and engage with the channel for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Porosity
💡Cuticle
💡Resistant Hair
💡Proteins
💡Damage
💡Deep Conditioning
💡Leave-in Conditioner
💡Product Buildup
💡Strand Test
💡Oiling
💡Clarifying Shampoo
Highlights
The video discusses the porosity of hair, a topic with a lot of misinformation, aiming to provide clarity.
Differentiates between low porosity hair and high porosity hair, explaining their key characteristics.
Explains that hair porosity is not a permanent characteristic and can change due to various factors.
Details how hair damage increases porosity, contradicting the belief that low porosity hair is damaged hair.
Introduces the concept of a 'porosity gradient', where different parts of a hair strand can have varying porosity levels.
Lists common causes of hair damage that can affect porosity, such as mechanical wear, chemical treatments, and heat styling.
Advises on the importance of using pH balanced hair care to prevent increased porosity.
Provides methods to determine hair porosity, including water absorption speed and product application.
Suggests a strand test to assess hair porosity at home for a more accurate understanding.
Recommends general hair care tips applicable to all hair types, emphasizing their importance regardless of porosity.
Explains the role of proteins in hair care and how it varies depending on the level of hair porosity.
Advises on the use of leave-in conditioners, tailored to resistant and porous hair types to prevent product buildup.
Recommends specific products for managing protein content in hair care routines.
Suggests techniques for deep conditioning, tailored to resistant and porous hair types for optimal absorption.
Emphasizes that while porosity is important, other factors such as hair type and texture also significantly impact hair care.
Encourages viewers to try recommended products but also to adjust their hair care routine based on their unique hair needs.
Transcripts
hey guys welcome back to my channel or
welcome if you're new here today's video
is going to be all about the porosity of
our hair and i'm going to dive into a
lot of detail on this topic that i'm
really excited about because i know that
this is a hot topic right now
and i have noticed that there is a lot
of misinformation out there about this
topic specifically so i feel like a lot
of the research that i actually found
to back up this video contradicts a lot
of the popular opinions out there about
porosity right now so
definitely will be a very eye-opening
video to say the least we're going to be
talking about low porosity hair versus
high porosity hair
what the key characteristics are of
those hair types and kind of what
differentiates them
i'll talk about what affects the
porosity of the hair if it's something
that can actually change
we'll talk about how to determine your
hair's porosity and
how to care for it best as well so if
you've been feeling a little bit
overwhelmed by this topic you're
definitely not alone it's a very
confusing one
this is going to be the perfect video
for you because we're just going to
break it down step by step and really
get to the bottom
of the truth about hair porosity before
we jump into it don't forget to
subscribe to my channel give this video
a thumbs up and drop a comment below
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thank you so much for doing all those
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my description box below
that is everything let's talk hair
porosity to understand hair porosity we
first need to understand how the cuticle
is structured and a helpful analogy that
i have seen that illustrates this well
is that the hair cuticle is kind of like
shingles on a roof and that's because
the hair cuticle
is made up of overlapping scales so this
is a photo of what a normal or undamaged
cuticle structure looks like
as you can see all of those overlapping
scales lie flat
and that actually forms a hydrophobic
barrier on the hair cuticle so that it's
resistant to penetration of liquids
then on the other hand we have something
called resistant hair so this hair type
also has cuticles that lie flat
but even more so than normal hair it has
a very tight compact cuticle layer so
both normal and resistant hair resist
chemicals and moisture to some degree
but the degree to which they resist
those things does vary so then what's
porosity and how does that come into
play
so porosity is actually the hairs
ability to absorb liquids and
a porous strand of hair has cuticles
that are raised
unlike on normal or resistant hair where
the cuticles lie flat
and because the cuticles are raised that
means that they no longer form that
tight hydrophobic barrier
that resists penetration of liquids so
porous hair types actually absorb
liquids a lot more readily than normal
or resistant hair types
this is where i think it's good to talk
about a myth that seems to be out there
that the porosity of your hair
whether it's resistant or porous is just
dependent on your hair type
and that that is something that is
permanent or an unchanging
characteristic
of your hair kind of like the same way
that having curly hair or having
straight hair would be
this is actually false the truth is that
the porosity of our hair not only can
change but often
does change as a result of things that
we do to our own hair
so let's talk about what affects
porosity there's one single word that
sums all this up perfectly
and that is damage the reason for that
is because hair damage
increases porosity so if you've ever
heard the phrase damaged porous hair
that is why those two words are really
interchangeable they absolutely go hand
in hand
and that definitely goes against one of
the popular beliefs that low porosity
hair is damaged hair the opposite is
actually true and the more that our hair
accumulates damage the longer it grows
the more our porosity increases so this
is something that i touched on
in a recent video where i busted a bunch
of hair myths i talked about something
called a porosity gradient and this
refers to the fact that on a single
strand of hair on your head
you will have different porosity levels
from the root
to the end you're going to have higher
porosity towards the ends where the hair
is more damaged
lower porosity towards the root so if
you haven't seen that video yet i will
list that below
i talk about a lot of other popular
topics in that video
porosity was just one of them there's a
lot of different things that can damage
the hair
and i'm not going to sit here and list
off every single one because i actually
have a video where i talk about hair
damage
and breakage and depth i'm gonna list
that below too any video that i
reference here that i think would kind
of be
helpful for more background will be
listed in my description box below so
that you can check out after this but
there's a lot of things that damage the
hair that we all are very well versed in
like mechanical wear and tear
chemical damage if you get the hair
bleached heat styling tools
anything like that contributes to damage
that can increase porosity
one of the things that contributes to
damage that i feel is not as well known
as things like chemical damage or heat
damage is actually using high ph hair
care that
increases the porosity of the hair
because it damages the hair so really
important to think about using ph
balanced hair care or low ph
hair care i do have a video on that as
well with some recommendations for
products if you want to know more about
that but
i would say those are the most common
things and the most kind of crucial
things
that can damage the hair and affect our
hair's porosity so now that we have a
pretty good handle on what resistant
versus porous hair is let's talk about
some of the characteristics that kind of
distinguish the two
that you can be on the lookout for if
you are trying to figure out what your
hair's porosity is
one of the things to look out for is how
quickly your hair absorbs water in the
shower so
if your hair gets fully wet within a
matter of seconds that is typically a
characteristic of high porosity hair
if it takes a while for you to fully wet
your hair that's typically a
characteristic of resistant or low
porosity hair
then kind of in that same vein how
quickly your hair dries after wetting it
is also an indicator of the level of
porosity that you have so if your hair
dries very very quickly
you may have high porosity hair whereas
if it takes your hair a long time to dry
you may have lower porosity hair this
isn't going to necessarily be
consistent across the board because you
could just have
a lot of hair and that's why it takes it
longer to dry even if you do have
more porous hair so again these are just
things to look out for it's not
necessarily a promise that that is your
exact hair type the last thing to be on
the lookout for
is what happens to your hair when you
apply product to it so like we were
talking about before
because porous hair has lifted cuticles
that doesn't have that tight resistant
layer anymore
products and liquids are going to more
readily absorb into the hair so if that
happens to you
really no problem with products
absorbing that's a characteristic of
having more porous hair
on the flip side if you find that
products don't easily absorb into the
hair they often just sit on top of the
hair
then you may have resistant hair if
you're still feeling a little bit lost
after that you're not fully sure
something that you can do at home is a
strand test again this is not
necessarily going to be perfect you may
like i said have different levels of
porosity
from one strand to the next or even on
one single strand of hair so you could
always confirm with your stylist
if you're still feeling confused about
this but if you wanted to do a quick
little test at home
what you can do is start off by taking
one single strand of hair
i'll do it now with y'all you won't even
be able to see it because my strands are
so small
taking that between your fingers and
running your fingers
lightly down all the way to the end of
the hair then repeat that with multiple
strands of hair to make sure that you're
not just testing one strand but you're
getting a little bit more of an accurate
read even though this is definitely not
a scientific
process by any means so if you have
normal to resistant hair
that will feel silky smooth to the touch
between the fingers
if you have very porous hair that is
going to feel rougher and
bumpier because that indicates that you
have a lifted cuticle okay so at this
point in the video i'm hoping that most
of us have a general feel for
what our level of porosity is so now
let's talk about how to care for that
i do want to start off by saying that a
lot of the hair care tips that i've
already shared on my channel
are important for all hair types to
consider so whether you have resistant
hair or very porous hair a lot of the
tips that i've shared over and over like
for example oiling the hair before you
shampoo it i love to sleep in hair oils
the night before i wash my hair using a
deep conditioning hair mask in the
shower leaving the hair properly
conditioned all week
and using a clarifying shampoo to remove
buildup can be helpful
and are important for all hair types so
i feel like with this topic specifically
the more that it gets talked about the
more people
fear that they're maybe doing the wrong
thing for their level of porosity but i
just wanted to start off by saying that
there's so many things that i feel like
are just non-negotiables and hair care
that are going to be important no matter
what your porosity is
but there are definitely a few things
that you can tweak depending on your
porosity so let's talk about that
let's touch on proteins first proteins
are one of the major structural
components of the hair so it's really
important to think about this when it
comes to your hair care products
but this is something that can really
vary depending on your level of porosity
because if you have resistant hair
with those really tightly packed cuticle
layers proteins are more likely to build
up on the hair
with that hair structure so it's
important not to overdo it with products
that do have added proteins
make sure that you still are
incorporating products with proteins
into your routine
but you probably have to be a lot more
mindful of the products that do have
those ingredients to make sure that
you're not overdoing it
otherwise you can end up with build up
that can lead to breakage so
if you want more help identifying
protein based ingredients if you want to
know how to look at a label and spot
those ingredients
i do talk about that in my rice water
update video so i will list that below
if you want more help there
one of my current favorite shampoo and
conditioner sets that is protein
free is the red can acidic bonding
concentrate range so
if you do feel that you're dealing with
some protein buildup switching to a
shampoo and conditioner set
that is free of proteins will be really
helpful to you on the flip side if you
have very porous hair you're going to
want to make sure that you are using
enough products that do have added
proteins
you still don't want to overdo it you
can still end up with build up even if
you have porous hair
but you have a higher need for proteins
in your hair care products
because as the hair becomes more and
more damaged the protein content
actually depletes
and that's one of the things that can
lead to breakage so to temporarily
strengthen the hair
and help to prevent future breakage it's
important to make sure that you do have
some added proteins
in your hair care products so pureology
strength care that's one of my all-time
favorite shampoo and conditioner sets
i've talked about that
so many times that has some added
proteins in it but another that i don't
talk about as much
that is really good and was recently
reformulated is the amika the cure bond
repair shampoo and conditioner
basically just has a lot of different
plant-based proteins that are great for
the hair
as well as really nice oils all around a
good set and one that is ph balanced too
next let's talk about leave-in
conditioner again super important
regardless of your hair type but if you
have resistant hair because this hair
type is more prone to product buildup
you want to make sure that you are
steering clear of things that are too
heavy that are just going to accumulate
on the hair throughout the week
especially if you are not washing the
hair every single day or you're not
using a clarifying shampoo daily so
you want to be on the lookout for
lighter weight leave-in lotions sprays
and
lightweight oils i only have two
leave-in sprays that are protein free
one is the kristen
sd tangling tonic the other is the amika
the wizard detangling primer so
both of these are more intended to be
detangling sprays but i still like to
use detangling sprays throughout the
week
because my hair does get so tangly and
these do still have conditioning
ingredients in them
the amica the wizard one though is
definitely a little bit more oil based
so while that can be really good at
preventing tangles
it may be something that throughout the
week does start to accumulate a little
bit more
than something like this kristin s de
tangling tonic if you do not want a
spray a couple other products that i
think are great for resistant hair types
are number one the pureology smooth
perfection heat protectant
smoothing lotion this one is much
lighter weight i'll just show you guys
right here then some other leave-in
conditioners
it's almost more sorry that lighting is
kind of weird like a serum
lotion i'm just gonna put a little that
in my hair now so
something that is definitely lighter
weight compared to other leave-in
conditioners that i have i love that
product
and then a really nice hair oil that is
not too too heavy is the red hair oil
all of those products still will work if
you have porous hair but you may be able
to tolerate products that are a little
bit thicker and you may prefer that as
well just because of how readily
porous hair types do absorb products so
if you want something
that is a little bit thicker for a
leave-in conditioner the red can acidic
bonding concentrate is great
still is a lightweight option but is
just a little bit
thicker than that pureology lotion
if you want to leave in that's a little
bit thicker than that the riogeo
farewell frizz blow dry perfection and
heat protectant cream is great and this
one is more protein focused so if you
are on the lookout for that
this is an excellent leave-in
and then one of my personal favorite
overnight combinations to condition the
hair
is actually a combination of two
different products olaplex number six
they're bond smoother with their number
seven bonding oil
this is a very very thick concentrated
product so a little bit goes a long way
and
if you have porous hair this may be
something that you're able to get away
with more than if you have resistant
hair so
i will just really use like two small
squeezes of this
add in a few drops of this bonding oil
rub that together and then run that
throughout my hair mid-week
i don't do that every single week but i
do like to do that if i feel like my
hair is in need of some extra love and
bond repair
and that conditions the hair so so well
last let's touch on deep conditioner so
both resistant and porous hair types can
benefit from a deep conditioning hair
mask but if you have resistant hair and
you find that deep conditioning hair
masks just don't do
enough for you or you feel like you
can't get the most bang for your buck
and using them then what i would
recommend
is to put your hair up in some sort of
towel or shower cap like this
while that mask is sitting in the hair
and while you're in the shower the heat
from that is going to lift the cuticle
to allow that product to more easily
penetrate the hair
since product does have a harder time
getting through the cuticle
i personally still love tying my hair up
in a towel like this this is from kitsch
by the way
it is so soft and gentle it has a really
nice microfiber material
love that another that i have that is
maybe a little bit more shower proof
because it's more of a towel material is
this aqueous
i believe it's called a towel turbine in
their product description so i'll link
both of these below
i still love to do this even though i
have porous hair so it's not like that
is something that porous hair types
can't do
it just may be that you don't find a
need to do that because your hair
absorbs that deep conditioner
a lot more easily than resistant hair
types a great protein free deep
conditioning hair mask that i've talked
about so many times before is the brio
be gentle be kind avocado and kiwi mega
moisture superfood mask i absolutely
love that
if you have porous hair and you're
looking for one that has more protein
based ingredients in it the
whey mask is incredible this one
specifically is their thick hair mask
even though i don't have thick hair i
love it it is so so amazing extra
conditioning with this one so i know
that for the most part here i didn't
really share any new products but that
wasn't really my intent
i wanted to talk about things that i
have recommended before and kind of
explain
how they could best be used depending on
your level of porosity but
i think it's important to keep in mind
that porosity is not
everything when it comes to our hair
there's so many other things that
impact how a product will work for your
hair if you have fine hair if you have
very coarse hair if you have really
curly coily hair or straight hair
there's a lot at play and it's not just
all about porosity so if i shared a
product let's say
for porous hair types that you feel
actually doesn't work very well for you
that's totally fine make sure to do what
does work for your hair type because
i can't possibly know every single
unique individual thing about your hair
because everyone's hair is so different
but with that that is it for this video
so i really hope that you guys found
this helpful i would love to hear your
thoughts in the comments below
is there something that i talked through
in this video that is actually
opposite of what you've been hearing on
social media because i feel like that
has definitely been a theme lately
or is there a product from this video
that you are excited to try out let me
know which one
if that is the case i'll make sure to
have all my sources for this video
listed in my description box below as
well if you are curious to read up on
those
or just kind of want to see what i am
using to back up videos like this
if you enjoyed this video and would like
more videos similar to this topic
you know the drill don't forget to
subscribe to my channel give this video
a thumbs up
and leave a comment below to help with
engagement instagram and tech talk
handle and my lightroom preset filters
again
listed in my description box below my
next video will be up in a few days so
stay tuned for that so you don't miss it
but until then
i hope you have a great few days
you
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