The Guide to Caring for High Porosity Hair

High porosity hair can be a pain to deal with at times, however, learning how to start caring for it doesn’t have to become a hassle.

Knowing your natural hair’s porosity will help you choose the best products and techniques to use in your regimen. It’s important for those with high porosity to find ways to retain moisture and keep their strands strong.

In this post, we’re going to discuss how to start properly caring for high porosity hair to keep it healthy, moisturized, and flourishing on your journey.

This blog post is in collaboration with Consy from Dominican Curly. If you have low porosity hair, check out her blog post here for more tips!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

What is High Porosity Hair?

High porosity hair has cuticles that are raised which makes it easy to absorb moisture. But unfortunately, you can lose that moisture just as quickly. For this reason, most people with high porosity deal with dryness.

Here are a few characteristics you may notice:

• Dry, brittle hair
• The appearance of dull hair
• Your hair tangles easily
• Styles dry quickly
• Hair is easily saturated with water

Caring for High Porosity Hair

Do Protein Treatments

High porosity hair has gaps in the hair shaft because of the cuticles being raised. Using protein will temporarily fill in those holes and provide strength.

Protein can also do the following:

• Provide fuller, thicker hair
• Improve elasticity
• Reduce breakage + shedding

Here are some of my favorite protein treatments:

• Nature’s Little Secret Milk Strengthening DC
• OBIA Naturals Babassu Hair Mask
• Camille Rose Algae Renew

Deep Condition Regularly

Deep conditioners contain nourishing ingredients that help to alleviate the symptoms of high porosity hair.

When you deep condition, it provides your hair with nutrients that help replenish moisture, promote elasticity, increase strength, and smooth down the hair cuticle.

In the last section, I gave you some of my favorite protein deep conditioners, however, moisturizing deep conditioners are important too!

Since high porosity hair is prone to dryness, you want to maintain a good moisture-protein balance by alternating between moisturizing deep conditioners and protein treatments as needed.

Here are some of my favorite moisturizing deep conditioners:

• OBIA Naturals Babassu Deep Conditioner
• Nature’s Little Secret Rose Deep Conditioner
• Shea Moisture Manuka Honey Masque

Related Post: 10 Effective Deep Conditioners for High Porosity Hair

Use Sealants When Styling

A sealant is applied to your hair to help lock in moisture. High porosity hair has raised cuticles, therefore, using a sealant will help to smooth them down and prevent moisture from escaping quickly.

A good technique to use is the LOC method. Layering your products in this order can limit frizz and increase moisture retention.

Some great sealants for high porosity hair are:

• Shea Butter
• Jojoba Oil
• Jamaican Black Castor Oil
• Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil

Limit Using Heat/Chemicals

You can be born with high porosity hair, however, there are other factors that can cause you to have this porosity, such as:

• Dyeing your hair
• Excessive use of heat tools
• Using other harsh chemicals

It’s important to limit how often you use heat if you want to maintain the health of your curls. Using heat and chemicals can cause damage to your strands and impact your curl pattern.

When you use heat, you want to have healthy hair care practices in place. Deep condition beforehand to add strength and limit damage to your hair. Also, choose a good-quality heat protectant and use the lowest heat setting on your tool.

Before purchasing a product, check the label to see what ingredients it’s formulated with. Try to stay away from anything with sulfates, mineral oil, or isopropyl alcohol since those can cause dryness.

Avoid Harsh Shampoos

An ingredient you should avoid using in your shampoos is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Sulfates are harsh cleansers that can strip the natural oils from your hair and scalp.

After cleansing, you may notice a “squeaky” feeling, an itchy scalp, or excessive dryness.

Since high porosity is prone to dryness, it’s best to use sulfate-free shampoos that provide a gentle cleanse without leaving the hair stripped. You also want to look for cleansers with natural, moisturizing ingredients.

Related Post: 6 Amazing Sulfate-Free Shampoos for Natural Hair

Detangle Carefully

It’s important to use the right tools and techniques to detangle your hair. Learning how to detangle carefully will reduce the chance of excessive breakage and damage.

One of my favorite hair tools is the Kazmaleje Paddle Comb. It’s sturdy and helps to detangle thick sections of hair without causing breakage.

Another good way to detangle is by using your fingers. Make sure you apply a product with a lot of slip and never detangle dry hair.

Incorporating these tips into your regimen will help you take care of your high porosity hair with ease. As long as you follow healthy hair practices, use good techniques, and choose quality products, you’re on the right track!

Check out these other posts!

• How to Determine Your Hair Porosity the Right Way
• What is a Pre-Poo and the Best Products to Use for Natural Hair
• 19 of the Best Natural Hair Gift Ideas for Women