Hair Porosity: Help for Dry, Damaged Hair (Part 1)

Porosity refers to the hair's ability, or inability, to absorb water or chemicals deep into the cuticle layers and cortex. All hair is naturally porous and somewhat permeable to water.

Low or "poor porosity" refers to hair that does not readily absorb moisture and resists chemical treatments. Poor porosity is not exactly a problem that should cause you great concern. It is, however, ideal to have hair that falls somewhere in the middle of the two porosity extremes: hair with good porosity that retains moisture well and accepts chemical treatments.

The Sponge
Our hair has the ability to absorb up to 50% of its weight in water! This absorption and lengthening is why wet hair feels heavier than dried hair. Think of a sponge. When the sponge is fresh and new, it is able to absorb a good amount of water and hold the moisture inside very well. As the sponge ages, the pores become distorted, the fabric of the sponge is weaker, and it begins to lose its shape. Because the old sponge cannot hold the amount of water it once could, it is said to be more porous or have higher porosity than the new sponge.

The following questions will help you determine whether or not your hair is overly porous:

Does your hair continuously soak in moisture without ever actually feeling moisturized?
Is your hair chronically dry despite your best conditioning efforts?
Does your hair appear/feel puffy, frizzy, swollen, or tough to the touch?
Does your hair have a natural, reddish toned cast to it that is usually more pronounced in spring and summer time?
Does your hair hold styles and curl well?

If you've answered yes to any of the above hair characteristics, and these characteristics appear more pronounced toward the ends of your hair, you may have a problem with your hair's porosity level.

Causes of Porosity Problems
There are two main conditions that aggravate the physical integrity of the cuticle layer, and thus, the hair's porosity level.