Why do a hair porosity test?

Hair porosity matters for proper hair care. What exactly does this term mean, and why is it worth doing a hair porosity test? You’ll find the answers below.

What Does Hair Porosity Mean?

Hair consists of three layers – the cuticle, the cortex and the medulla. The first of these is the outer layer, which protects the hair against loss of moisture. It is this part of the hair that determines its porosity, that is, the degree to which the hair cuticles lift away from the cortex. The smaller this degree, the healthier and smoother the hair is.

Accordingly, low-porosity hair is smooth, soft, shiny and elastic. It is not prone to damage or tangling, but on the other hand it dries very slowly, is quite hard to style, and its styling generally does not last long. Medium-porosity hair, on the other hand, is smooth but tends to frizz, and sometimes tangles. It is styled fairly easily, but is slightly harder to comb than low-porosity hair. High-porosity hair is characterised by brittleness, a tendency to break and frizz. Using a hairdryer, curling tongs or straighteners has a very bad effect on its condition. The advantage is that this hair type dries very quickly, but its care is rather difficult and requires considerable attention.

Why do a hair porosity test?

It’s worth doing the porosity test, because only by knowing your hair type can you choose the right care for it, including shampoos, conditioners or oils that will give your hair shine and elasticity and restore its healthy look. Low-porosity hair uses unsaturated oils, such as coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, mango butter or coffee butter. For medium-porosity hair it is worth using monounsaturated oils, namely olive oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, macadamia oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, argan oil, castor oil, rapeseed oil, plum kernel oil or sea buckthorn oil. High-porosity hair especially values polyunsaturated oils, i.e. chia seed oil, corn oil, soybean oil, linseed oil, poppy seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, sunflower oil, hemp oil, grape seed oil or black cumin oil.

Importantly, the hair porosity test can even be done at home. Once you have the results, you will be able to choose the right oil for your hair, so that it becomes moisturised and its structure improves significantly.