Low Proxy Hair
Low Porosity Hair: Characteristics and Tips for Care – Healthline
Hair porosity is a term that’s used to describe how well your hair is able to absorb and retain moisture and oils. If you have low porosity hair, it means the structure of your hair doesn’t easily allow moisture to be absorbed into your hair shaft. This can make it harder for water to saturate your hair when it’s washed. Because this type of hair tends to repel moisture, it can also be more challenging to process and style. Let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of low porosity hair, as well as some tips and advice on how best to care for it. Your hair is basically a collection of dead cells that are arranged in a distinct, three-layer pattern:The cuticle is the outermost layer of your hair. It comprises individual cuticles that overlap each other, like the tiles on a roof. The cortex is the middle and thickest layer. It contains fibrous proteins and pigments that give your hair its medulla is the central, innermost layer of the hair low porosity hair, the cuticles tend to overlap each other and are tightly packed together. Because there are no spaces between the cuticles, it makes it harder for water, as well as products like oils and conditioners, to deliver moisture to the hair shaft. Usually, if you have low porosity hair, it’s due to genetic factors. Using chemicals and heat on your hair typically doesn’t cause low hair porosity. When heat or styling does damage the cuticle layer, it’s more likely to result in high porosity hair. That means the cuticles are raised and have spaces between them. This can makes it hard for the hair shaft to retain moisture. Products sit on your hairIf you have low porosity hair, you may find that hair products tend to sit on your hair instead of being instance, you may apply an oil or moisturizer to the ends of your hair. Half an hour later, you may notice that the product is still on the surface of your hair. It may even come off on your fingers if you touch it. Your hair probably absorbed very little, if any, of the product. Washing and drying takes longerWith low porosity hair, washing and drying can take longer than you’d expect. Because water isn’t easily absorbed, you may find it can be difficult to get your hair really wet and for the water to fully penetrate your hair. Then, once your hair is wet, it can take a long time to air-dry. Even using a blow dryer may take longer than it does for others who have hair that’s the same length and thickness as yours. If you’re not sure what type of hair porosity you have, here’s an easy way to find out. Just follow these steps:Shampoo and rinse your hair well to remove any product buildup. Clean hair will give you the most accurate results. Dry your hair as usual. Take a strand of your hair and drop it into a clear glass of water. Watch the hair strand to see where it floats. When you have low porosity hair, you may be tempted to apply a larger quantity of a product, or more than one hair product at a time, in an effort to saturate your hair. But because the cuticles are so close together, not much product will penetrate, no matter how much you apply. The key is to find products that have the right formulation for low porosity hair. These products will have ingredients that can more easily penetrate your hair. Another important tip is to apply products when your hair is wet and warm. Heat can lift the hair cuticle, allowing oils and moisture to more easily penetrate the hair shaft. If you want to know what types of ingredients and products tend to work well for low porosity hair, here are some suggestions. ShampooShampoos that don’t leave a lot of residue are your best bet. Look for products that contain honey or glycerin. These ingredients can penetrate the hair cuticle more easily than products that contain oils. Some shampoos that may work well include:Kinky-Curly Come Clean Natural Moisturizing Shampoo. This no-residue shampoo is gentle enough to use on a daily basis. Garnier Fructis Curl Nourish Sulfate-Free and Silicone-Free Shampoo. This shampoo contains glycerin to help add moisture. It doesn’t have any sulfates or silicones that can rob hair of its natural moisture. Garnier Whole Blends Honey Treasure Repairing Shampoo. This shampoo for dry, damaged hair contains honey, which can be a key softening ingredient for low porosity hair. Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo. It’s a good idea to wash your hair once a week with a clarifying shampoo. This shampoo can remove residue that can build up on low porosity hair. ConditionerTry diluting your conditioner with a small amount of water when you apply it to your hair. This can help make the conditioner more easily absorbable and less likely to just sit on your hair. Some conditioners that may work well include:Davines OI All in One Milk. Milk conditioners like this one have a thinner consistency, which makes it easier to be absorbed. It also won’t weigh your hair down and leave it feeling oily. Spritz this conditioner on damp, towel-dried hair for softening results. DevaCurl One Condition Original. This creamy, daily use conditioner is well-suited for curly, low porosity hair. Deep conditionerSometimes your hair may need a little extra boost of moisture. One way to do this is with a weekly deep-conditioning treatment. It can help if you use a steamer, heat cap, or hooded dryer when you condition your hair. Or, you can put a shower cap over your hair once you’ve applied the deep conditioner, then use a blow dryer on the warm setting for a few minutes to heat up your hair under the cap. This can help open the cuticles. For low porosity hair, you’ll want to stay away from protein treatment conditioners. Protein formulas can increase the risk of hair breakage since they tend to pull moisture out of the hair. Some good choices for low porosity hair include:Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment, Citrus Lavender. This product has a high concentration of natural ingredients. It can help moisturize and soften your hair without weighing it down. Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Hair Cap System. This deep-conditioning duo comes with its own cap lined with conditioning ingredients as well as a conditioner you apply before putting on the cap. Styling productsIf you’re looking for effective curl- and style-enhancing products, these may work well:Eden Bodyworks Curl Defining Creme. This conditioning gel can help define curls while keeping them soft. Joico Ironclad Thermal Protectant Hair Spray. This pre-drying protectant helps you style your hair while protecting it against heat damage. It also won’t leave behind much residue. My Amazing Blow Dry Secret. This product can help cut down on blow-dry time, which is often a challenge with low porosity hair. With low porosity hair, it’s not easy for moisture and oils to penetrate the hair shaft. It can take longer for your hair to become saturated when you wash it. It may also be more challenging to process and style your hair. However, there are certain ingredients that can make low porosity hair easier to care for. Knowing the types of products to use, and which ones to avoid, can make a difference in the manageability and health of your hair.
5 Low Porosity Hair Care Tips You Will Want to Know
Learning about your natural hair is one of those things that will naturally begin to happen the more you experiment with your hair. Before I was natural I didn’t even realise that learning about your individual hair type was even a thing.
I thought that hair was hair and what works for one person would easily work for another. No wonder my hair had stunted growth back then. I had a lot of learning to do.
Once I had committed to being natural the phrase hair porosity started popping up and I had no clue what that was all about. All I knew was that some people had low porosity hair and others high porosity hair.
In actual fact, there is a lot more to it than that because knowing your hairs porosity will give you a lot of indication as to what will and will not work for your hair.
Low porosity hair care is completely different from high porosity hair care.
So we don’t end up with a dissertation on our hands today let’s take a look at low porosity hair care and why it should matter to you.
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What is Low Porosity Hair?
Having low porosity hair means that your hair finds it difficult to gain moisture.
The cuticles of your hair are laid down tightly flat making it difficult for moisture to get in.
If you want an idea of what this looks like imagine trying to add water to a shingled roof. It would be pretty difficult because the shingles are laid in such a way that it stops water from entering. Each shingle is overlapped to stop water from entering in.
Low porosity hair is the same. The cuticles are laid very much in the same way as a roof so when you try to add water to it it is very hard for the water to penetrate and your hair to absorb the water.
Depending on how tight the cuticles of your hair are will determine how much water can get in.
Those with low porosity hair have very tight cuticles and those with high porosity hair have very loose cuticles.
Thankfully if you do suffer from low porosity hair there are a few things that you can do about it which we will discuss in a moment so don’t feel too discouraged if you fall into this category.
How do you know if you have low porosity hair?
There is a simple test that you can do to discover if you have low porosity hair or not. This is very easy to do if you are not sure about the porosity of your hair.
Here’s how to do it.
Take a glass of water and a strand of your hair
Put your hair strand into the water.
If the strand floats at the top or takes a long while to sink further down the glass you have low porosity hair.
If your strand immediately sinks to the bottom you have high porosity hair meaning that your hair is absorbing too much water too quickly.
If your strand floats in the middle of the glass you have normal porosity hair. This is where we all hope to be and is the best position for your hair.
How To Care For Low Porosity Hair (5 tips)
All is not lost if you have low porosity hair, as mentioned before there are things that you can do to help your hair get the moisture that it needs to help it grow.
1. Steam Your Hair
Steaming your hair every now and again is a good way to get your cuticles to open and for moisture to be absorbed.
A good way to do this is to use a hair steam cap like this one or a steaming cap like this. Both of these options are fairly inexpensive and will make the world of difference to how your hair grows in the future.
When you apply heat to your hair the cuticles will naturally lift making it easier for moisture to be absorbed into the hair strand.
2. Use The Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is another great way to get your cuticles to lift.
You can moisturise your hair as you usually would then put on a shower cap over your hair. You can do this overnight or during the daytime if you are not going out.
If you are a little creative you can do it even when you are going out by covering the shower cap with a headscarf. I have done it many times in the past and no one had a clue what was going on under there.
You will notice that when you take off the shower cap there will be lots of steam and it will feel quite warm. This is exactly what you want to happen. The heat that is trapped in the shower cap will help the cuticles of your hair to open up.
You can get yourself some really cheap disposable shower caps here
It’s a great and easy way to get some moisture into your hair if you don’t have a lot of time during your day to dedicate to it.
3. Clarify Your Hair
Clarifying your hair is a really important thing to do every couple of weeks or so.
If you don’t take the time to clarify your hair you will find that your strands of hair will carry a lot of product build-up making it even more difficult for your strands to get the moisture that it needs.
You can easily clarify your hair by using a clarifying shampoo like this one. If you don’t like to shampoo your hair too often then make sure you are keeping your products light so you minimise product build-up.
4. Give Humectants A Try
Humectants help your hair because they take moisture out of the air and into your hair. They can be compared to magnets in this way, moisture magnets.
Glycerin is a good example of a humectant.
Just be sure to do some further research before trying to apply glycerin directly to your hair as you may need to dilute it. It also doesn’t work as well in some weather temperatures.
5. Deep Condition With Heat
It’s a good idea to get into the habit of deep conditioning your natural hair.
Deep conditioners are made to be much more penetrating than regular leave-in conditioners or a conditioner that you would use after shampooing your hair.
For extra attention, you should use a deep conditioner along with heat for added effect.
Deep conditioners usually require you to leave the conditioner on your hair for approximately 15 minutes before washing it off. Use this and sit under your hooded dryer to make sure the hair strands are well absorbed with moisture.
How To Moisturise Low Porosity Hair
It’s a good idea to have a low porosity hair regimen in place if you know you have low porosity hair so that you make sure your hair is always at its best.
Here are a few tips for you:
1. Pre-poo
Make sure you pre-poo before washing your hair. You can make your own pre-poo recipes by adding oils such as sweet almond oil, jojoba oil and grapeseed oil along with other ingredients.
You can apply them to your hair using the greenhouse effect explained above.
2. Wash Your Hair Regularly
Washing your hair weekly or every 2 weeks will keep it free of product build-up and give it another opportunity to absorb some moisture. Remember to wash your hair with warm water to open up the cuticles and then cold water at the end to seal in the moisture.
3. Moisturise Your Hair Mid-Week
Midweek moisturising is very important for your hair. If you don’t do this you could find that by the end of the week your hair will feel very dry and brittle to the touch. You don’t want that. Your aim is to have soft natural hair that is healthy.
Midweek moisturising doesn’t have to be too labour-intensive. You can add a little leave-in conditioner to your spray bottle mixed with water to use as a moisturiser. Make sure you give your hair a spray each time you redo your hairstyle.
Aloe vera gel or juice can also be used to help you seal in moisture. You can use a little bit of aloe vera in your spray bottle mixed with water.
4. Seal in Moisture
Always remember to seal in your moisture by using an effective oil for low porosity hair such as Baobab.
You should be using the LOC method to do this
5. Cover Your Hair
Always make sure when you are going to bed to use a satin headscarf or a satin pillowcase.
Using satin makes sure that any moisture that you apply to your hair will not be absorbed away by cotton or any other material. Satin does not absorb moisture which makes it really good to use at bedtime or any other time that you want to lay down.
How To Grow Low Porosity Hair
With the right care and attention, you can get your low porosity hair to grow long and healthy just like everyone else.
As we already know low porosity hair struggles to get moisture into the cuticle layer. In order for your hair to grow long and healthy, you need to make sure that the hair shaft is properly hydrated. You can do this by getting the cuticles to open up during certain treatments such as deep conditioning and streaming your hair. Once you are done you can rinse your hair off with cold or room temperature water in order for the cuticles to close again so that you are retaining moisture.
Another thing you should try to help with your hair growth is to do a rice water rinse. I know there has been a little scepticism around using rice water in your hair but honestly speaking it’s one of those things that you have to try before you can judge it.
The reason that rice water is great for growing low porosity hair is that it contains lots of vitamins and minerals that your hair can absorb.
You can make your own rice water by boiling rice on the fire and straining it with a sieve to get your rice water. You do not need to wash the rice beforehand because you want all the starch from the rice.
Once you have got your rice water you can mix it with a little bit of conditioner to help thicken it up then apply it to your hair.
You can read more about doing a rice water rinse here.
Low Porosity Hair Products
Best Oils For Low Porosity Hair
These oils are really good to use for low porosity hair care as they are light enough that they can be used without having a lot of product build-up and they won’t weight down your hair. Take a look at these really great oils for natural hair.
Best Shampoos For Low Porosity Hair
There are also some really good shampoos on the market for low porosity hair care. One of the most popular shampoos is Shea moisture low porosity protein-free shampoo.
Cantu shea butter sulfate-free cleansing shampoo and the As I Am curl clarity shampoo are also good options.
Best Conditioners For Low Porosity Hair
As I Am Coconut CoWash Cleansing Conditioner
Kinky-Curly, Knot Today, Natural Leave-in conditioner
Giovanni Hair Care leave-in conditioner
Does Low Porosity Hair Need Protein?
Low porosity hair does not need protein as it already carries a lot of its own natural protein called Keratin.
Low porosity hair is very protein sensitive so it’s best to stay away from products containing protein as it could make your hair feel very brittle and hard. This will only lead to breakage and damaged strands of hair.
Related post: Protein treatment for natural hair and why you might need it
Final Thoughts on Low Porosity Hair Care
Although having low porosity hair can feel like possibly the end of the world to begin with, it really is not. Once you know how to deal with low porosity hair it actually puts you at an advantage as you now know exactly how to manage your hair.
As explained above there are little things that you can do to help improve your position without having the low porosity hair issue work against you.
If you have any other tips on low porosity hair care I would love to hear them.
Related posts:
How to grow waist length hair that looks amazing (My top 5 tips)
6 Reasons your natural hair is not growing
Best gel for natural hairstyles
How Do You Know If You Have Low Porosity Hair ? (And How To Fix It)
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more Low porosity hair can be a fickle pain to matter how much moisturizers, deep conditioners, or proteins you throw at it …It will always look meh and fall ’s because, low po hair is tightly packed on the outside and won’t let anything porosity hair characteristicsAs a result:All the products you use on your hair sit on top causing unwanted buildup. Buildup that makes your hair dry, crunchy, and heavily weighed to mention, those filthy tangles that make you look like the bride of Frankenstein! Oh, and… Good luck trying to get your hair to hold on to any style! Now, if you suspect your hair is low porosity central …Don’t panic just if it’s showing any of these symptoms below before you go for the Of Low Porosity Hair Your hair struggles to keep moisture Your hair doesn’t work with conditioners You need heat to activate conditioners There’s always buildup and dirt in your hair You get more dandruff (clarifying dandruff shampoos for Afro hair) Your hair is too oily or too dry You spend ages drying your hairDoes this sound like you on a bad hair day? Truth is:You probably don’t even know what a good hair day feels like don’t ’s figure out if you have a Lo Po hair problem and let’s fix it 3 Minutes Hair Porosity TestHow do you know if you have low porosity hair? The floating testThe quickest way to find out if you have low porosity hair is by doing a strand these simple instructions: Clean your hair with a clarifying shampoo Fill a glass with distilled water Cut a strand of hair Drop it in the glass of water Let it sit for 3 minutes Finally check if you hair floats or sinksIf your hair floats with ease at the top, then it’s cursed with low Causes Low Porosity Hair? There are 2 main contributing factors to low porosity hair: It could be down to your genetics Or you are not deep cleansing your hair properlyThat’s right! While your regular shampoo gives you plenty of soapy bubbles time and brings out the Whitney Houston in you …It doesn’t do a good job at cleansing all the buildup from products you use said, here’s a list of them …Products You should Avoid On low Porosity HairNot all hair products leave buildup. But it’s important to note that: Some of them are low pH (which force the cuticles to shut) And some are too thick to break into the hair here’s the types of products you should avoid for non porous hair: Proteins Low pH products (They close the cuticles) Natural oils and heavy oils (Castor oil, Coconut oil) Co wash products Leave in conditioners Heavy butters (like raw shea)Let me explain why …These products are good only when your hair can digest them. If your hair struggles to take them in, being heavy and creamy, they aren’t doing you any of them as lazy molecules that won’t even break a sweat. They will just sit there waiting for your hair to absorb to absorb them, your hair needs energy and need to nurture your hair – SPOON FEED it again to start taking in The Hydration For Low Po HairI see hydration and moisture being used as similar terms on online forums and ’s not confuse hydration with are two completely different things. Read more here on Wikipedia: Hygroscopy (how hydration works)To summarise this for you: Hydrating: Ability to absorb moisture from outside Moisturizing: Ability to lock moisture that’s already insideHere’s an illustration we made to describe porosity hair characteristicsSo there you have member: Your hair won’t moisturize, if it’s not need products with hydrating agents like humectants that can suck in moisture from the surrounding and infuse it into your then, your moisturizer will work by keeping the moisture locked said that, these hydrating agents still need a bit of tightly packed hair cuticles need to wake up and let them in, and this is the difficult there’s a solution: The pH level of your you haven’t read about how pH levels affect your hair, check this out:Understanding high pH and low pH for hair »I’ll summarise this here for you anyway: Low pH: Closes your hair cuticles High pH: Opens your hair cuticlesSo how do you safely nudge them to wake up? Use A Clarifying Shampoo To Flex Those CuticlesNow, I won’t advise you do this daily, but once a week is good enough. A clarifying shampoo not only cleans the excess buildup, but it also allows your hair to hydrate by removing the dirt works by raising the pH to a safe level to deep cleanse and detox the hair and scalp fizzes away all the impurities that crystallize on your hair and block the pores on the scalp. Only then, your hair is ready to seep in the goodness from deep Heat To Infuse Humectants Into Your HairTo use hydrating products (deep conditioners and masques), you need to leave them in your hair for at least 5 I recommend you use heat if you want to get the best out of this. I use a hair steamer at home because it works well. I couldn’t be asked doing the old school baggy or shower cap methods. They were getting a bit too messy for me and hard to keep up why do you need heat? Well that’s because steam from the heat opens up the pores and the hair cuticles to voraciously swallow up all the nutrients from your deep makes your hair absorb. And that’s EXACTLY what you this for a few days and you’ll see a huge you want to know where I got my hair steamer from, here it is:And it’s not outrageously expensive either. Oh! And did I mention… I use it to steam my face as well. It’s like having my own mini spa at home. Can’t help of all, you can give your hair a therapeutic treat by adding a drop of essential oil like tea tree or lavender. I love it! The Low Porosity Hair Products That WorkOk, so you now know what products you should avoid and what ’s a quick recap:DON’T DO THESE: Low pH Products: They close the cuticles Proteins: They are too heavy for your hair Natural Oils: Again too rich and heavy. They will stay on top Co-Washing: They don’t have surfactants to cleanse Leave Ins: They only cause more buildup Heavy Butters: Not just yet! DO THESE: Clarifying Shampoo: Remove buildup and flex hair cuticles Hydration: Use deep conditioners with humectants Hair Steamer: Opens the hair layers to absorb nutrients Now let me show you what to get (and how to keep it simple) Shea Moisture set contains the right products to get you started: A clarifying shampoo An intensive hydrating conditioner And the hair masque you can use with heatAnd to get the best out of them …Grab this hair steamer (it’s cheaper than a trip to your hair salon! )ConclusionMending low porosity hair is not as hard as most people you understand the root of the problem, that’s half of it it with a methodical approach – Use the right products in the right people struggle with where to start and with overwhelming discussions on online forums, it makes the whole thing more ’s keep it this 2 step solution and see how your hair starts to flourish porosity hair is all about clarifying, then hydrating.
Frequently Asked Questions about low proxy hair
How do you treat low porosity hair?
How To Moisturise Low Porosity HairPre-poo. Make sure you pre-poo before washing your hair. … Wash Your Hair Regularly. Washing your hair weekly or every 2 weeks will keep it free of product build-up and give it another opportunity to absorb some moisture. … Moisturise Your Hair Mid-Week. … Seal in Moisture. … Cover Your Hair.
What are signs of low porosity hair?
Signs Of Low Porosity HairYour hair struggles to keep moisture.Your hair doesn’t work with conditioners.You need heat to activate conditioners.There’s always buildup and dirt in your hair.You get more dandruff (clarifying dandruff shampoos for Afro hair)Your hair is too oily or too dry.You spend ages drying your hair.Oct 22, 2017
Is low porosity hair bad?
Low Porosity Hair Can Look and Feel Its Best And there you have it — low porosity hair isn’t as bad as you think. Thanks to fewer pores on its cuticles, it’s the closest thing to undamaged hair fibers (aka relatively healthy hair) and can do well on a low-maintenance routine.
