Low Porosity vs High Porosity Hair: How to Tell and What to Do

If your hair feels dry no matter how much product you use, or it soaks everything up and still feels thirsty, the problem may not be your products. It may be your porosity.

Porosity is how easily your hair takes in water and how well it holds on to it. Once you know yours, you stop wasting product and start using what works.

Low porosity hair

The outer layer of each strand lies flat and tight, so water and product have a hard time getting in.

Signs you have low porosity hair

• Water beads up on your hair before it soaks in
• It takes a long time to get fully wet in the shower
• Products sit on top or leave a film
• Build-up happens fast

How to care for it

• Apply products to warm, damp hair. Warmth helps them sink in.
• Use light layers. Mist with Biotin & Honey Leave-In Spray, then a thin layer of Shea Butter Leave-In Moisturizer.
• Finish with just a drop of Chebe Hair Oil on your ends.
• Deep condition with a little heat, like a warm towel or a hooded dryer.
• Reset every 2 to 4 weeks with Scalp Reset Shampoo so build-up doesn’t block your moisture.

High porosity hair

The outer layer is raised or worn, often from heat, color or lots of styling. Water rushes in, then rushes right back out.

Signs you have high porosity hair

• Your hair gets wet instantly
• It dries very fast
• Frizz shows up easily
• It feels dry again soon after you moisturize

How to care for it

• Seal right away. Use the LOC order: Leave-In Spray, then Chebe Hair Oil, then Shea Butter Moisturizer.
• Deep condition every week with Peach Deep Conditioner.
• Go easy on heat and keep your ends tucked and protected.
• Sleep in a satin bonnet to hold moisture overnight.

How to tell which one you have

Watch your hair in the shower. If water beads up and takes a while to soak in, you likely have low porosity. If your hair is soaked in seconds and dries fast, you likely have high porosity. Somewhere in between is normal porosity.

For a quicker answer, take the free 10-question hair quiz in the Krowned app. It asks about your porosity and builds your hair profile and wash schedule for you.

There is no bad porosity

Low and high porosity hair can both be soft, strong and long. The key is matching your routine to how your hair drinks. Want the full routine? Read How to Build the Perfect Moisture Routine.

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