How to Moisturize & Seal High Porosity Hair
Last updated on June 26th, 2020 at 03:23 pm
Just like low and medium porosity hair, high porosity hair needs moisture. The problem with high porosity hair is the moisture escapes quite easily. This post will share with you tips on moisturizing high porosity hair. Now, in the interest of disclosure I can not provide personal experiences as I don’t have high porosity hair. I have a mix of low and medium porosity on my head (mostly low).
The information you are about to read is based on my research and information shared from around the web.
With high porosity hair that’s also fine hair, you’d follow the tips on handling the hair as shared in moisturizing fine low porosity hair.
Moisturizing High Porosity Hair: Moisture Tips
High porosity hair is hair that’s classified as having a cuticle layer that’s raised with holes or gaps along the hair shaft. It’s usually (but not always) damaged hair caused by things like chemical treatments and damage from heat styling causing the cuticles on the hair shaft to lift.
It’s difficult to get hair with this level of porosity to retain moisture.
While hair with this porosity level or type very readily receives moisture, too much moisture isn’t a good thing. It can leave your hair feeling mushy and make it more prone to breakage. Once moisturized, you have to be diligent to keep high-po hair from losing too much moisture.
Since the cuticles on a high porosity strand of hair are very loose, you’ll want to use products and techniques that help flatten the cuticle while also repairing the hair shaft, if even temporarily.
Protein treatments
Protein is your friend because it helps fill in the gaps on the hair shaft. You still must balance out protein treatments with moisture but they should be a regular part of your hair regimen. Use products containing protein that reconstruct. Aphogee Green Tea and Keratin Reconstructor is a great one. Especially, when you are having some breakage.
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Deep Conditioning for Moisturizing High Porosity Hair
Like with other products, work your deep conditioner into your hair in a smoothing motion. Anything that encourages laying flat of the cuticle is a must.
Use thick conditioners and heavy butters to seal moisture into your hair. While heavier products may not necessarily be recommended for those with fine hair, the appearance of a style is not nearly as important as the condition or state of the hair’s health. Heavier moisturizing and sealing products work best at sealing high porosity hair.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Aloe Vera
Just like with low and normal porosity hair, after moisture is imparted to the hair, it needs to be sealed in and the hair’s pH level needs to be adjusted. This can be done with either an apple cider vinegar rinse or an application of aloe vera juice or gel.
Avoiding Heat
Heat can be to the detriment of high porosity hair. It’s already damaged due to the gaps and holes on the cuticle layer. When washing your hair, do so in cool water and make your final rinse a cool one to encourage your cuticle to close down. Allow your hair to air dry or use nothing more than a very cool shot of air.
There are additional resources on the web with great information for those with high porosity hair. Just do a search on Google or on Youtube for more visual help.
I loc/lco method to moisturize my high porosity hair but I feel like i don’t get as much out of it with soaking wet (like after I wash and deep condition my hair). Is the trick to only do this on damp or dry hair?
Hi, have you tried some of the tips in the article? Khadija (in the video) has high porosity hair and she shares a lot of tips on her Youtube channel. The article that I’ve written is from a general knowledge but since I don’t have high porosity hair, I can’t speak from personal experience. You may have to go through a bit of trial and error.