Hair Care 101: Hair Porosity Explained - Test, Understand & Treat Your Hair Right !

Do You Know Your Hair Porosity?

Unlock the secret to how your hair absorbs and retains moisture. 

 

Hair porosity is the first thing one needs to know about hair. It helps to further understand what is the problem hair are facing, causes, and choosing the products that would actually work !

 

✨ Why Hair Porosity Matters

Hair porosity tells you how easily your hair absorbs and retains moisture, which is crucial when choosing products or treatments.

💡 Think of your hair like a sponge.
When it retains the right amount of water, it's soft, flexible, and full. But a dry sponge? It's stiff, cracks easily, and won’t absorb anything more.

👉 That’s why understanding your hair porosity is so important— Hair can be of low porosity, medium porosity and high porosity. Let us understand each one and what kind of care suits best. 

Knowing your porosity = choosing products that actually work.

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🧪 Step 1: How to Check Your Hair Porosity

Here are 3 easy methods you can try at home:

🥄 1. The Water Glass Test

How:

• Take a few clean, dry strands of hair and drop them into a glass of water.

• Wait 2–4 minutes.

Result:

• Sinks quickly → High Porosity

• Floats in the middle → Medium/Normal Porosity

• Floats on top → Low Porosity

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✋ 2. The Slip & Slide Test

Run your fingers upward along a strand of hair toward your scalp.

• Feels bumpy → High Porosity (cuticles are lifted)

• Feels smooth → Low Porosity (cuticles are flat)

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💨 3. The Drying Time Test

After a hair wash, observe how quickly your hair dries without using a dryer.

• Dries quickly → High Porosity

• Takes time to dry → Low Porosity

• Dries evenly and normally → Normal Porosity

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🔍 Step 2: Understanding the Types of Hair Porosity

Here's a simple breakdown:

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🌿 Step 3: What Should You Use Based on Your Porosity?

Let’s break it down further 👇

💧 Low Porosity Hair

Common in: Thick straight/wavy hair
What works:

• Water and gel based products work best like hair spray & hair gels.

• Lightweight, low viscocity oil, non-comedogenic oils like argan, grapeseed, or almond oil

• Use natural heat (like warm towel wraps) to open cuticles before applying oil/mask or after applying hair spray. 

🧴 Avoid: Heavy butters, thick creams—they’ll just sit on the surface

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⚖️ Medium Porosity Hair

Common in: Most balanced Indian hair types
What works:

• Coconut oil, bhringraj oil, hibiscus mask

• Weekly deep conditioning

• Occasional protein packs (curd, methi)

🧴 Avoid: Overuse of protein treatments—they can make hair brittle

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🌀 High Porosity Hair

Common in: Chemically treated or highly curly/coily hair
What works:

• Shea butter, mango butter, avocado oil

• Banana or flaxseed gel masks for deep hydration

• Use leave-in conditioners and seal with oils

🧴 Avoid: Harsh shampoos, excessive heat styling

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📌 DIY Recipe Ideas (Based on Porosity)

🧖♀️ Low Porosity Mask

• 15g Aloe vera pulp

• 5g Argan oil

• 1 tsp ACV

• Use warm towel to wrap for 15 mins

🧖♀️ Medium Porosity Pack

• 20g Curd

• 5g Hibiscus powder

• 5g Methi paste

• Rinse after 30 mins

🧖♀️ High Porosity Smoothie

• 20g Banana

• 5g Avocado

• 5g Shea butter

• 3g Olive oil

• Leave for 45 mins

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🧴 Step 4: How to Use the Hair Pack

1. Always apply on damp hair for better absorption

2. Focus more on the hair shaft and ends (especially for high porosity)

3. Wrap your hair in a warm towel

4. Rinse with mild shampoo, follow with your suitable oil or leave-in

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✨ Final Thoughts

Hair porosity is your hair’s moisture blueprint. When you follow it, your routine becomes smarter—not harder. Whether you're using Ayurvedic herbs or pantry ingredients, matching products to porosity helps your hair truly transform over time.

Next important step is understanding your scalp and hair type. To know in detail refer our blog :