Hair Update

Since I've made a few changes to my hair regimen based on my hair's porosity level, I have noticed a difference in my hair. It retains moisture a lot better, it feels softer, there is less breakage. 

Some of the things I have done to adjust my products to help my hair along:

Shampoo (5.5 pH):
1.5 tbsp conditioning shampoo 
1.5 tbsp water
1/4 tsp lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil and 3 drops of lavender (for alleviate scalp ailments) 

Conditioner (5.0 pH):
per 2 tbsp conditioner
1 tsp aloe vera juice
1/4 tsp of EVCO, EVOO, Argan and Avocado oil
(3/8-3/4 tsp hydrolyzed wheat protein if doing a protein conditioner)

Leave in (4.5 pH):
1 tbsp Knot Today
1/2 tsp aloe vera juice
1/2 tsp Jojoba oil
1/2 tsp castor oil

Styler (4.5-4.0 pH):
1 tbsp Camilla Rose Jai Almond Twisting Butter 
1 tsp aloe vera juice
1/8 tsp lemon juice (to lower to 4.0 for high porosity areas)

Spritz as needed (4.0 pH):
high porosity
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp aloe vera juice
2 tbsp veg glycerine

low porosity
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp veg glycerine 

These adjustments seem to be working for my hair so far. I notice my hair responds by clumping and curling really well. Little to no frizz and moisture that last for days and it feels very soft. I am also trying to stick with a set a product for a period of time to really give this new regimen a chance. So far so good because I notice if I deviate from this process even slightly I will get different results. I've also been able to learn which products do not work well. 

Low/High Porosity Woes

A few days ago I posted information on hair porosity and how important it is to hair care and length retention. So what does this mean for your hair, especially if you are like me and have "spotty" or different porosity levels?

Well, there is some confusion regarding the way in which hair responds to moisture, manual manipulation and heat. To begin, many believe the cuticles can be easily opened and closed by simply applying particular products or heat to the hair, however it does take a lot more effort than that. While it is true, certain harsh chemicals have the ability to lift the cuticles, the the key word here is "harsh". You must remember, when this occurs your cuticles are being forcibly raised because the hair is out of balance. This is not something you would want to do to your hair on a consistent basis (e.g. weekly) . More importantly, forcing your cuticles to open on a consistent basis is not something you can do without severely damaging the hair over time. In other words, you can not "fix" your hair's porosity.

So what can you do? Although you can not "fix" the current state of your hair, you can minimize the damage that can happen because the cuticles are raised (high) or resistant (low) to absorbing moisture. Keep in mind, these practices are temporary and must be done on a regular basis and they only serve to help you retain the length you have as you grow in hair that is healthier and balanced (e.g. normal/medium porosity). This is why it is good to evaluate your hair every six months or and make adjustments as you continue on your hair journey. 

Tips for Low Porosity

1. Beware of and minimize your use of products that have a low pH or highly acidic (e.g. aloe vera juice, citric acid) because these substances work to keep the cuticles closed.
2. Use light to medium water based moisturizers and minimize products that are loaded with heavy oils or butters as these will simply sit on top of the hair. 
3. Use lighter oils (e.g. jojoba, argan or grape seed) to seal in the moisture you are using on the hair.
4. Use steam to help add moisture to the hair. 
5. Apply products to damp or slightly dry hair instead of wet hair.
6. Focus more on increasing moisture levels, while minimizing protein as this type of hair often retains protein quite well.
7. Stick to monthly protein treatments to avoid protein overload.

Tips for High Porosity

1. Use a moisturizing shampoo
2. Use products with a low pH or highly acidic (e.g. aloe vera juice, citric acid) because these substances work to keep the tighten the opened cuticles (it will not "close" them).
3. Use thicker butters and products with heavier oils as it will seal the cuticles and trap in the moisture you receive from the product.  
4. Use of protein (hydrolyzed wheat or silk) conditioners regularly (weekly to biweekly) to help fill in gaps and holes that are present in the hair shaft.

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Hair Porosity...What's the Big Deal?

Porosity seems to be on (almost) everybody's lips. Why? How does porosity effect the quality of our hair? Well, porosity refers to how well your hair absorbs and retain moisture. It is determined by the cuticle layers, which allows moisture to pass in and out of the hair. If the cuticles are tightly closed (also known as low porosity) it will be difficult to get moisture into the hair. If the cuticles are raised (also known as high porosity) then it will be easy to get moisture into the hair, however you will have difficulty retaining that moisture.In both situations, the lack of moisture will result is dry hair, which has an increase chance of breakage. Normal porosity is the optimum hair state we want to achieve (or maintain) because it allows moisture to enter the hair shaft, while preventing too much moisture from escaping. The result, is healthy, shiny hair that thrives and behave in a predictable way (e.g. maintains hair style, easy to manage and manipulate). 

Porosity levels may be determined by genetic factors, but it can, and is often affected by external factors such like the environment, heat treatment, chemical use and how you handle your hair. Understanding and identifying your hair's porosity is important because it will ensure you are using the right products to address your current hair condition and meet your hair goals. 

I emphasize "current" because hair porosity can change over time. A person can also have different porosity levels throughout their hair. I for one have both low and high porosity hair. After doing some research, this was how I figured it out:

How to Determine Your Hair Porosity 

Does it Float?
One way to determine your hair's porosity is the water method. The water method or the "float test" examines how the hair behaves in room temperature water. Take a few strains of hair from different sections of your head (e.g. back, left side, right side, crown and front). Place it on top of a glass of water and wait 1-2 minutes to see how it responds. Do not push or manipulate the hair while it sits on the water. If it floats, your hair has low porosity. If it sinks to the bottom of the glass then your hair is highly porous. 

There is some debate as to whether or not one can truly test hair porosity this way because of the hair's structure. For this reason, there are a few other ways you can use to help figure how how porous your hair is. 

How Fast Does It Dry?
After washing and conditioning your hair as you normally would, allow your hair to air dry without blotting it dry or adding any additional products. Do not dry off your body for this test. If you hair dries faster than your body does, your hair is highly porous. 

Is It Smooth?
Another way to test your hair is to take a few strains of hair and gently slide your hair up the shaft from the tip to the root. If you feel any resistance or it feels rough, your cuticles are not flat and therefore porous. While this test alone is not definitive, pair it with the other two test you did to help determine your hair's porosity.

It's best to use all three test to help determine where your hair falls. So, 

Low Porosity: hair floats, dries after your body, stains feels smooth to the touch.

Normal Porosity: only one of the three tests indicated you had high porosity.

High Porosity:  two or all three of the tests indicated you have high porosity


The above test is not an exact science. These test are only used to help gear you in the right directions to help you care for your hair more effectively. Unless you carry out very expensive lab base test, you will not be able to truly determine the porosity of their hair in a definitive way. However, what is clear is the fact that hair responds in very unique ways based on its porosity level. 

You have no idea how helpful this has been because I can now make better decisions when I treat and style my hair. Things made a lot more sense once I figured out what was going on with my hair and why certain DC treatments worked for a while then completely ruined my hair. For example, I have both low and high porosity level. Low porosity does not respond well to too much protein, while high porosity hair requires it to minimize breakage due to gaps and holes in the hair shaft. In the past I thought I was protein sensitive because sections of my hair would break easily and I was looking at my hair as a whole. As a result, I would only do mild protein treatments once a month. The problem is, the parts of my hair (side, front and crown) would suffer because it needed protein much more than that. I couldn't figure it out and got so frustrated because I wouldn't see any real progress in these areas (past posts will confirm this). The back of my hair, which loved the lack of protein and needed increase moisture thrived and still thrives.

With this new knowledge I have made adjustments to my regimen and I've noticed a difference in the feel and look of my hair. I just wish I knew this information before. 

So what does this mean for my hair? Stay tuned....

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