Have you ever racked your brain for a reason behind your hair’s conflicting dryness and product buildup? Wonder why your hair products seem to just kind of sit on your curls instead of actually intertwining with them? If this sounds like you, you might have low porosity hair!

So What Exactly is Low Porosity Hair?

Low porosity hair is simply hair that has tightly bound cuticles because it has more than enough protein in its structure. While it is wonderful that your hair naturally produces all that good protein it needs, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. And in your hair’s case, that's exactly what’s happening.

The surplus of protein in your hair’s cuticle has closed a few too many gaps in its strands which makes it harder for your hair to absorb the moisture that’s equally as good for it.

3 Signs You Might Have Low Porosity Hair

Natural oils don’t penetrate your strands easily.
Your hair takes a while to dry after washing.
Takes long to become drenched, or even soaked, when wet.

Still not sure if you have low porosity hair? Check out our Texture & Porosity blog post to learn how to use the Float Test to determine your hair’s porosity.

Now let’s get to the main attraction:

The Do’s and Dont's of Low Porosity Hair

Do

Steam-treat your hair weekly or biweekly to open up your hair cuticles.
- Benefit: Opening up those hair cuticles allows for more effective moisturization.
Massage your scalp weekly to increase blood circulation & stimulate your hair follicles.
- Benefit: Increased blood circulation also equals increased hair growth.
Exfoliate your scalp monthly with homemade scrubs, gloves, or any method of your choice.
- Benefit: boosts your skin cell turnover, a clear indicator of that healthy scalp we all want.

Don’t

Forget to moisturize with water and lightweight products.
- Benefit: Light-weight products are less prone to build up, making them perfectly compatible with your low porosity curls.
Over manipulate your hair instead, keep it tucked away in protective styles for a few months.
- Benefit: Working with your hair too much can lead to accidental stripping of that moisture you worked so hard to give it. Protective styles also promote growth by keeping your hair safe from damaging external factors like wind or cold air.
Discount clarifying shampoos. Pre-poo your hair then wash with a clarifying shampoo weekly or biweekly.
- Benefit: Clarifying shampoos are wonderful for getting rid of all that built-up gunk that can clog your pores and inhibit hair growth.

Looking for even more tips for the best ways to care for your low porosity hair? Download our FREE low porosity hair care guide!