Understanding Hair Texture and Hair Porosity

“Texture” and “porosity” are two terms you will meet often in hair care advice. They describe different things, and together they explain why the same product can feel perfect on one person and heavy or useless on another. Neither is a medical measurement, but both are useful ways to think about your hair.

Hair texture

Texture is used in two ways.

Strand thickness

A single hair can be fine, medium or coarse. Fine hair is easily weighed down and tends to look oily sooner. Coarse hair has more substance and usually tolerates richer products.

Curl pattern

Hair can be straight, wavy, curly or coiled. The more the hair bends, the harder it is for natural scalp oil to travel along it, which is why curly and coiled hair tends to be drier and more fragile.

Hair porosity

Each hair is covered by overlapping cells, a little like roof tiles, called the cuticle. Porosity describes how tightly those cells lie.

• Lower porosity: the cuticle lies flat. Hair can take longer to get fully wet and products may sit on the surface.
• Higher porosity: the cuticle is raised or damaged. Hair absorbs water quickly but also loses it quickly, and it tends to feel dry, tangle and frizz.

Porosity is partly natural, but it rises with damage. Bleaching, coloring, relaxing, heat styling and sun exposure all lift or wear away the cuticle.

How to get a sense of your porosity

Home tests, such as seeing whether a strand floats in water, are popular but unreliable. Observation is more useful:

• Does your hair take a long time to get wet and to dry? That suggests lower porosity.
• Does it soak up water instantly, dry fast and feel rough? That suggests higher porosity.
• Has it been bleached or heat-styled heavily? Expect higher porosity in those sections.

Matching care to texture and porosity

Fine or lower-porosity hair

Choose lightweight products and apply conditioner mainly to the ends. Rinse thoroughly to avoid build-up, and use an occasional clarifying wash.

Coarse, curly or higher-porosity hair

Use richer conditioners, leave-in products and a weekly mask. A leave-in such as Strengthening Hair Serum helps smooth the surface and reduce moisture loss and friction.

Mixed hair

Many people have healthier hair near the roots and more porous ends. Apply richer products to the ends only.

Reducing further damage

You cannot change your natural texture, but you can stop porosity rising: lower the heat, space out chemical treatments, protect hair from sun and chlorine, and detangle gently.

The bottom line

Texture tells you how much weight your hair can carry; porosity tells you how much moisture and protection it needs. Use both as a guide when browsing our hair care range.

Sources

1. American Academy of Dermatology. Tips for healthy hair.
2. American Academy of Dermatology. Black hair: Tips for everyday care.
3. MedlinePlus. Hair problems.