Hair Issues || High Porosity (and Low Porosity)

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Porosity.  What is it?  It is a measure of how easily water and other substances can enter and exit the hair strand.  Depending on the condition of the hair's cuticle layers, the porosity can rank from low (i.e., the result of flat, tightly bound cuticles) to high (i.e., the result of gaps or lifted cuticles).  Highly porous hair, in particular, is more susceptible to moisture loss and breakage.  If your hair is highly porous, read the following article on how to combat the issue:

ADDRESSING HIGH POROSITY

For low porosity or more on porosity in general:
POROSITY EXPLAINED

Reader's Question: Low Porosity Butter Mix

"Porosity is the term used in the science of hair care to describe how easily water and other matter can diffuse back and forth through the cuticle layer and into or out of the cortex." - naturallycurly

Reader's Question: I'm just wondering is any of the butter mizes you mentioned would work for low porosity hair. My hair is kind of fine but also low porosity. Shea butter makes my hair soft but a bit greasy, do you have any moisturizer recommendations.

Loo's Answer: For low porosity hair, I would actually recommend using a humectant-based moisturizer after a good deep conditioning treatment. After washing your hair, rinse with hot water (not too hot), then apply a moisturizing deep conditioner. (The hot water and subsequent heat will help to lift the cuticles a bit.)  Let the conditioner sit for 20 minutes with heat, then rinse with warm water. Follow up with a moisturizer containing glycerin or honey.  (I recommend whipping a moisturizer of 1/2 part shea butter, 1/2 part mango butter, 1 part conditioner (I recommend V05), and 1/2 part glycerin.  If this mixture does not work for you, then check out the Hibiscus & Banana Leave-In from Curl Junkie (click here).  It contains even more humectants and is also geared towards fine hair.)

For porosity classifications and more tips of caring for low porosity hair, check out this article.

New Shampoo ... Let's Talk pH

*The truth about pH and our hair:
The pH of our hair is about 5. Some sources say the pH of shampoos should range between 6.0-8.0 while others say the ideal pH is 5.5. Another source suggests between 4.0-7.0. Whatever the ideal number, the truth is the pH of our hair is 5 for a reason ... and to knock that balance way off can cause problems (e.g., dryness, roughness, cuticle lifting, scalp fungal growth, etc.).

MORE READS:
pH AND OUR HAIR - NATURAL HAVEN
pH AND OUR HAIR - CLASS PROJECT
LIST OF SHAMPOOS and pH
BENEFITS of LOW pH

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*Why no poo no more?
My no poo routine consisted of using 1 part baking soda, 2-3 parts conditioner, and 3 parts water. I loved the mixture because it cleansed my scalp really well while not stripping my hair. However, this routine is nixed in light of the following informative sources - Kimmaytube's pH video and thenaturalhaven's baking soda post. I knew beforehand that baking soda was alkaline (i.e., high pH), but I did not know that though I diluted it with conditioner (slightly acidic) and water (neutral), it was still pretty high. I tested the solution myself and saw a whopping pH of 9. Even though I follow up with an ACV rinse (pH of 4), I don't know what long-term effect this routine will have on my hair and scalp ... so I'll stop now.

*My new shampoo:
I don't have a staple seeing as I'm just now switching back to poos. Right now, this Desert Essence is up to bat and Giovanni is on deck. Perhaps, Alba will make an experience too. Whatever the shampoo, it must have these qualities:

-max pH of 7 (after dilution in water),
-mainly natural,
-no sulfates,
-no silicones,
-no EDTA,
-super cleansing for the scalp (hence why I bought "for oily hair")

More on Desert Essence Organics Lemon Tea Tree Shampoo:
You smelled it right! I will be reviewing this in the near future. Any vegans or vegetarians out there will be happy to know that this shampoo is 100% vegan. The Lemon Tee Tree shampoo boasts containing: jojoba seed oil to loosen and dissolve excess oil and build-up on the scalp and hair, high-quality Austrailian Tea Tree Oil to provide antiseptic qualities, sugar cleansers, and more.

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For those who want to check out the Desert Essence Organics line, here you go:

Desert Essence Hair

Retaining the Hair You Grow: Chapter 6

Moisture, moisture, moisture!

Dry hair translates into hair that is more susceptible to breakage. Hair that has a sufficient level of moisture is more pliable and more able to withstand mechanical manipulation (combing, styling, etc.). Thus, moisture is a key factor to retaining length.

How do you know whether you hair is dry?
If your hair feels supple, then it has a good moisture content. Think flexible, elastic, and pliant. Rough, brittle, crispy, hard hair could be an indication of dryness and/or another issue (e.g., structural damage, etc.).

Is your dryness linked to a problem with moisture retention?
A healthy strand of hair will retain moisture really well for a good period of time. I have heard a stylist mention 48 hours as the magic number; whether this is true or not, I am not sure. Given my personal experience with my hair in damaged vs. healthy states, the number seems feasible. In my opinion, if you find yourself experiencing dryness within one day of a fresh wash & condition, you may want to:

1) evaluate your products and/or regimen,
2) review your diet,
3) assess whether you have hard water,
4) determine if the dryness is medically related,
OR
5) investigate high porosity as a potential issue.

A lot of articles and sites address the importance of porosity as it relates to moisture retention, protein/moisture balance, and more. View the links below for just a handful of these sources. In the mean time, keep in mind that if you want to retain the hair you grow, you must maintain a proper moisture level.

MORE READS:
POROSITY (all you need to know)
PROTEIN/MOISTURE BALANCE
SEALING (OILS & MOISTURE RETENTION)

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This is a repost. Originally posted July 6, 2009.