Capillary porosity: what it is, how to find out and how to take care of it –

Hair without shine, brittleness, with an opaque appearance… all these are symptoms of lack of porosity. But do you know exactly what that means? Well, the term has become increasingly popular when it comes to hair careas porosity is essential for healthy hair.

WHAT IS HAIR POROSITY?

Before understanding what porosity is, we need to understand that the hair strand is cylindrical and has several layers. The outermost of them is called cuticle, and has overlapping cells and the function of protecting the thread from external agents (such as pollution). All these layers, including the cuticle, are capable of absorbing water – and this is the definition of porosity: the ability of the thread to absorb this liquid and keep the nutrients.

“There is a simple classification that divides porosity into 3 categories: low, medium and high porosity”, explains the Dr. Viviane Scarpa, dermatologist by the Brazilian Society of Dermatology. “To find out the porosity of the threads, we do the porosity test: we use a glass of filtered water, put the hair that comes out on the brush after brushing and leave it for 10 minutes.”

According to the doctor, after that time, we must observe if the hair sinks completely, if it stays in the middle region of the glass or if it floats on the surface of the water. Ah, but an important tip: the hair needs to be clean and without any products (such as gel, fixatives or oils) before the test is carried out. The ideal is to wash them with a anti-residue shampoowait for them to dry naturally and then do the experiment.

With the result in hand, let’s go to the interpretation:

Hair floating on the surface of the water: low degree of porosity
Hair in half cup: medium porosity (healthy hair)
Hair that sinks in water: high degree of porosity

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF EACH GRADE OF HAIR POROSITY?

The doctor already gives the letter: as expected, each degree of porosity requires special care. For example: the higher the degree of porosity, the more proteins and lipids the hair loses. On the other hand, when we have low porosity, the hair cannot absorb water and the focus should be on hydration. Finally, “average” hair should have a care routine to prevent hair damage.

“Hair can receive the same care, but in different amounts”, specifies bruna nunes, hair therapist at Jacques Janine Jardins. “For example: finishing oils they are a great ally for those with porous hair, however, if you have low porosity, you will use a smaller amount of oil than those with high porosity.”

According to the professional, extremely porous hair will absorb much more oil without looking heavy, but the hair of those with low porosity ends up looking like dirty hair if you weigh your hand on this type of product.

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How to care for low porosity hair

The focus here needs to be the capillary schedule up to date. For this, it is worth including a good anti-residue shampoo in this routine, which removes excess product from the hair, allowing greater absorption of water, in addition to opening the cuticles. The trick is to use it as recommended on the package or by your dermatologist.

Other than that, investing in a hydration-focused schedule is quite important, as this is the main problem with low porosity hair: the lack of water absorption.

Other than that, Bruna’s recommendation is:

Moisturize 1 time a week
Do 1 nutrition every 3 hydrations
Use finishing oil after drying

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How to care for medium porosity hair

In that case, maintenance is the most important. Maintaining a routine of moisturizing, moisturizing and nutrition is essential to keep the thread healthy, as well as investing in thermal protectors (if you are adept at using heat tools), and finishers that help the thread maintain its hydration level.

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How to care for high porosity hair

High porosity hair is very damaged hair that needs special attention. This means a profound degree of dryness, very frizz and very brittle wires. The objective, therefore, is to replace lipids that will help the hair to regain strength and health.

For Bruna, the secret of care here is to alternate, mainly, between nutrition and hydration, inserting occasional moistening to nourish the thread well.

Use nourishing and moisturizing masks with every wash, alternating between the two – keratin masks are great allies here.
When you have time, do a wetting too.
Use finishing oil after drying.