High Porosity Help Needed

TruMe

TruMe

Well-Known Member
OK, so I did the strand test this weekend by putting a strand of hair in a cup of water to see what it would do. It immediately fell to the bottom of the cup. So, now what do I do? How do I resolve this issue? I've heard people talk about an ACV rinse but how often do you do that? Do you do that for a couple of months and then that solves the problem or is it indefinitely? Just need a little advise to help with dryness. Thanks!!
 
I would recommend Roux Porosity Control line just because it is specifically made to correct porosity issues.
Q. Is there anything that can be done to correct the hair’s porosity to ensure predictable color and perm results?
A. Use Roux Porosity Control Conditioner and Porosity Control Shampoo. They were specially formulated to equalize hair's porosity and prevent color and perm shock.
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(From the FAQ of Roux Website)
 
I definitely recommend using the Porosity Control products. I use the conditioner. It does improve over time but you will have to keep after it. My ends were extra porous but as I worked on it and got dustings/trims, it has improved.
 
Nonie and MzTease - Ok, thanks. I will check out that conditioner. Maybe I can add this to one of my two wash days a week.
 
roux porosity control conditioner and shampoo. i LUV that shampoo!!! this will definitely get your hair back on track. gotta do it each week though! even when you think your hair is no longer porous you should incorporate these products into your regimen
 
When I put my hair in the cup, it floats, floats and floats. So what does that mean? I use Roux PC weekly but not sure if it's really helping me.
 
beauti - is the shampoo sulfate-free? I currently use the Jane Carter sulfate-free shampoo and love it. Thanks!!
 
divachyk said:
When I put my hair in the cup, it floats, floats and floats. So what does that mean? I use Roux PC weekly but not sure if it's really helping me.
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divachyk

Isn't floating good? Doesn't it mean that you do not have porous hair? I use PC weekly as well and my hair floats too...
 
divachyk said:
When I put my hair in the cup, it floats, floats and floats. So what does that mean? I use Roux PC weekly but not sure if it's really helping me.
Click to expand...

chasturner84 said:
divachyk

Isn't floating good? Doesn't it mean that you do not have porous hair? I use PC weekly as well and my hair floats too...
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From what I read (and please just take this for just that), our hair should float at first. Then, if you let it sit in there overnight, you should see it at the bottom of the cup the next morning. My hair strand didn't even give me a chance to let go of it before it started to sink. :lol: If you hair floats indefinitely (or maybe not that extreme, just a really long time like a couple of days), then you have low porosity which means your hair doesn't really absorb moisture very well.
 
I like john Frieda clear glaze for porosity correction. The pH is approximately 3.5, which closes my cuticles and there is the added benefit of lots of shine. And it's cheaper than Roux PC.

HTH
 
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I started using aloe vera juice to close my cuticle and help with porosity. It is cheap and effective I use it in a little spray bottle
 
I agree with everything listed.
I also find that I have to use a good amount of protein very regularly. 6 - 8 weeks is not often enough for me to use protein. I use a lightweight protein every week, and usually a hardcore protein treatment every 4 - 6 weeks.
 
I tried using Roux conditioner but the chemically-smell was too much for me. I recently tried adding aloe vera juice to my leave-ins or just spraying a diluted solution (1:1) of aloe vera juice and water.
 
TruMe
My hair does float indefinitely. I haven't tested it in a long while. I will try it again tonight to see if my status has changed. I would agree that my hair doesn't hold moisture well. My ends dry bushy if I air dry. Some days my hair just seems soooo very thristy. When applying leave-ins, etc I feel that I have to weight my hair down with product before it finally responds to the moisture some weeks (especially when air drying). Then I'm walking around all greasy. I use PC weekly. Should I be using something different?

chasturner84
How long does your float? Mine will float days. I think the longest I let it float were about 2 days before I finally just dumped the hair and water. Crazy, huh?
 
chasturner84, girl I got issues. :lol: At first I thought I was doing it wrong but nah it did the same thing the second time I tried. I haven't tried it since using PC routinely. I'll let you know what happens this go 'round when I test.
 
I have high porosity and found that balancing moisture and protein is the best way to help with porosity issues. I got that tip more recently in anther thread and put it to action. Before, I tried the quick fix of acv rinses, it felt great at first- my cuticles were tight; but it eventually dried my hair out further-- then came the breakage. I tried the roux pc, and that did nothing.

Now I do oil rinses w/ castor oil http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=150965 and deep condition/co-wash w/Aubrey Organics GPB Moisture Protein balancing conditioner; and removed drying products from my hair routine such as shampoo. I added aloe vera juice into my routine as a pre-poo (Chicoro's mix http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=509482 ) and the aloe vera juice in a leave in is another awesome treat (Kimmaytubes leave in )

Edited to add: I found the post on how to end porosity issues w/ moisture/protein balance: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=2903635&postcount=352

Now I will try and find the sisterclick post for you!
 
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TruMe said:
@beauti - is the shampoo sulfate-free? I currently use the Jane Carter sulfate-free shampoo and love it. Thanks!!
Click to expand...

INGREDIENTS: WATER (AQUA),AMMONIUM LAURETH-12 SULFATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, AMMONIUM LAURYL SULFATE, GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, CETYL ALCOHOL, HYDROXYPROPYL GUAR, DMDM HYDANTON, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM), EDTA, DIAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, YELLOW 10 (CI 47005), YELLOW 6 (CI 15985).
 
divachyk said:
@TruMe
My hair does float indefinitely. I haven't tested it in a long while. I will try it again tonight to see if my status has changed. I would agree that my hair doesn't hold moisture well. My ends dry bushy if I air dry. Some days my hair just seems soooo very thristy. When applying leave-ins, etc I feel that I have to weight my hair down with product before it finally responds to the moisture some weeks (especially when air drying). Then I'm walking around all greasy. I use PC weekly. Should I be using something different?
Click to expand...

divachyk, it's actually the opposite with your hair. The low porosity means it's hard to moisturize but once you do, it holds onto that moisture for dear life. IMO you do not need to be using Roux Porosity Control. Since the purpose of the product is to tighten cuticles so that porous hair holds moisture, you are just making yours more difficult to moisturize. You may have normal porosity but have made your hair have low porosity by using the product so much. I also think baggying would help you a lot. When you apply products and feel as if they aren't working and find you have to load on more, I suggest you instead put on a plastic cap and sleep in it. I bet you in the AM you'll have soft moisturized hair that isn't weighed down...because the baggy/heat from the baggy will encourage your hair to absorb the little moisture you put on your strands and once absorbed, you hair won't let go of it, so you won't need more...and your hair won't be weighed down, coz you didn't use too much.
 
PPGbubbles said:
I started using aloe vera juice to close my cuticle and help with porosity. It is cheap and effective I use it in a little spray bottle
Click to expand...
and hannan

I have been using a water aloe vera juice mix for quite awhile now but the proportion is 2/3 water to 1/3 aloe vera juice. I use it as a moisturizer every day in the morning and evening. Maybe I need to up the aloe vera juice portion?

davisbr88 said:
I agree with everything listed.
I also find that I have to use a good amount of protein very regularly. 6 - 8 weeks is not often enough for me to use protein. I use a lightweight protein every week, and usually a hardcore protein treatment every 4 - 6 weeks.
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I was so scared of protein for such a long time and when I finally decided to do it, I went with a light protein (ORS Hair Mayo) which I do every other week. Should I do it every week instead? And I was thinking about incorporating a harder protein treatment every 6 weeks as well. Do you have a suggestion as to a treatment I could try?

virtuenow - Thanks for the post. I am heading out now to check out these threads.
 
TruMe: Well, you'll have to sort of decide that based upon what your hair needs. My hair is both fine AND porous, so it adores protein. You'll have to sort of gage it for yourself, but if you're having trouble with your porosity, you might want to try if Roux PC or aloe or ACV doesn't work. I would definitely consider weekly protein a last resort so you won't risk overloading. I tried those other methods, but didn't retain moisture well until I began my weekly regimen. I use ApHogee 2-Min Keratin every week - some people consider it light and some consider it medium. For me, it is light enough to use weekly to maintain my hair's condition.
 
davisbr88 said:
I agree with everything listed.
I also find that I have to use a good amount of protein very regularly. 6 - 8 weeks is not often enough for me to use protein. I use a lightweight protein every week, and usually a hardcore protein treatment every 4 - 6 weeks.
Click to expand...

I definitely agree with the bolded. My hair is fine and porous, so I need to use protein often. I also need to use it throughout my routine & not just confine it to DCing.
 
darlingdiva said:
I also need to use it throughout my routine & not just confine it to DCing.
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I also completely agree with this as well. I never use any protein-free products except for the DC I use post-henna or hardcore protein. Almost everything else I put in my hair contains a good amount of protein. I use a lot of protein when I straighten my hair as well. I can't do the moisture-rich route that other naturals use to straighten because that results in immediate fro action upon walking outside in humidity. I need that protein to retain moisture.
 
@TruMe Along with what @davisbr88 so eloquently said about the protein, I use the aloe vera mix after I wash and condition but I don't use it as a moisturizer/leave-in. I just use it to close the cuticle down. I apply my leave-in and then use the aloe-vera mix to sort of seal that in. The pH of whatever you're using needs to be acidic enough to do that so that's why I make my mix more aloe vera juice.

Protein also aids in "filling the empty holes" of the hair, which is why we're losing/gaining the moisture so quickly.
 
@Nonie - thank you!! Someone else dropped me a PM and communicated basically the same thing you did. I was also told that low porosity people typically don't require protein as much as others.

I whole head baggy for just a few hours in the evening, if at all. I use to baggy a lot when I first joined but have calmed down a bit on that. I baggy my ends nightly, though. I will definitely try the whole head baggy overnight to see if the moisturizer penetrates better. I will stop using PC to see how my hair does.

ETA: So then, would rinsing with cool water as my last rinse not be necessary since my cuticles are very tight as-is?
 
divachyk said:
ETA: So then, would rinsing with cool water as my last rinse not be necessary since my cuticles are very tight as-is?
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@divachyk Cold water doesn't close cuticles. What it does, I think, is not rinse off conditioner thoroughly the way hot or warm water might, which is why some people find their hair feels nice after rinsing with cold water. But there are almost just as many who will tell you their hair feels hard or rough when they rinse with cold water. *raises hand w/r/t the former*

It isn't a cool temperature but an acidic pH that closes cuticles. So if you want to rinse with cold water, you may do so as it doesn't affect your porosity either way. I personally use warm water all through my wash and it seems to work fine for me.
 
Nonie, thank you and low ph products would close the cuticle, right? So trying to find that low ph product to close the cuticle wouldn't necessarily be ideal? So much to take in.
 
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