spinoff: high porosity hair

[Froreal3]

Thanks for the review mshoneyfly!

 

[pinkness27]

Hey guys,

Just coming back to report that with all the info I've gotten from this thread my hair has bounced back to normal.

I wash with Shea moisture dry damaged hair.

I condition with Claudies for 30 mins. Then I condition with Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle for 30 mins.

Rinse the honeysuckle off with roux porosity control.

Spray green tea aphogee or use ion heat protector then blow dry.

It has helped tremendously with the piles of hair that was falling out and with the dryness.

ETA: I rinse the conditioners off with cool water bc I read somewhere that was good. I can't remember where though lol

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I really beleive that doing hennas every 6 weeks has helped my HP a lot. I am doing the hennas more frequently to cover my grays, I have noticed that my hair is doing so much better now.

 

[mzhotniz86]

Just a bit of a survey and hopefully we can get some helpful tips going just like the low porosity thread.

Describe your hair? (fine/med/thick strands? Dense? Not very dense? Relaxed, natural, texturized, texlaxed? etc and so on)
what are your hair's indicators of high porosity?
what methods/products have you tried that really work for your hair?
what have you tried that did NOT work for your hair/what do you avoid?
how has having high porosity hair affected your hair care & growth journey?

I have fine , dense, 4a/4b relaxed hair. Only my crown area is high porosity & I did a strand test to see. I believe due to years of relaxer overprocessing (applying the relaxer to the crown area first). It is actually possibly that my cuticle is damaged. The hair is more brittle & weaker & stays wetter a little bit longer than the rest of my hair.What I am seeing works for me is doing a deep con with ors mayo under my heating cap. It makes my hair soft & strong. Then i just tried something different tonight. I sprayed aphogee pro vitamin on the ends of the high porosity strands, waited a minute or two, then sealed w some aloe vera gel I had sitting around. My brittle ends smoothed right out when i was done. Soft smooth ends still hours later. So hopefully this will hold me over a couple days & keeps breakage away

 

[Fhrizzball]

Describe your hair? (fine/med/thick strands? Dense? Not very dense? Relaxed, natural, texturized, texlaxed? etc and so on)

Mixture of all three and 3c/4a natural with random spots of 4b. Around BSL at the moment with medium/thick density I think.

what are your hair's indicators of high porosity?

It sinks in a nanosecond with the water test, feels rough, dry, and is endlessly frizzy. Dries out too fast but gets wet even faster.

what methods/products have you tried that really work for your hair?

Oil rinsing. Protein treatments, finger detangling. Layering products. Using Shea Moisture products especially their hair masques.

what have you tried that did NOT work for your hair/what do you avoid?

ACV,baking soda. straight aloe vera or butters, the shea moisture leave in detangler. Baggying, overnight DCs. Hair extensions

how has having high porosity hair affected your hair care & growth journey?

I just have to be more mindful of keeping a good protein/moisture balance but my hair still is retaining length. I also have learned to embrace my frizz as I can never combat that.

 

[biznesswmn]

I have been doing these two thgs w some noticeable improvement:

1. Aloe vera gel to moisturize
2. Straight cold water to rinse final condish out on wash day. I have a handheld shower head so the cold water barely touches my head, only my hair

Both serve to close the cuticle

 

[Smiley79]

Hair: Medium strands
Density: Low density
Hair: Natural
Hair History: When I first went natural I bleached my hair and colored it; following that I jumped on the bandwagon and followed the No-shampoo routine for a LONG time;in addition, I thought my hair was Low Porosity, so for the last 1+ years I was following a Low-Po regimen such as Curly Girl Method and MHM. Later I developed scarring alopecia and noticed changes in my hair texture. Hair for the most part was in a fragile, dry, delicate state.

High porosity Indicators:
My hair will feel soft and moisturized after washing/DCing, however it dries fairly quickly and turn into a straw like texture within hours or by the next day; I often felt as if I never did anything to begin with. I would think I found an awesome product but the benefits would be short lived. My hair often felt dry, brittle and dull despite my regular efforts to keep it moisturized.

Methods that work for my hair:

• WEEKLY, WEEKLY, WEEKLY wash days; a clean scalp is critical for me
• Cold water rinses
• Using the Shea Moisture High porosity line
• Squeezing and pressing product into my hair and smoothing down my strands; kinda like a massage for my hair strands
• on wash days I apply product on damp hair. I will pause as needed to allow my hair to slightly towel dry after I poo and after I rinse out my DC and then proceed with product application
• Mild to medium protein treatments are my friend. My brittle limp strands are like weak muscles that need a supplement to build its strength back. I'm opting for bi-weekly protein treatments until my hair gets stronger and then I will go down to monthly.
• Although my hair strands are medium and low density, I notice that it likes when I use small amounts of heavy pomades, butters or grease (my scalp hates it because I get scalp inflammation and soreness very easily from scalp buildup but my strands love it!)

What did not work: Leaving conditioners on over night or for extensive amounts of time (my issue isn't getting the moisture in, the issue is keeping it in); Heat is not my friend (blow drying/flat iron)

Effect of having High Porosity hair: High porosity hair is teaching me that I can stop being a product junkie. You can find a miracle conditioner from the Nile River that offers infinite moisture, but if your hair doesn't retain it, than it's useless. So ofcourse I will have have product favorites and preferences, but I no longer have to be a slave to searching for a moisture beast product because High Po hair makes you focus on understanding techniques and product combination that allow your hair to keep in the moisture. And honestly, this can be accomplished with the simplest products if need be. As I experiment with various products, I have to be observant about which products work hand in hand with my hair to keep the moisture in. I hope to have a simpler hair stash by mid year.

Products that My hair loves/hate: I'm still experimenting to see what works for my hair but so far I'm loving the Shea Moisture High Porosity line masque, the Curls Passionfruit Paste, Oyin Hair Dew, KCNT, ORS Hair Pudding, Alter Ego Garlic Masque, CB Smoothe 6n1 Resconstructor (I now leave products in for the amount of time directed on the label; leaving products in too long make my hair limp) Im on the fence about shea butter for my hair, it seems to like Castor oil better. I would love to try Jojoba oil eventually.

I have read a lot about the benefits of Aloe Vera, so I would also like to experiment with that eventually but I'm not sure of which products to try yet.

 

[Smiley79]

Did Roux porosity control help anymore? I have heard of this product forever but never tried it.

 

[SheWalks]

Describe your hair? Medium strands & density. Natural

What are your hair's indicators of high porosity? Back when my hair was very short after moisturizing my hair, it would act like I didn't add anything to it. I'd wake up with dry hard brillo like hair.

What methods/products have you tried that really work for your hair?
Komaza Hair Strengthener, Shescentit Okra & Oyin hair dew.

Ignoring the directions on protein treatments. Every 4-6 weeks? More like every 4-6 days.

What have you tried that did NOT work for your hair/what do you avoid?
My hair doesn't seem to like protein leave in conditioners even if they're hydrolyzed. So I limit my protein to my shampoo, rinse out conditioner & reconstructors

Deep conditioning, I don't deep condition I have one on standby just incase I hit protein overload but after I rinse out my protein I go straight to my leave in step. I get enough moisture from oyin.

Steaming, I now have a steamer taking up room. Maybe I should sell it.

How has having high porosity hair affected your hair care & growth journey?
In the beginning I disliked my hair because I hated how it felt. I don't think it affected how hair grows as I'm only 1 year full natural so it never got to the point of a lot of breakage. I do notice a lot of bubble splits but I don't think that's my porosity alone. However I've now realized this is the reason that my relaxed hair broke a lot.

Hope more people post! I believe a lot of ladies are hiPo and just don't know it.

 

[Smiley79]

@kodochax yup, i completely agree with your last sentence.

 

[Smiley79]

I have been doing these two thgs w some noticeable improvement:

1. Aloe vera gel to moisturize
2. Straight cold water to rinse final condish out on wash day. I have a handheld shower head so the cold water barely touches my head, only my hair

Both serve to close the cuticle

which aloe vera gel do you use?;

 

[biznesswmn]

which aloe vera gel do you use?;

Lily of the desert. I get it from vitamin shoppe

 

[Smiley79]

If I find any articles on High Porosity hair care tips, I'll post them up. Even if we have a mix of High and Low porosity hair, this may be helpful.

Okay I found this one from: https://trulycoilyme.wordpress.com/2012/12/11/my-regimen-for-high-porosity-hair/

Hey Curlfriends!

So, as you may already know, I have high porosity hair. I’ve heard different theories on why/how hair becomes porous. For me, I don’t believe my hair is porous due to damage because I don’t really use heat, color, combs/brushes, etc. on my hair. So, I could be wrong, but I believe my hair is naturally porous.

If your hair is porous or anything like mine, you FLY through conditioners, your hair soaks up product almost instantly, and you have to moisturized often. Here are some ways I take care of my hair as well as things I’ve learned about porous hair.

1. My hair LOVES protein. When hair is porous, it often has little nooks or cracks in the hair shaft. While it’s not a permanent fix, protein fills those cracks in the hair shaft. I know many curlies are protein sensitive and too much protein makes their hair dry or brittle or straw-like. Personally, I have NEVER had that problem with protein..ever. Lol. My hair has never had an adverse reaction to protein, I use it quite often and my hair always reacts very well to it.

2. DEEP CONDITION OFTEN! Some people probably think I overdo it, but I deep condition with EVERY single wash, which is typically once a week for me. I wash or cowash my hair, and apply my deep conditioner of choice (most often I use a protein DC) to clean hair. Because my hair soaks up so much product, I’m pretty heavy handed to be sure each section is coated with the product. I always leave in the deep conditioner overnight (sometimes for 2 nights), which gives it time to really soak into my hair and my hair can really marinate in it.

3. I NEVER apply product to soaking wet hair. I did some experimenting and realized several months ago that there was a better way to apply product to my hair. I’ve found that a lot of “natural hair advice” that some people relay as FACT, is not what works for my hair! We really have to get to know our hair! Anyway, I read some research that talked about highly porous hair getting weighed down with water. So, in my own head, I theorized that if my hair strands are full of water, how can they absorb the moisture from the conditioner I’m applying? (I’m not a scientist, this is just my amateur reasoning lol). So, I stopped applying product to soaking wet hair and started squeezing as much water out of my hair as possible with cotton fabric (I use a pillowcase) before applying my leave-in or deep conditioner. This has actually done WONDERS for my hair–it’s not crunchy, is more moisturized, and just behaves better! For me, applying product to soaking wet hair ALWAYS resulted in crunchy hair. No bueno.

4. Beware of drying products/ingredients! Because my hair is already prone to dryness, I’m very careful about the ingredients I use. For example, I stay away from sulfate shampoos. My hair is a dry, stringy, ball of fuzz when I use a sulfate. Horrible. I mostly cowash with something like Shea Moisture curl & shine shampoo, As I Am coconut cowash, or most recently Oyin Handmade’s Honey Hemp conditioner. I love to use these kinds of moisturizing cowashes that don’t strip my hair.
Now, because I don’t like to use sulfates, I’m careful not to use products that require a sulfate to remove the residue from my hair. For example, silicones and mineral oil have to be removed from your hair with a sulfate. So, I stay away from products with those ingredients. Not to mention, most products I’ve tried with those ingredients dry my hair out anyway.

5. Layering products. I’m horrible at styling hair, so I mostly wear wash and gos. I’ve found that I HAVE to layer products in sections in order to ensure my hair is moisturized. After squeezing as much water from my hair as possible, I take my hair section by section and apply 2 leave-ins and a butter/pomade/gel to seal. If I don’t layer at least these 3 things, my hair is a dry, crunchy MESS.

High porosity hair is already prone to dryness, so taking EXTRA good care of your hair is so necessary! Hope this helps. If there’s anything I’ve missed, leave a comment/question and I’ll be sure to get back to you!
Til next time!
XOXO

 

[tashboog]

Did Roux porosity control help anymore? I have heard of this product forever but never tried it.

@Smiley79 I've use the Roux porosity control conditioner and it semi worked on my hair. The one product by them that did work was their Roux leave-in 619. That actually helped me maintain moisture. It use to come in vial but I think it now comes in a plastic tube. You can find it at Sally's or your local beauty supply store. Also the other conditioner that made a difference with my hair is the Claudie's Revitalizer normalizing conditioner. It really does help with high porosity hair. If you do a search on it you will see how it has helped other ladies with their porosity. I'm still working on my porosity but it has gotten a little better.

 

[Smiley79]

thank you so much @tashboog. that's perfect because I am in need of a good leave in. I'll look into those.

 

[tashboog]

thank you so much @tashboog. that's perfect because I am in need of a good leave in. I'll look into those.

@Smiley79 it's a liquid leave-in so you will still have to use a cream or butter to really seal in the moisture. I usually use it as my liquid for for the LCO method, but you can use it the best way for your hair.

 

[Smiley79]

@Smiley79 it's a liquid leave-in so you will still have to use a cream or butter to really seal in the moisture. I usually use it as my liquid for for the LCO method, but you can use it the best way for your hair.

okay. and the claudie's is it like a dc? I'm gonna finish using the Shea Moisture High Porosity (which has been excellent btw).and then I can try Claudie's.

 

[tashboog]

okay. and the claudie's is it like a dc? I'm gonna finish using the Shea Moisture High Porosity (which has been excellent btw).and then I can try Claudie's.

@Smiley79 Claudie's is a deep conditioner. I also have the SM high porosity dc and I still like the Claudie's deep conditioner better. My hair just feel different after I use it. I really do think it's worth to at least try the 4 oz of the Claudie's then that way you can compare the two.

 

[Smiley79]

@Smiley79 Claudie's is a deep conditioner. I also have the SM high porosity dc and I still like the Claudie's deep conditioner better. My hair just feel different after I use it. I really do think it's worth to at least try the 4 oz of the Claudie's then that way you can compare the two.

oh that's good that they make a small size...I'll check it out. I will let you know how they compare.

 

[KaciaLN12]

Just a bit of a survey and hopefully we can get some helpful tips going just like the low porosity thread.

Describe your hair? (fine/med/thick strands? Dense? Not very dense? Relaxed, natural, texturized, texlaxed? etc and so on)
I have pretty dense natural hair with medium/fine strands. I will say I am a cottony 4A with some small sections of 3c.
what are your hair's indicators of high porosity?
My hair texture is very cottony and frizzy naturally. It will be soaking wet under a stream of water and still web. I have not done the strand test and probably never will, but my hair's cuticles feel raised, my hair gets wet easily but drys almost instantly with no product and even with product, needs to be frequently moisturized. My hair also tangles very easily.
what methods/products have you tried that really work for your hair?
I feel that over this last year, my hair's porosity has started to normalize because things that used to work no longer work as well.
But ACV rinses helped a lot, as well as adding Aloe Vera Juice to everything. I would add it to conditioners, DCs, leave-ins or just spritz it undiluted on my hair before applying a leave-in.
Also, my hair loves products with silicones. Maybe one day I will try the Curly Girl Method, but no time soon. I can tell a difference when I use not one product with silicones during a wash session.
Diluting my shampoo has also helped. I like to shampoo weekly and that can get harsh on the hair, but diluting any shampoo I use (sulfate-free or not) and washing in twists (about 12-16 throughout my whole head) has helped my hair feel softer and be less tangled.
Also, using silicone-based serums to seal my hair. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but my hair is less tangled, smoother and retains moisture better when using serums instead of oils to seal. Oils are good when I use a large amount to seal, but I don't really want greasy hair.
Oil rinsing also made a huge difference in my hair. It smoothed my hair and made it feel more moisturized. Now that my porosity seems to have normalized, I don't do oil-rinsing very much because now it can make my hair feel a bit oily.
Finger-detangling made a big difference in length retention and breakage for me. It also helped to bring a little more definition to my frizzy, cottony hair.
what have you tried that did NOT work for your hair/what do you avoid?
Really strong protein treatments just made my hair hard. Cowashing too much made my hair feel kind-of gunky. Soft but not clean. I used to also avoid most sulfate-free shampoos (especially Shea Moisture because they used to make my hair feel rough), but now that my porosity is better, I can use nearly any shampoo, especially since I have started diluting my shampoos.
how has having high porosity hair affected your hair care & growth journey?

To be honest, it hasn't really affected my hair growth very much. I used to get a lot of breakage due to tangling, but my hair still retained length. I don't really use heat at all, I DC everytime I shampoo, I moisturize and seal (now I only have to do it once or twice a week), and I finger detangle. I had healthy hair practices since when I was relaxed because I did everything but touch-ups myself since my early teens, so having hi-po hair hasn't really made hair care any worse, just a bit more time-consuming.

 

[IronButterfly]

View attachment 358355
Lily of the desert. I get it from vitamin shoppe

Do you use the avj by itself on your hair?

 

[biznesswmn]

Do you use the avj by itself on your hair?

No i seal w oil. I had been alternating between grapeseed, castor and coconut. Whatever was within reach

 

[ajargon02]

I always thought I had high porosity hair, but now I’m confused after reading this thread because my hair has the following characteristics:


Low Porosity
Takes time to become fully saturated with water
Requires lots of moisture
Requires regular use of humectants
Requires very little protein (highly susceptible to protein overload)
Takes a bit of time to fully dry (at least 8 hours)


But, it also shows...


Normal Porosity
Able to absorb and retain water & other substances
Requires an occasional protein treatment (once every few months)
Regularly exists in a protein-moisture balanced state
Rarely becomes dry, and if it does, moisture levels are easily restored


As well as...


High Porosity
Overly absorbs water, color, & hair products
Requires lots of moisture
Responds well to emollients
Takes on color quickly, but it fades fast
Is fragile
Prone to breakage with too much water immersion
Easily frizzes and tangles
Loves oils and creamy moisturizers/sealants
Strand feels somewhat rough


My hair is similar to that of manter26 - it will straighten out to resemble waves rather than curls while wet because it’s being weighed down by the water, and will take forever to dry. However, it differs by not shrinking after it has fully dried (it forms curls but doesn't shrink much). It also reacts badly to too much protein/substances that behave like proteins. This is so confusing, but I can't wait to read more responses.

When I got my Komazacare hair analysis I had areas that were high & normal porosity. So it's totally possible that you have a mix going on.

 

[cutiepiebabygirl]

Describe your hair? Fine strands, High Density 4a/3c. People always comment on my thick hair, it's not thick at all, just have a lot of it.

Relaxed, natural, texturized, texlaxed? Natural

What are your hair's indicators of high porosity? FRIZZ!! My hair is always frizzy. A-L-W-A-Y-S. Dries quickly, gets wet and weighed down easy. No such thing as 2nd day hair. Tangles, tangles, tangles. SSK's. Split ends.

What methods/products have you tried that really work for your hair?

Patience!

Detangling with my hands/fingers. No tools. Jane Carter Revitalizing Leave In, Oyin Hair Dew, Soultanicals Marula-Muru, Qhemet BRBC, Avocado Oil, Aubrey Organics GBP, Aphoghee 2 step. I need protein in my regimen. S&D my ends monthly.

Styling on damp stretched hair. Never soaking wet. Always remove excess water.

Adding an additional L in my LOC or LOCO methods. I will do LLOC or LLOCO.

L - Liquid Leave in - Jane Carter Revitalizing Leave In /You can also dilute a rinse out condish you like.
L - Creamy Leave In - Oyin Hair Dew
O - Avocado oil

C - Qhemet BRBC ( Best ish ever). My hair is crazy. It's very fine but very dense. So it needs a bit more than you average fine haired curly, but if I apply something too heavy (I'm looking at you Shea butter), it gets oily, limp, and weighed down. So finding a heavier "light" cream or butter was killing me until I tried Qhemet.

O - I will usually use a SMALL amount of JBCO or Qhemet Olive and Honey Hydrating Balm and focus on my ends and whatever is left on my hands gets applied to rest of my hair.

What have you tried that did NOT work for your hair/what do you avoid?

ACV rinses, Roux Porosity Control made my hair feel artificial or coated and took me to Low Porosity! Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, detangling with tools, overnight dc'ing (made my hair shed), Wash n Go's makes my hair tangle like crazy and led to SSKs. I need stretched styles.


How has having high porosity hair affected your hair care & growth journey?

I have to be very careful with my hair! My hair is not like the girls on YouTube doing tutorials. My hair will break doing half the ish they do. LOL! I have to be patient and understand my hair requires more, which is neither good nor bad, it just is. I also have to realize that protective styling is my best friend. My hair loves to be left alone. It will take me longer to reach my hair goals, but as long as I get there, I'm good.

 

[Smiley79]

@Smiley79 Claudie's is a deep conditioner. I also have the SM high porosity dc and I still like the Claudie's deep conditioner better. My hair just feel different after I use it. I really do think it's worth to at least try the 4 oz of the Claudie's then that way you can compare the two.

@tashboog I should be receiving my Claudie's this week. I will start to use it this weekend and stick to it so i can monitor the results.

 

[Smiley79]

Update/Checking in 5/2/16

Still seeing improvements by doing
cold water rinses
Adding Shower filter
DC twice a week
bentonite clay

Still working on
Product combination to seal in my moisture...some days are better than others.
I eventually want to incorporate Aloe vera to see if that helps

Helpful Product Raves
SM High Porosity mask
NaturelleGrow Moisture Boost spray
Olive oil (working better than coconut oil for me)
Will be trying Claudie's conditioner next

Improvements
My hair is staying moisturized a little longer than before. What is more noticeable is that my hair has more elasticity and its so fluffy, lol. I do not notice as much brittleness which is a huge accomplishment. Although my twist outs are still a challenge, im also seeing improvement in the definition of my hair styles.

 

[GGsKin]

Glad your changes are showing signs of progress with your hair @Smiley79. So good to see.

 

[tashboog]

@tashboog I should be receiving my Claudie's this week. I will start to use it this weekend and stick to it so i can monitor the results.

@Smiley79 glad to hear your going to try it out. I've just ordered some too since I'm finally out. How are you combating frizzy hair? Even though I'm layering my products, my hair still attracts the moisture from the air.

 

[Smiley79]

@Smiley79 glad to hear your going to try it out. I've just ordered some too since I'm finally out. How are you combating frizzy hair? Even though I'm layering my products, my hair still attracts the moisture from the air.

I switched to using mostly heavier products...creamier and thicker and I think this has helped to keep my strands tamed. when I thought I was low porosity, I was using light liquidy products and I noticed the frizzinees was more of an issue then. also cold water rinses really help with combating frizzy news as well.

 

[tashboog]

I switched to using mostly heavier products...creamier and thicker and I think this has helped to keep my strands tamed. when I thought I was low porosity, I was using light liquidy products and I noticed the frizzinees was more of an issue then. also cold water rinses really help with combating frizzy news as well.

Thanks for the info. I've recently started back doing cold water rinses so I need to make sure that I continue to do so. I will make sure I keep layering my hair with heavier products too. I also need to remember to make sure my leave-ins are between pH 4 to 5 to close my cuticles. I need to go back to using the kimmaytube recipe because that use to help .