High-porosity hair – what is it and how to care for it?

If your hair is dry, dull and frizzes easily (but doesn’t necessarily break), you probably have high-porosity hair. Standard care often isn’t enough. What does porous hair need most? How do you make it smoother and healthier-looking? Which treatments work best, and how can you tell your hair’s porosity? We cover it all below.

High-porosity hair – what does it mean?

High-porosity hair has an open or damaged cuticle, so it loses moisture easily but also readily absorbs chemicals and moisturising substances from its surroundings (including from products). It often looks dull, is dry and tangles easily. To look after it, use moisturising and nourishing products and protect it from sun and high temperatures.

It’s also worth knowing what high-porosity hair doesn’t like – and avoiding it consistently. One everyday example: going to sleep with wet hair, especially uncombed, on a pillowcase made of cotton blended with synthetic fibres.

Very porous hair – which products are right?

Ingredients to look out for in shampoos and conditioners:

• Oils – the emollients high-porosity hair loves, e.g. argan, coconut, jojoba or avocado oil. They prevent dryness and add softness.
• Proteins – e.g. keratin, collagen, silk proteins. They help strengthen the hair structure and prevent breakage.
• Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) – a moisturising ingredient that improves condition, adds shine and smooths the hair.
• Humectants – such as glycerine or hyaluronic acid. They bind moisture and keep it inside the hair. It’s best to combine them with emollients – used alone in dry air, they can increase frizz.
• Plant extracts – e.g. aloe vera, chamomile, calendula. They soothe and strengthen.

High-porosity hair usually tolerates richer, nourishing products well – emollients (oils, shea butter) help “close” the cuticle and keep water inside the hair. But if your hair becomes limp, greasy or coated after a product, cut back on heavy silicones and waxes or use a gentle clarifying shampoo more often, so products don’t build up on the hair.

Unfortunately there’s no single best conditioner for high-porosity hair. Most people test many products before finding the mix that works for them – usually alternating between protein, emollient and moisturising products depending on what the hair needs. The CWC method can help with this.

The CWC method for porous hair

The CWC method (conditioner–wash–conditioner) is very well suited to high-porosity hair. Originally popular with curly hair (which naturally tends to be more porous), it helps maintain the right level of moisture and builds a protective lipid layer on the hair. It’s about washing the hair in a way that strengthens rather than “scrubs” it: conditioner first, then a gentle shampoo on the scalp, then conditioner again.

The method also relies on products that don’t weigh the hair down, are free of drying alcohols and help balance emollients, humectants and proteins. People who use it consistently – especially those with very porous hair – often notice a clear difference: less frizz and hair that’s shinier and easier to style.

Not sure how to recognise your hair porosity? Ask our hairdressers in Warsaw, Ząbki, Poznań, Szczecin, Wrocław, Łódź, Bydgoszcz or Siedlce – we work 7 days a week without appointments. Find your nearest salon and check the prices.

FAQ

How can I check my hair porosity?

The simplest test: drop a clean, dry hair into a glass of water. High-porosity hair sinks within a minute; low-porosity hair floats on the surface. High-porosity hair soaks up water quickly, dries quickly, frizzes and holds colour poorly.

Which products are best for high-porosity hair?

Richer, nourishing ones: protein masks (keratin, collagen), emollient conditioners with shea butter and oils (coconut, castor, avocado), and a serum for the ends. Light, “watery” humectant products used on their own can increase frizz.

Can high-porosity hair be dyed?

Yes, but the colour washes out faster and the hair dries out more. Before colouring, do a course of protein masks; afterwards, use a sulphate-free shampoo and wash in lukewarm water.

Is high porosity the same as damaged hair?

Not always. High porosity can be natural (often with curly and coarse hair), but bleaching, straightening and sun increase it – then it’s damage, which trimming and repair treatments help with.

Can a Haircut Express hairdresser assess my hair porosity?

Yes – the hairdresser will assess your hair on the spot and advise on care and a cut, without an appointment. Come to any salon; haircut and colouring prices are in the price list.

Read also

• Hair burnt by bleaching – how to save it?
• Should you wash your hair before colouring?
• How to cut curly hair
• Dyeing blonde hair brown – 5 rules