Porosity Issues

[Songbirdb]

Okay, I did the water test yesterday and my hair stayed afloat. Now I know the ladies said if it sinks immediately, then you have a porosity issue and if it takes 3 or 4 mins then it won't absorb moisture or something like that, but what if it doesn't sink at all? What state is my hair in?

My second question is "is it okay to do a porosity treatment even if you don't have a porosity issue?" like is it healthy just to do it as a preventative measure? Thanks ladies!

 

[AsTheCurlzTurns]

I'm unsure about the first question but would definitely love to know the answer about the second question though.

 

[dinaaike]

How long did your hair stay afloat? Are you saying that it just didn't sink?

If it didn't sink, or took upwards of four minutes, then yes, you do need to correct your porosity. Your hair isn't ready to absorb anything, so if you put a regular moisturizer on it, it won't absorb well, it'll just SIT on the hair. Most of the posts I've read recommend Porosity Control conditioner. Too rich for my blood though , so I use Regenal by Wella instead.

As far as correcting as a preventive measure...? erplexed I don't know. Personally, I prefer to treat the issues that I know exist. Take protein for example, my hair is protein sensitive, so unless it starts to feel over-elastic, I just won't put any protein stronger than silk or wheat proteins on it. HTH!

I recently ran into hard water issues and porosity issues. My hair was crunchy and awful and no amount of oil or moisturizing would fix it. Once I clarified with a swimmer's shampoo and corrected porosity, no more problems. I've even...(forgive me)...skipped moisturizing entirely some days. I could never have done that 3 months ago.

 

[Songbirdb]

Thank you! I'm gonna try it one more time and see. The 1st time I did the water test, it just stayed afloat past the 4 mins, then eventually, I just got sick of waiting. So if your porosity is in check, what is your hair supposed to do in the water???


ANd if my hair isn't ready to absorb anything, how to I correct this issue?

 

[gymfreak336]

Thank you! I'm gonna try it one more time and see. The 1st time I did the water test, it just stayed afloat past the 4 mins, then eventually, I just got sick of waiting. So if your porosity is in check, what is your hair supposed to do in the water???


ANd if my hair isn't ready to absorb anything, how to I correct this issue?

Porosity is going to be one of those things you are going to constantly have to manage until your hair gets healthier and even then you might still have problems. Personally, my hair has always been porous and its because I don't naturally have alot of cuticle layers.

To manage and correct it, your goal is going to be to use products that help seal and close the cuticle. A protein treatment fills in the cracks in a damaged cuticle which will help porosity issues. You also need to look for products that have a low pH to help close the cuticle. I would always wonder why my hair would feel great wash day and then like crap the rest of the week and it was because my cuticle wasn't closed and all the moisture was just leaveing my hair as quickly as I was trying to put it in. Look for shampoo's with a pH below 6. 4.5-5.5 range. If you don't know, email the company and ask. Elasta qp and Joico both have shampoo's that have low pH's. Roux makes a porosity contol shampoo and conditioner. There are many posts here about the Porosity control conditioner. You can also try a ACV rinse after conditioning to help close and seal the cuticle. In the long term, being more gentle with your hair and reducing overall damage will improve your porosity problems.

 

[Braided~Beauty]

Okay, I did the water test yesterday and my hair stayed afloat. Now I know the ladies said if it sinks immediately, then you have a porosity issue and if it takes 3 or 4 mins then it won't absorb moisture or something like that, but what if it doesn't sink at all? What state is my hair in?

My second question is "is it okay to do a porosity treatment even if you don't have a porosity issue?" like is it healthy just to do it as a preventative measure? Thanks ladies!

I am so glad to see this thread. I have the same problem, my hair just will not sink at all. Also it is always dry no matter how much I moisturize. I have no answers but will be watching this thread with you

 

[Braided~Beauty]

Porosity is going to be one of those things you are going to constantly have to manage until your hair gets healthier and even then you might still have problems. Personally, my hair has always been porous and its because I don't naturally have alot of cuticle layers.

To manage and correct it, your goal is going to be to use products that help seal and close the cuticle. A protein treatment fills in the cracks in a damaged cuticle which will help porosity issues. You also need to look for products that have a low pH to help close the cuticle. I would always wonder why my hair would feel great wash day and then like crap the rest of the week and it was because my cuticle wasn't closed and all the moisture was just leaveing my hair as quickly as I was trying to put it in. Look for shampoo's with a pH below 6. 4.5-5.5 range. If you don't know, email the company and ask. Elasta qp and Joico both have shampoo's that have low pH's. Roux makes a porosity contol shampoo and conditioner. There are many posts here about the Porosity control conditioner. You can also try a ACV rinse after conditioning to help close and seal the cuticle. In the long term, being more gentle with your hair and reducing overall damage will improve your porosity problems.

Would this be more of a treatment for overly porus hair as opposed to hair with low porosity?

 

[gymfreak336]

Would this be more of a treatment for overly porus hair as opposed to hair with low porosity?

Oops, that would be for overly porus hair.....For low porosity you are going to have to try to open the cuticle up some. Try using heat when you condition to help pentration. Also, coloring your hair makes it more porous...I am not saying dip your head in peroxide but a demi permanent rinse would help open up the cuticle some. This is why people who color their hair usually see more body from it, since the color makes it more porous.

Also, make sure your strand tests are performed on clean hair and perform all 3 porosity tests to know what you have for sure..
HTH

 

[Braided~Beauty]

Oops, that would be for overly porus hair.....For low porosity you are going to have to try to open the cuticle up some. Try using heat when you condition to help pentration. Also, coloring your hair makes it more porous...I am not saying dip your head in peroxide but a demi permanent rinse would help open up the cuticle some. This is why people who color their hair usually see more body from it, since the color makes it more porous.

Also, make sure your strand tests are performed on clean hair and perform all 3 porosity tests to know what you have for sure..
HTH

Thanks gymfreak!
Demi permanent rinses huh? :scratchch

 

[gymfreak336]

Thanks gymfreak!
Demi permanent rinses huh? :scratchch

Yep. You can stick with clear if you like so that you don't change your hair color. Demi rinses use a low volume developer to open your air shaft which will help your low porosity issue. I'll Pm you some more info.

 

[dinaaike]

GymFreak is right. The cuticle could be closed for a number of reasons. Sometimes just switching to a pH-balanced shampoo and/or conditioner corrects the problem. But if you otherwise like your current staples, then adding a correcter may be necessary.

Four minutes for a clean strand to sink is a long time. It should ideally take anwhere between one and two minutes to gradually merge itself with the water. If it drops in like a rock or stays buoyant like a raft for that long, you can be pretty sure you have an issue. Apple cider vinegar rinses are supposed to be helpful, but I can only speak from experience and...erplexed. So I went the product route. The product treatments to correct porosity usually take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and are pretty inexpensive.

If you do have impervious hair, try clarifying and then using the ACV rinse first. If you don't feel a difference within a day or so, you may want to make a trip to the BSS and pick up a corrector. Also, take a look at your shampoo and conditioner. If you have been using them forever and never had a problem, it may just be "that time" to take care of porosity. If they are new products, then you may want to re-evaluate them if you find out they are too acidic or too alkaline.

Kinky hair does tend to have less cuticle layers than other types of hair; hence it's weaker nature. But if kept in proper acid balance and clean of product build-up, it gives any other type a run for it's money. HTH!

 

[gymfreak336]

GymFreak is right. The cuticle could be closed for a number of reasons. Sometimes just switching to a pH-balanced shampoo and/or conditioner corrects the problem. But if you otherwise like your current staples, then adding a correcter may be necessary.

Four minutes for a clean strand to sink is a long time. It should ideally take anwhere between one and two minutes to gradually merge itself with the water. If it drops in like a rock or stays buoyant like a raft for that long, you can be pretty sure you have an issue. Apple cider vinegar rinses are supposed to be helpful, but I can only speak from experience and...erplexed. So I went the product route. The product treatments to correct porosity usually take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and are pretty inexpensive.

If you do have impervious hair, try clarifying and then using the ACV rinse first. If you don't feel a difference within a day or so, you may want to make a trip to the BSS and pick up a corrector. Also, take a look at your shampoo and conditioner. If you have been using them forever and never had a problem, it may just be "that time" to take care of porosity. If they are new products, then you may want to re-evaluate them if you find out they are too acidic or too alkaline.

Kinky hair does tend to have less cuticle layers than other types of hair; hence it's weaker nature. But if kept in proper acid balance and clean of product build-up, it gives any other type a run for it's money. HTH!

ITA!!!!!!!!

 

[locabouthair]

for someone that has coarse hair does that mean that they have more cuticle layers? and how does that affect porosity?

 

[gymfreak336]

for someone that has coarse hair does that mean that they have more cuticle layers? and how does that affect porosity?

Generally yes. It affects porosity because since there are more layers, even when some is raised, it doesn't impact it as hard as lets say a fine hair with 3 layers instead of like 6. Since it has more layers, some peoples cuticle is super tight. This is where the whole resistant hair thing comes into play. Since the cuticle is super tight, nothing can get in.

 

[locabouthair]

Generally yes. It affects porosity because since there are more layers, even when some is raised, it doesn't impact it as hard as lets say a fine hair with 3 layers instead of like 6. Since it has more layers, some peoples cuticle is super tight. This is where the whole resistant hair thing comes into play. Since the cuticle is super tight, nothing can get in.

Thanks for explianing that. I've always had problems with dryness even as a natural. My hair is so coarse it doesnt even make sense. Dealing with coarse hair is such a battle.

 

[gymfreak336]

Thanks for explianing that. I've always had problems with dryness even as a natural. My hair is so coarse it doesnt even make sense. Dealing with coarse hair is such a battle.

You might have really tight cuticles. When you were relaxed how was your relaxing process...like what strength relaxer did you use etc..

 

[Songbirdb]

Okay, I tried the water test again at 6pm. It's 11 now and my hair is still floating. What does this mean????

And I'm gonna ask again, if your hair is completely fine and in healthy porosity range or whatever, what will it do then? (will is stay floating like mine, will it sink after a minute? What does hair do if it's okay?)



Also, letting ya'll know, I do wash my hair w/ Elasta QP low PH poo and I do clear rinses and I LOVE my heavy duty protein (every 6 weeks so I'm positive my hair can't be too porus.) But if someone can shed some light on what is going on, that would be helpful.

 

[gymfreak336]

Okay, I tried the water test again at 6pm. It's 11 now and my hair is still floating. What does this mean????

And I'm gonna ask again, if your hair is completely fine and in healthy porosity range or whatever, what will it do then? (will is stay floating like mine, will it sink after a minute? What does hair do if it's okay?)



Also, letting ya'll know, I do wash my hair w/ Elasta QP low PH poo and I do clear rinses and I LOVE my heavy duty protein (every 6 weeks so I'm positive my hair can't be too porus.) But if someone can shed some light on what is going on, that would be helpful.

Your hair isn't overly porous, your porosity is very low....your hair cuticles are very tight. I could be the fact that you do the heavy protein every 6 weeks.

 

[Songbirdb]

Your hair isn't overly porous, your porosity is very low....your hair cuticles are very tight. I could be the fact that you do the heavy protein every 6 weeks.

Thank you darling! So I guess this isn't a good thing, huh. Hmmm, off to correcting this issue.

 

[AsTheCurlzTurns]

Thanks for the info ladies, and thanks Songbird for starting this thread! Some awesome and great info. Hope you're able to get this sorted, but please keep us posted as to how things are going for you and everyone else once you get it under control.

 

[Braided~Beauty]

I want to also thank songbird for starting this thread! Very interesting stuff.

GymFreak is right. The cuticle could be closed for a number of reasons. Sometimes just switching to a pH-balanced shampoo and/or conditioner corrects the problem. But if you otherwise like your current staples, then adding a correcter may be necessary.

Four minutes for a clean strand to sink is a long time. It should ideally take anwhere between one and two minutes to gradually merge itself with the water. If it drops in like a rock or stays buoyant like a raft for that long, you can be pretty sure you have an issue. Apple cider vinegar rinses are supposed to be helpful, but I can only speak from experience and...erplexed. So I went the product route. The product treatments to correct porosity usually take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and are pretty inexpensive.

If you do have impervious hair, try clarifying and then using the ACV rinse first. If you don't feel a difference within a day or so, you may want to make a trip to the BSS and pick up a corrector. Also, take a look at your shampoo and conditioner. If you have been using them forever and never had a problem, it may just be "that time" to take care of porosity. If they are new products, then you may want to re-evaluate them if you find out they are too acidic or too alkaline.

Kinky hair does tend to have less cuticle layers than other types of hair; hence it's weaker nature. But if kept in proper acid balance and clean of product build-up, it gives any other type a run for it's money. HTH!

dinaaike- would you mind sharing the names of the products that worked to help correct your porosity?

 

[Songbirdb]

I want to also thank songbird for starting this thread! Very interesting stuff.

dinaaike- would you mind sharing the names of the products that worked to help correct your porosity?

Oh no prob girl! This stuff is all brand new to me so I'm taking notes as we go.

 

[Artemis]

GymFreak is right. The cuticle could be closed for a number of reasons. Sometimes just switching to a pH-balanced shampoo and/or conditioner corrects the problem. But if you otherwise like your current staples, then adding a correcter may be necessary.

Four minutes for a clean strand to sink is a long time. It should ideally take anwhere between one and two minutes to gradually merge itself with the water. If it drops in like a rock or stays buoyant like a raft for that long, you can be pretty sure you have an issue. Apple cider vinegar rinses are supposed to be helpful, but I can only speak from experience and...erplexed. So I went the product route. The product treatments to correct porosity usually take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and are pretty inexpensive.

If you do have impervious hair, try clarifying and then using the ACV rinse first. If you don't feel a difference within a day or so, you may want to make a trip to the BSS and pick up a corrector. Also, take a look at your shampoo and conditioner. If you have been using them forever and never had a problem, it may just be "that time" to take care of porosity. If they are new products, then you may want to re-evaluate them if you find out they are too acidic or too alkaline.

Kinky hair does tend to have less cuticle layers than other types of hair; hence it's weaker nature. But if kept in proper acid balance and clean of product build-up, it gives any other type a run for it's money. HTH!

I agree with the bold

SongbirdB, I suggest that you clarify your hair and make sure your hair is clean and product free (no serums, no protein conditioner!), and then try the porosity test. If the hair still takes more than 2-3 min to sink or it doesn't sink, then you make want to look into changing your shampoo for a while. Because you hair is not taking in any moisture at all, I suspect that you hair's pH is either 4.5 or lower, which can happen sometimes. Conditioning shampoos that have cationic conditioners (such as Motions Lavish or Keracare Hydrating/Detangling) generally have a higher pH (5-6) and will help to open then cuticle layers up. But you have to realize that this may take a few washes before you'll correct it, so have patience.

If I remember correctly, you and I discussed on Fotki that we might be hair twins, so I want to confirm that you have fine textured strands, right? If so, then this won't take as long as you think; fine hair generally doesn't have many cuticle layers.

When you go to rinse your hair well prior to your shampoo, how long does it take for your hair to get saturated with the water? Being aware of the time it takes now can help determine if the porosity issue corrects itself later. So if after switching shampoos and/or doing a corrective treatment, you notice your hair takes less time to get wet in the shower, then you are on the right track

I also wanted to add that those who want to try the color treatment to help open the cuticle layers should really try changing shampoos first, just because some people will have better results than others, not to mention the fact that haircoloring is a chemical services, and there are other factors that come into play to make this a viable option to correct porosity. If you are unsure just ask one of the knowledgeable ladies on this board (like Gymfreak lol!)

Oh, and as far as the ACV rinse...if you have seemingly stalwart strands, ACV's not gonna help. ACV rinses are meant to lightly seal the cuticle, which is the opposite effect we are going for. Products that are slightly more basic than the hair are necessary for hair that is naturally lower in pH.

ACV only modifies the pH a little. So if you condition the hair, which has a natural pH somewhere around 4.5-5.5, with a pH balanced conditioner and then rinse with water (pH 7), the hair's going to go up a bit. ACV will bring it back to the normal range. Any drastic changes that need to be made will come from a stronger product. I know Porosity Control conditioner is often mentioned, but it has it's place too, and cannot always solve the problem. But for simple issues, it is great

 

[netnet26]

Hmmmmmm :scratchch....Great info!! Well off to go see if my hair floats or sinks...I really never took the time out to see if my hair was porus or not...All though I dont seem to have moisture retaining problems it is always good to know that stuff!

I agree with the bold

SongbirdB, I suggest that you clarify your hair and make sure your hair is clean and product free (no serums, no protein conditioner!), and then try the porosity test. If the hair still takes more than 2-3 min to sink or it doesn't sink, then you make want to look into changing your shampoo for a while. Because you hair is not taking in any moisture at all, I suspect that you hair's pH is either 4.5 or lower, which can happen sometimes. Conditioning shampoos that have cationic conditioners (such as Motions Lavish or Keracare Hydrating/Detangling) generally have a higher pH (5-6) and will help to open then cuticle layers up. But you have to realize that this may take a few washes before you'll correct it, so have patience.

If I remember correctly, you and I discussed on Fotki that we might be hair twins, so I want to confirm that you have fine textured strands, right? If so, then this won't take as long as you think; fine hair generally doesn't have many cuticle layers.

When you go to rinse your hair well prior to your shampoo, how long does it take for your hair to get saturated with the water? Being aware of the time it takes now can help determine if the porosity issue corrects itself later. So if after switching shampoos and/or doing a corrective treatment, you notice your hair takes less time to get wet in the shower, then you are on the right track

I also wanted to add that those who want to try the color treatment to help open the cuticle layers should really try changing shampoos first, just because some people will have better results than others, not to mention the fact that haircoloring is a chemical services, and there are other factors that come into play to make this a viable option to correct porosity. If you are unsure just ask one of the knowledgeable ladies on this board (like Gymfreak lol!)

Oh, and as far as the ACV rinse...if you have seemingly stalwart strands, ACV's not gonna help. ACV rinses are meant to lightly seal the cuticle, which is the opposite effect we are going for. Products that are slightly more basic than the hair are necessary for hair that is naturally lower in pH.

ACV only modifies the pH a little. So if you condition the hair, which has a natural pH somewhere around 4.5-5.5, with a pH balanced conditioner and then rinse with water (pH 7), the hair's going to go up a bit. ACV will bring it back to the normal range. Any drastic changes that need to be made will come from a stronger product. I know Porosity Control conditioner is often mentioned, but it has it's place too, and cannot always solve the problem. But for simple issues, it is great

 

[Braided~Beauty]

Bumping for more replys!

 

[MonaRae]

Praise The Lord! This might answer the problem I have been having. I tried the stand test after read the 1st post and sure enough my hair floated like a pro as a matter of fact I'm sure it was doing the back stroke j/k

I do have some Porosity condish but I wanted to know if anyone could recommend a good poo and condish for this condition.

TIA!

 

[gymfreak336]

Praise The Lord! This might answer the problem I have been having. I tried the stand test after read the 1st post and sure enough my hair floated like a pro as a matter of fact I'm sure it was doing the back stroke j/k

I do have some Porosity condish but I wanted to know if anyone could recommend a good poo and condish for this condition.

TIA!

If your hair is floating forever than you have low porosity and you are going to have to try to open the cuticle up some. I'll pm you more details

 

[MonaRae]

Is that why CON works so well on our hair?!? I have some at home and will try using it tonight. Is there a specific label I should be using?

 

[gymfreak336]

Is that why CON works so well on our hair?!? I have some at home and will try using it tonight. Is there a specific label I should be using?

Any cream of nature should suffice. There are other ways to help increase your porosity, I'll pm you later.

 

[gymfreak336]

Deleted....I'll pm you more detail Songbird