June 05, 2013

Low Porosity and Length Retention - Guest Blogger, Adrienne



So, I had recently cut the remainder of my bone straight hair off and found that none of my staples worked for my hair. It seemed as though my new texlaxed head of hair HATED everything I used before. Nothing seemed to moisturize my hair and it was constantly dry no matter what I used. I did a bit of research and after a series of porosity tests, I realized that I had low porosity hair.

My hair exhibited all the symptoms of low porosity and once I realized the problem, I instantly went to work on finding a solution. I had come way too far in my HHJ to have a setback due to dryness! After doing tons of research, I found a natural haired blogger with low porosity hair named Elle and her website is:
questfortheperfectcurl.com.

Although my hair is texlaxed, it is very THICK, so my hair tends to like products and methods geared toward natural hair. After reading her HG list, I decided to try some of them to see if it would work for my hair. I also started using a hair steamer (review coming). Let me tell you, her posts saved my hair! Thankfully, her product suggestions totally turned my hair around and I am happy to say that my hair is super moisturized and soft again! I will be reviewing some of my new staples soon.

The main thing to take away from low porosity hair is:
1. You don't need to do cold water rinses, ACV rinses or use Roux porosity control. Those methods/products work to lay down the hair cuticle. With low porosity hair, the cuticles are ALREADY super tight and closed.
2. Avoid heavy proteins. Protein is the last thing low porosity hair needs. You need to concentrate on adding more moisture. I avoid protein laden products now and my hair is thriving. Low porosity hair suffers from protein overload very easily.
3. Use a lighter oil to seal. I use to LIVE by EVOO but found that it just sat on my hair. I now use an oil mix (review coming) that is composed of light oils and ceramides.
4. Keep cones out of your regimen as much as possible and clarify/shampoo often. Low porosity hair has trouble absorbing product, meaning it is very easy to have product build up. Keep your hair clean and avoid products that notoriously cause build up, like mineral oil and cones.
5. Deep condition with heat. Heat forces the cuticle open. This is a good way to get moisture where it is needed. I have found that overnight DCing is not nearly as effective as 30 minutes under my steamer.
6. Use water as much as possible to moisturize. Water penetrates better than any other moisturizer you can use. When my hair is not straight, I moisturize with distilled water and seal.
7. Cowashing is your friend. Since water is the ultimate moisturizer for low porosity hair, try cowashing every other day in place of moisturizing and sealing. This helps avoid buildup and gets water back in your strands.
8. Don't be heavy-handed when moisturizing and sealing. Only use what you need and concentrate most of it on your ends. If you find that you don't need to moisturize and seal daily, it is okay to skip a day!

If you learn to work with low porosity hair and find products that help combat its dryness, then length retention is not a problem. I have several product reviews coming up that have helped me solve my dryness issue and may be helpful for you if you are having the same issue.

Check out my
latest post on some updated tips for low porosity hair!

Be sure to check out Adrienne’s blog!

 


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