Low porosity means that the hair cuticles are either barely open or tightly closed. This type of hair absorbs water and moisturizing products poorly, but retains them well. It takes longer to dry and may seem resistant to treatments, but it requires regular care to stay hydrated and healthy.

During the porosity test, the hair absorbs water very slowly and remains pointing upwards.

Water penetrates the hair shaft slowly, but once absorbed, the hair retains its moisture well. When properly hydrated, hair is supple and curls form easily. However, thick oils or plant-based butters used for nourishment can block the cuticles and limit water penetration, leaving hair dry despite moisturizing and nourishing treatments, especially if you don't drink enough water every day.

Here are some tips to open the cuticles and improve hydration:

Deep treatments, such as masks, are often performed with steam baths to allow the treatment to penetrate deeply and open the cuticles.

Humectants (for example: vegetable glycerin, honey, etc.) help maintain hair hydration. They absorb and retain water, even from the air. It is therefore advisable to add them to your daily moisturizing routine. This way, regardless of your hair's porosity level, it will always have moisture available, whether from the air or your hair care products.

The temperature of the water used for moisturizing or washing also influences the opening or closing of the cuticles, as does the climate. Cold water tightens the cuticles, while heat opens them—ideal for applying plant-based butters like shea butter or oils like castor oil, which are particularly well-suited to humid tropical climates and curly hair.

The limescale present in some water, especially in the West, can clog the cuticles and make hair brittle and dry. The technique of a final rinse with mineral or soft water, combined with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, helps to remove limescale and tighten the cuticles.

Choosing the right oils or butters for your hair's needs ensures effective care. Thick oils, like castor or black castor oil, or plant-based butters like shea, can lock in moisture if your hair has low porosity. Lighter oils, like coconut, avocado, or sweet almond oil, nourish the hair without blocking moisture.

Changes in hair texture or appearance also influence hair porosity.

For example, hair straightened with an iron has closed cuticles, because the passage of the iron aligns them in the direction of closure, even if steam or heat can open them momentarily.

Certain hair treatments, such as bleaching or straightening, permanently alter the hair and destroy the hair fiber and cuticles. Even the best treatments cannot restore the original structure, but they can help the hair survive despite this damage.

When the cuticles are damaged, their natural opening and closing mechanisms are destroyed. This type of hair, having high porosity, requires deeper and more frequent care than natural hair.

The healthiest option is to cut the damaged hair once new growth is present and the desired length is reached, or more radically, without waiting.

In any case, if you currently have low porosity , don't worry, nothing is definitive or strictly genetic, because natural hair adapts its cuticles according to different factors (climate, gestures, hairstyles, care, etc.).

The key is to understand your hair to better manage its care and take care of yourself.

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