Selecting the appropriate products and hair care regimen requires an understanding of your hair type. Whether your hair is thick, thin, curly, or straight, understanding its special qualities will help you maintain its health and best appearance.
There is a ton of information available online, but not all of it is reliable for determining your hair type. One popular misconception is that you can figure out how much moisture your hair can absorb by using a glass of water and the porosity test. Despite its widespread use, this approach frequently provides incomplete information and is deceptive.
This post will examine the actual characteristics that determine your hair type and offer helpful maintenance advice for each. Instead of depending on dated or ineffective techniques, you can design a routine that protects and nurtures your hair by understanding its needs.
- Hair types and their characteristics
- Low porosity hair
- Hair of medium porosity
- Porous hair
- Care scheme for each hair type
- Video on the topic
- How to determine your hair type
- Method for determining hair porosity – Haircolor.org.ua
- How to determine your hair type, and why it can change?
- HOW TO KNOW YOUR HAIR TYPE | SIMPLE TEST
Hair types and their characteristics
First, let me clarify what I mean by "hair porosity" before we begin with the classification.
There are certain similarities between a tree’s structure and the structure of hair. The bark and, in the case of hair, the cuticle make up a tree’s top layer. The porosity of the hair refers to how tightly the cuticle fits together.
Thus, hair can have three different porosities: low, normal, and high.
Low porosity hair
Because they resemble fishing line, they are also known as glassy. These hair, which are incredibly smooth and glossy, lie hair to hair. They are rarely guests of volume and never frizz. Another term for low porosity hair is heavy. They never retain the style at all; instead, they constantly straighten out and go back to being straight. Such hair has a tightly fitting coiffure.
Hair of medium porosity
Given how typical it is of Slavs, this hair type is probably the most prevalent. Although this hair can resemble low porosity in appearance, there is a noticeable difference when it rains. When rain starts to fall, hair that is normally straight, smooth, and well-groomed will start to stand out in different directions and become fluffy. Such hair is good at holding its style.
Medium-porosity hair typically has cuticles that fit together fairly well, but they can also be considered loose. This looseness causes the cuticles to become "mobile," which is why the hair gets fluffy in humid weather.
Porous hair
Hair with pores is fluffy and full of volume. Furthermore, the level of fluff here ranges from tiny to enormous. This ranges from a cute, fluffy animal to a genuine poodle. It’s not the most innocent of comparisons, but it gives the best indication of the circumstances. This is the most delicate type of hair because porous hair cuticles cling to one another the worst, making it more vulnerable to damage than other hair types. They become less hydrated and acquire even more volume in humid weather, which gives them the capacity to curl during this period.
Although most of the listed types of hair are innate, they can all change.
For instance, they’re all susceptible to dryness and brittleness. With the exception of porous hair types, which are more prone to dryness than other types due to their structure, this feature is more the result of care errors than a standard.
In order to make it as clear as possible how to take care of each of these hair types, I will outline a general pattern that we can infer based on the type of hair and the fact that at first each of them is in good condition.
While density, oiliness, and texture are key factors in determining your hair type, there is more to knowing how to take care of your hair. To keep it healthy and beautiful, every type of hair—straight, wavy, curly, or coily—needs a different routine. The widely used porosity test, which involves submerging a hair strand into a glass of water to measure moisture absorption, is deceptive due to the possibility of multiple factors, including product accumulation, influencing the outcome. Instead, develop an understanding of your hair’s natural behavior to help you design a care regimen that meets your individual needs.
Care scheme for each hair type
Lightest care is required for hair with low porosity. Lightness is not weakness but rather careful without being heavy.
Because it’s simple to overnourish glass hair, you should prioritize the hydrating treatments. Nutrition should be included as well, but it will only make up 1 to 3 of the moisturizing component (2). This type of hair naturally has enough keratin on its own, so restorative products by themselves are not necessary (unless damage is taken into account). Regular use of such products will also cause the hair to become dull and hard. If you wish to use restorative products, by all means do so, but do not use them excessively as this could have the opposite effect of what you intended.
The most common cause of low porosity hair is heredity, although herbal dyes can also produce the effect.
Because restorative products can help bring medium porosity hair as close to low porosity as possible, they should be used in equal measure when nourishing and moisturizing this type of hair. If you wash your hair twice a week, you should use a restorative product once after nourishing and moisturizing it, or on the third wash. Restorative products containing proteins and keratin can be used 1-2 times a week if you wash your hair daily.
The hardest to maintain hair that is porous. Here, it’s crucial to ascertain the hair’s condition. Hair that is porous may be damaged as a result of improper maintenance, or it may just be more prone to dryness.
In the first instance, a multi-layered approach to care will be beneficial. This should start with a nourishing mask, which should be promptly followed by conditioner, a leave-in (you can mix cream and oil together, depending on the porosity of your hair), and hair spray. Swap the nourishing mask for a moisturizing one the next time you wash your hair. Additionally, you should actively include restorative products in your hair care regimen because porous hair necessitates their use. Collagen and keratin-containing products will thicken and smooth porous hair.
The strategy is still the same if your porous hair is damaged; you should just avoid using moisturizing products at first and concentrate on restorative and nourishing products, which will undoubtedly be covered with conditioner (it’s preferable to use products with a more acidic pH). Moisturing should take precedence over other factors only after the hair’s condition has improved.
Damage from excessive use of heat tools, coloring, or other chemical processes can cause any other type of hair to become porous. Before actively focusing on moisturizing, porous, damaged hair should first be "nourished" from the inside out with restorative care.
It’s possible that care is not right for you because you are a curly hair type, so don’t give up hope if your porous hair remains unruly and dull even after receiving treatment.
Then you should be aware of the Curly Girl Method and its guidelines, which include avoiding silicones and SLS, using only gentle shampoos and cowashing, and not using combs. Doing so is what can completely change frizzy hair into gorgeous, elastic, shiny curls.
Hair Type | Care Regimen |
Oily Hair | Wash frequently, use light shampoos, avoid heavy oils |
Dry Hair | Moisturize regularly, use hydrating masks, avoid heat styling |
Normal Hair | Wash as needed, maintain balance with lightweight products |
Combination Hair | Use mild shampoos, focus conditioner on ends |
Porosity Test | The glass of water test is unreliable because it oversimplifies hair"s moisture retention and doesn"t account for factors like product buildup |
To design a hair care regimen that is ideal for you, it is imperative to understand your hair type. Knowing your hair’s specific requirements will help you select the best products and treatments, regardless of whether it is oily, dry, or in between.
It’s also critical to understand that hair porosity affects how well your hair absorbs and holds onto moisture. The widely used water glass porosity test isn’t always reliable, though. It’s preferable to go with your hair’s natural feel and response to products over time.
You can maintain manageable, glossy, and healthy hair with a regimen that is specific to your hair type and porosity. When it comes to figuring out what works for you, believe in your observations and experience.