If you have curly hair, then you are likely to consider yourself to be very lucky because your hair looks good almost all the time. While not everyone with curly hair feels grateful for their curls, hopefully, you are proud to flaunt yours. Some people with curly hair feel that their hair is unruly and hard to control, but fortunately, there are plenty of products and tools to help with that. One thing that you might wonder is why your curly hair dries so fast.
Why does my curly hair dry so fast?
There are a number of reasons why your curly hair dries so fast. One definite possibility could be the products that you’re using on your hair. All products aren’t for every hair type, so it’s important to determine your specific hair type and then locate the best products for that hair type. Products that contain alcohol, sulfites and additives can dry out your curls, which could be why your hair is drying so fast, regardless of your particular hair type.
However, if you’re meticulous about using products that are free from sulfites and other potentially harmful and drying products, then your hair probably has high porosity, which is why it drys so quickly. High porosity hair is a common problem that people experience, while others experience low porosity, which can be just as problematic.
What is high porosity hair?
Porosity refers to the hair’s ability to absorb as well as retain moisture. Hair needs to be able to evenly absorb and retain adequate moisture for maximum health. If you have high porosity hair, then your hair could use some improvement. High porosity hair quickly loses moisture, although it does have the ability to retain some moisture, at least more than low porosity hair does. So, if your hair is high porosity, then that explains why it dries so quickly!
Here are some additional characteristics of high porosity hair:
- Is often dull and lacks adequate shine
- Is often frizzy and difficult to manage
- Becomes easily tangled
- Tends to be dry, brittle, and suffer from breakage
- It lacks elasticity
- Sucks up products in a rapid manner
- Is rarely greasy
How to determine whether you have high porosity hair or not
If you’re not sure whether you have high porosity hair, even after reading about the characteristics of this hair type, there are certain tests that can be performed at home. The “float” test requires you to place a strand of hair in a glass of water, and if it rapidly sinks to the bottom of the glass, then you have high porosity hair.
Another test that requires the use of water is called the “Watershed test”, and to perform it, you would part your hair into sections and immerse one section of hair into the water. If the water is immediately absorbed, then you have high porosity hair. If, on the other hand, the water simply sits on your hair, then you have low porosity hair.
How does hair become high porosity?
It’s easy for hair to become damaged through everyday use of certain products and tools. Curling or flat ironing your hair on a daily basis can make you look and feel your best, but the frequent use of heat can cause damage to your hair in the process.
Some people have high porosity hair simply because of their genetics. There may not have been any damage to the hair, but due to hereditary reasons, you have high porosity hair. Regardless of why your hair is the way it is, there are ways to normalize it, so you don’t have to always contend with frizzy, dry hair that lacks elasticity.
How can you improve the porosity of your hair?
There are many things that you can do to normalize the porosity of your hair. First of all, you should ensure that you’re using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. The shampoo and conditioner should not contain harsh ingredients like sulfates, alcohol, parabens, etc, and you shouldn’t dry out your hair further.
Another thing that you can do to normalize the porosity of your hair is to ensure that you regularly deep condition your hair. You can do this at home and save yourself the expense of going to a professional. After applying a high-quality deep conditioner or mask to your hair, be sure to place a shower cap over your hair and sit under the hairdryer for 15 minutes.
The heat will help the conditioner to penetrate deeply into the hair shaft, where it will begin repairing your damaged hair. A heating cap or a handheld hairdryer may also be used if you don’t have a hooded dryer.
Which products are best for high porosity hair?
Again, if you have high porosity hair, you want to ensure you’re using the right products. The right products can not only prevent your hair from becoming even more porous, but they can help improve its condition so that it’s more manageable.
- Olaplex No. 3 Split End Sealer – this product will repair any split ends that you may have, so your strands will be well-hydrated, soft, and silky. However, just because your ends are being sealed with this top-notch product doesn’t mean that you don’t need to continue to get regular hair trims, because you do.
- Amika Soulfood Nourishing Mask – this highly-effective hair mask will quickly revive dry, frizzy, lifeless hair and return it to the soft, moisturized, and silky condition it was before becoming damaged.
- Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave-In Detangler – everyone with high porosity hair needs a good detangler, because this hair type is already prone to breakage, and trying to comb or brush out tangles without the right product can cause it to sustain even more breakage.
- Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil – this product works wonders for keeping the scalp moisturized and stimulating the hair to grow. This mint scalp and hair strengthening oil will strengthen your hair, dramatically minimizing its chances of undergoing any breakage.
Is all curly hair highly porous?
If you take care of your curls and you aren’t genetically predisposed to highly porous hair, then your hair may have normal porosity. Just because someone has curly hair doesn’t mean that their hair is going to be damaged and frizzy, and if a person uses the proper products and refrains from using excess heat, then their curls may always be normally porous.
Conclusion
If you feel that your curly hair dries faster than normal, then you could either be using the wrong products or you could have a problem with high porosity hair. Either way, there are ways to repair your hair with the use of the right products for your hair. You don’t have to settle for dry, frizzy hair that is hard to manage, and as long as you’re willing to take the time and put forth the effort to improve your hair, you can quickly reverse the problem.
