Hair Porosity 101: What It Means + How to Test Yours
Does your hair take FOR-EV-ER to get your strands soaking wet… then ridiculously long to dry? Maybe it’s constantly dehydrated, frizzy, and air-dries in seconds?
If you said yes to either, your hair’s porosity is probably the culprit. Knowing your hair porosity is just as important as knowing your hair type, but what does that mean exactly?
What is hair porosity?
Hair porosity refers to how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture. Some strands soak it up quickly, some take their time, and some barely at all.
The higher the porosity, the thirstier your hair—and understanding yours is the first step to keeping every strand looking optimally healthy, happy, and hydrated.
“Think of your cuticle like roof shingles,” says Dr. Joe Cincotta, Color Wow Chief Chemist.
“If they’re tight and flat, water slides off. If they’re lifted or damaged, everything seeps in—and escapes just as fast.”
Hair is made up of three layers:
Cuticle – the outermost protective layer that protects the inner layers of the hair
Cortex – the middle layer that contains the majority of the hair's colour and strength
Medulla – the soft, innermost layer of the hair shaft
Just like knowing your unique hair type and texture can help you choose the right techniques to care for and style your hair, knowing your hair’s porosity level can guide your choice of products to keep your hair strands structurally strong, optimally moisturised and super healthy-looking.
What are the three types of hair porosity?
Hair porosity is categorized into three types—low porosity, medium porosity, and high porosity—and each one behaves a little differently.
1. Low Porosity Hair
Low porosity hair has a tightly reinforced cuticle layer that makes it hard for moisture (and your products) to penetrate. It literally means there are fewer “pores” in the cuticle layer.
This makes it super difficult to get critical moisture into the hair, but once it's there, retention is no problem. In short: it’s hard to hydrate, but once hydrated, your hair holds onto moisture really well.
For low porosity hair, lightweight formulas that don’t pool up on hair’s surface or products that are engineered to penetrate strands work best.
Products like Dream Filter and Color Security Shampoo gently remove buildup and residue, keeping the outer cuticle layer clear so moisture can get in.
Money Masque provides the deep hydration low porosity hair needs because it penetrates deep inside strands without heavy oils or emollients that low porosity hair doesn’t absorb.
2. Medium Porosity Hair
Medium porosity hair thrives on the balance of hydration and protection. It absorbs moisture easily but still needs help holding onto it, a mix of low and high porosity traits.
A simple routine using Color Security Shampoo and Conditioner keeps hair healthy, while heat-protective stylers like Raise the Root or Xtra Large lets you style with ease, without disrupting the cuticle.
3. High Porosity Hair
High porosity hair means that the outer cuticle layer is lifted, resulting in gaps (“pores”) in the surface of hair strands. As a result, moisture can easily pass through the cuticle and enter the inner cortex… but, moisture can just as easily leach out.
High hair porosity is typically a genetically inherited quality. If your hair is naturally curly or frizz-prone, it’s likely you have high porosity hair (due to lifted cuticle layers).
But, regardless of your hair’s natural qualities, you can also make your hair more porous by damaging it. Excessive heat styling, frequent colour and chemical processing, UV exposure and harsh, dehydrating products can cause hair cuticles to lift.
The more damage inflicted, the more “pores” that can develop not only on the surface of your hair but also within its internal structure (think: Swiss cheese).
When it comes to high hair porosity, the goal is to add moisture, lock it in, smooth the cuticle layer closed and keep damage to a minimum.
Money Mist hydrates and fortifies strands, making detangling a breeze. Coconut Cocktail helps restore elasticity and silkiness, while Extra Strength Dream Coat locks down lifted cuticles for humidity-proof smoothness.
Curly Hair and Porosity
If you have curly, coily, or wavy hair, knowing your porosity is a game-changer. Why? Because curls are naturally more porous than straight hair. They soak up hydration quickly, but keeping it locked in can be a challenge.
Don’t stress—That’s just the way curly strands are built! All the twists and bends cause the cuticle to lift a bit more, which can lead to hair that is dry, frizzy, or thirsty for some hydration.
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For curly hair with low porosity, lightweight hydration and a little detox go a long way. Curl Wow Hooked and Dream Filter gently remove buildup, so your curls can drink up all the much-needed moisture.
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For curly high porosity hair, Coco-Motion and Shook from the Curl Wow System provide deep hydration, curl definition, and frizz control without overwhelming or weighing down curls.
Hair Porosity Tests (How to Check Your Hair Porosity)
Want to know your porosity level? You can test your hair’s porosity at home using a few super simple methods. Here’s how:
1. The Float Test
To start, shampoo your hair and let it air dry without products. Then, fill a glass with room temperature water, and place a single strand of hair in the water.
If the strand sinks, it means you have high porosity hair. If the strand floats, it means you have low porosity hair. If the strand floats and begins to slowly fall, you have medium porosity hair.
2. The Spray Test
Mist dry hair with water and observe. If your hair absorbs the water quickly, you likely have high porosity hair. If the water beads up on your hair, you likely have low porosity hair.
Why Testing Your Hair Porosity Matters
Knowing your hair’s porosity helps you understand how well it absorbs and retains moisture. It helps you choose the right products and routines, preventing dryness, breakage, and product buildup.
Your porosity also indicates how your hair responds to treatments and what it needs more (or less) of, allowing you to tailor care for healthier, stronger hair.
Hair Porosity FAQs
Which hair porosity is good? Is low or high porosity hair better?
Not at all—there is no “good” or “bad” porosity, they just have their own specific needs. What matters most is how you care for it. Understanding your porosity means you can finally give your hair the type of moisture and attention to the outer cuticle layer that it actually needs.
Can I change my hair porosity?
Hair can undergo damage over time, often caused by excessive heat styling, frequent colour / chemical processing, UV exposure and harsh brushing. The more damage afflicted, the more “pores” that develop, not only on the surface of your hair, but also within its internal structure (think: Swiss cheese).
What is the difference between frizz and porosity?
These two can easily get mixed up, but they describe totally different hair issues. Frizz is how your hair behaves in the moment, the visible condition of your hair. Porosity refers to the structural build of your hair.
Frizz can change day to day depending on weather, products, and styling, while porosity remains pretty consistent and doesn’t change unless your hair gets damaged.
Read more about hair care on the Color Wow Blog:
