The Porosity Test: How To Find Out Your Porosity Status And What To Do About It

I am a strainer, at least I used to be. In practical terms that meant that I would add tons of moisture to my hair just for it to leave my strands with the same speed that it was applied. It was as if moisture was allergic to my hair!

Scientifically that meant that the cuticle layers of my hair had pores, holes and gaps in them virtually rendering my hair weak and prone to breakage.

Porosity determines your hair’s ability to absorb moisture and knowing where on the porosity scale your hair falls makes all the difference in how you tailor your healthy hair regimen.

Here is the bad news, if you have naturally curly hair or relaxed hair, your hair is generally considered porous. For the curly girls, the very structure of your hair, the bends, the twists and turns do not allow for a smooth surface so some of the cuticle layers are naturally raised up because they cannot physically all lie flat.

For our relaxed ladies, chemical relaxers essentially raise the cuticle layers so that the chemicals can be deposited to the hair to break the bonds thereby making it straight. In so doing, there is generally a loss of protein (as some cuticles chip off) leaving the hair more porous than before.

The good news is, we can help our situation by focusing on hair porosity treatments but one of the first steps is conducting a simple water glass test.

The Test

The porosity test has been around for years, the main premise is to see how water flows through your hair strand to determine just how many pores or holes your hair has in its surface.

Let me start by saying that there really isn’t much scientific backing for this test but like with many things, the practical application and results is what matters most. To conduct the test, all you need is a bowl or glass of water and a few strands of your hair.