A while ago... and I do mean a while ago, I did a blog post on hair porosity (You can read it here). In this post, I discussed my own hair porosity, which you might have already guessed by the title, is low porosity. Being a low porosity girl is interesting. It definitely takes work--- mainly a lot of trial and error, but I have come across several tips that have made the difference in my low porosity hair. I figured I would share them with you whether you are newly natural or a natural hair veteran like me (Whoop! Whoop!).
Kurly Ken's Top Five Tips for Low Porosity Hair:
1. Clarify your hair. Low porosity hair typically accumulates product build up. Remember, low porosity hair can be stubborn in a sense that the hair shaft doesn't easily open up so there is an increased likelihood that products are sitting on top of hair causing build up.
The best way to clarify your hair is to utilize a clarifying shampoo or treatment. Now, I love bentonite clay. It is a great clarifying treatment for your hair-- not to mention, it works well on your skin as a facial mask!!! Another common treatment is an apple cider vinegar rinse. And lastly, any shampoo that boasts "clarifying" properties is another great option when it comes to removing buildup. Remember, removing build up will allow the hair products to penetrate the hair shaft and do their job!
2. Deep condition with heat and/or steam to open up the hair cuticle. I just discussed how the hair cuticle of low porosity hair is a bit stubborn, and it takes more work for it to open. After removing any product build up with your clarifying product/treatment, you should use heat/steam to open the hair cuticle. The heat/steam will allow moisture to come in and work its magic!!!
As a low po girl, you have a number of options you can use to incorporate heat into your wash day regimen. You can put your deep conditioner in a bowl and warm it up prior to applying it to your hair. You can also take a damp towel and warm it up in a microwave for a few seconds and apply it to your hair for additional heat. In addition to those methods, you can also place conditioner on your hair with a plastic cap and sit under a heated dryer. Many naturalistas are investing in a steamer as a means of incorporating heat into their regimen and can be quite effective at add wet heat to your hair regimen.
3. Add a little protein in your life. Some of the best proteins for low porosity hair are silk, wheat, and hydrolyzed protein. These proteins are small enough to penetrate the hair shaft. Other proteins are too large and ultimately, they are unable to enter the hair shaft to strengthen the hair.
4. Warm water over cold water. Obviously, I have talked in length about the benefits of heat, and this is no different. Rinsing with warm water allows the hair shaft to stay open, further allowing the products to penetrate the hair. Cold water closes the cuticle, and I'll just stop right there.
5. Apply products to damp hair- NOT wet hair! As a low po girl, putting products on WET hair is simply useless. Have you ever experienced that white product residue while doing your LCO method immediately after washing your hair? Then the next day you are stuck with horrible first day hair that resembles a greasy jherri curl!!! I know I have one too many times! It's like there is literally a layer of cream cheese looking products sitting on your hair---seriously! Well, that's low po hair for you, and low po hair has difficulty absorbing product when it is damp. Why so? Well, low porosity hair already has one moisturizer on it when it is wet, which is water!!! Therefore, allowing some of the water to evaporate provides room for other products to penetrate!
Damp hair = faster product absorption; product penetration
Wet hair = slower product absorbption; product build up
Alrighty low po peeps, do you feel more informed??? Do you have some new tips in your Arsenal? If these aren't new tips to you, were you reminded of some things you can add to regimen? I surely hope so. If there are some tips you have learned or even product suggestions, just leave them below. Lastly, be sure to check out my previous blog posts on...
Until next time...
Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,
Kurly Ken
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