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Getting To Know Your Hair–Understanding Porosity

24 Oct

Definition:

Porosity is the ability of the hair to absorb water and other matter (like chemicals).

In the post ‘Balancing Moisture & Protein’, i gave a brief summery of what hair is. The outer layer of the hair, the Cuticle, is made up of several layers of interlocking scales and is responsible for how porous the hair is.

Different Degrees of Porosity

Low Porosity

Low or poor porosity is characterised by very tightly closed cuticles and is generally considered healthy as all or most of the cuticle layer is intact. It doesn’t easily absorb water and resists the penetration of chemical treatments.

Average/Normal Porosity

Normal Porosity is hair that is able to absorb water well but resists permitting too much water to penetrate. This is considered the best porosity to have. Again, all or most of the cuticle layer is in tact and lies down flatly. Hair with normal porosity can hold styles well and receives chemical processing well. Although chemical processes can change the porosity of the hair from average to high.

High Porosity

Highly porous hair is hair that has sustained cuticle damage with lifted, missing, cracked or chipped cuticles. It absorbs significantly higher amounts of water then normal or low porosity hair (up to 55%, in contrast with 31.1% for healthy hair) and is not capable of holding onto that water as the damaged cuticles allow water out just as fast. This type of hair never feels properly moisturised even with constant moisturising. When hair is fully soaked in water, the weight of the excessively absorbed water can lead to significant breakage due to loss of elasticity. Highly porous hair easily accepts chemical treatments such as dyes, but wont hold onto the colour for very long and is easily over processed as it takes significantly less time than low or average porosity types to receive the chemicals. Highly porous hair doesn’t hold onto styles as well as normal or low porosity types.

Uneven Porosity

Uneven porosity is a combination of low or average porosity and high porosity and is common in long hair. The longer your hair is, the older it is and the more it has been exposed to mechanical, chemical, environmental and heat damage. Uneven porosity has spotty issues where some parts of your hair hold onto moisture well and some parts (such as the ends) do not.

What Causes Highly Porous Hair? 

Genetics does have a part to play with how porous the hair is. Naturally curly hair is more porous than straight hair by nature. Every kink and bend along the shaft where the hair naturally curls or kinks stops the cuticles from lying down flatly and so the cuticles remain slightly raised along these points. The curlier or kinkier your hair is the more porous it is. Other determining factors are mechanical damage caused by rough handling, dry combing/brushing, friction caused by towel drying, scarfs, hair bands and hats, chemicals such as permanent dyes, relaxers, texturisers and perms, heat damage from tools such as blow-dryers, flat irons and curling tongs as well as over exposure to environmental factors such as UV rays and harsh winds. Strong sulfate shampoos, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, are capable of dissolving the fatty acid layer beneath the cuticle (called the Cell Membrane Complex or CMC, the ‘cement’ that keeps the cuticles in place), which can lead to irreparable gaps in the cuticle layer. Natural soaps, being very alkaline in nature, causes the hair to swell and the cuticle to lift up away from the surface of the hair shaft, penetrating through the cuticle and into the CMC where it can bind with the fatty acid layer and rinse it away, again causing gaps within the cuticles. All these different factors can permanently alter, raise and/or damage the cuticle layer causing highly porous hair.

Porosity Tests

It is best test for porosity on freshly cleaned and dried hair.

Test One – The Finger Touch Test

Gently hold a few strands of hair with one hand. With the other, run your fingers up the length of your hair, from tip to root. If your hair feels rough with lots of little ridges or bumps (excluding the bumps that are naturally created by the bends in the shaft where the hair curls) then your cuticles are not lying flatly and your hair is porous.

There are some who argue that the first test is not at all effective at determining porosity as the cuticle layers are so microscopically tiny that you can’t possibly feel whether they are raised or not unless the hair has sustained significant damage.

Test Two – The Water Test

Take some shed hair (or pull out a strand of freshly washed and dried hair), a stop watch and a tall glass of water. Drop the hair into the glass and wait for one minute. After the minute has passed check to see whether your hair is floating or has sunk. If your hair is floating ON TOP of the water, than you have low/poor porosity. If your hair is floating JUST UNDER the water, your hair has average porosity. If your hair has SUNK to the bottom of the cup then your hair is highly porous. If part of your hair is FLOATING and part of it is SINKING, you have spotty porosity issues.

Healthy hair should not sink at all or only sink slightly (in one minute that is). The rate that the hair sinks is an indication of how quickly it absorbs (and will lose) moisture. The faster the moisture is absorbed into the hair, the more porous it is. Hair should naturally absorb moisture at a slow pace and should be capable of holding it for long periods of time. If hair absorbs enough moisture within one minute to cause it to sink in water, it is absorbing too fast and indicates high porosity.

Correcting Porosity Issues

After you have determined whether your hair has low, average or high porosity you may be wandering how to correct any issues. Here are some suggestions

Low/Poor Porosity

If you find your hair does not absorb water well than you need to focus on moisture rich products more than protein. Deep conditioning WITH HEAT (a hooded dryer) is highly recommended. The heat will cause the cuticles to open and will allow the much needed moisture to enter into the cortex.

High Porosity

Highly porous hair can be treated in two ways depending on the type of damage caused to the cuticle.

Lifted Cuticles – PH

If your hair is highly porous and you don’t necessarily use chemicals or heat and are generally quite gentle with your strands then it is possible that the cuticles are raised. Rebalancing your hair’s pH may be all that is required to help return your porosity level to normal. Acidic rinses such as Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinses are an effective way of bringing the pH of your hair back down to optimal levels, thus closing your cuticles and correcting high porosity. For more on pH and hair click HERE.

Damaged Cuticles – Protein

If your hair is highly porous and you regularly use heat and/or chemicals, brush or comb your hair very roughly and/or without slippery products such as conditioner or you have tried correcting your porosity with pH and it hasn’t really helped, then you have sustained cuticle damage. You may have missing, cracked or chipped cuticles. You cannot permanently repair damaged hair but you can patch it up temporarily with protein treatments. Protein helps to reinforce the hairs structure and can help fill in the gaps where the cuticles are chipped or missing. This creates a complete layer over your cortex that can resist moisture loss, keeping the hair moisturised for longer and will help to correct high porosity. Again heat can and should be used to help create stronger bonds between the protein and your hair so that the protein is not simply washed down the drain but actually remains on your hair after rinsing.

Uneven Porosity

Uneven porosity can be corrected by either or both of the suggestion listed above. Using pH and protein will help fill in or flatten the cuticles in those places that are causing the spotty porosity problems. Product layering can also be very effective where the porosity issues are uneven, such as at the ends. If you have dry ends, then layering more moisture and oil/butter on the ends will help to create a thicker barrier where your hair is most susceptible to moisture loss and will help your hair retain moisture evenly.

The Best Treatment of All

I’m sure you know what i’m about to say. Prevention is better then cure! Reducing those things can cause the hair to sustain damage is the best ‘treatment’ we could possibly administer.

  • Treat your hair gently.
  • Detangle only when your hair is loaded with conditioner to reduce damage caused by friction
  • Avoid chemical treatments as much as possible
  • Avoid the overuse of heat styling tools
  • Avoid harsh sulfate shampoos and alkaline soaps

This brings us to the end of the ‘Getting To Know Your Hair Series’. I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the different things that can affect the hair and what it takes to keep it healthy. Knowledge is the best tool in any successful hair journey!

If you have any comments, suggestions or questions regarding anything we’ve discussed in this series, feel free to leave them in the comment boxes or email me at NaturalHair.Advice@gmail.com.

 
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Posted by on October 24, 2011 in Getting To Know Your Hair, Hair Care, Understanding Porosity

 

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Getting To Know Your Hair–Wet Testing

26 Sep

Wet Testing is a term i first heard of from Kelly of The Kitchen Cupboard. I’d never heard of it before then. I read about it again in ‘The Science of Black Hair’. You learn new things every day, don’t you? In this post i’ll outline why Wet Testing can be so helpful on your quest to balancing your hairs moisture and protein needs.

What Is Wet Testing And Why Should I Do It?

Wet Testing or Wet Stretch Testing (as it’s sometimes referred to) is an assessment that you can easily do to determine the health of your hair, particularly to ascertain your moisture/protein balance. When hair is wet it magnifies the hairs strength and stretchiness (or lack of it) so it gives a more ‘true’ state of the hair’s condition. Also, understanding the causes of breakage is so important in determining the right course of treatments. If your hair is breaking, wet testing is the best way to assess the cause of breakage to help you find the best solution for your needs.

How To Perform A Wet Test

Wet Testing is best done when you are washing your hair as the strands are fully saturated with water. You can also just wet a few strands of your hair to perform the test.

  • Once hair is fully saturated, take a few strands and brace your hair with one hand. I have personally found that 3 or 4 strands are better than one. The one often just breaks under the strain but reinforcing the strands with 3 or 4 allows the test to be performed with a more accurate result.
  • With the other hand gently tug at, and release the strands. Does it stretch when you gently pull it? Does it return to it’s normal length (and curl) when released? Does it break before it even stretches. Does it stretch and stretch and stay stretched when released?

I found a website ‘Organic Color Systems’ that has a step by step guide on how to perform a wet test. It’s main aim is to help the professional stylist determine the health of the client’s hair in order to know which of their products to use to get the best results. But it’s very helpful in teaching the average person how to perform the test.

You can also determine the strength and elasticity of your hair by just touching and feeling your hair whilst it’s wet, if you don’t want to tug at it. Take a mental note of how your hair feels whilst you are going through your process of washing, conditioning and detangling. Does your hair feel spongy, stretchy, or hard? Is it stretching when you comb it? How many broken hair’s are in the bath when you are finished? (broken hairs will not have the white bulb attached and are often quite short ‘bits’ of hair).

How Often Should You Wet Test?

Every time you wash or rinse your hair in the shower is a prime opportunity to asses the condition of your hair. Doing it often helps you begin to learn how your hair behaves on a regular basis. When your hair begins to behave differently, you will automatically pick up on it as you know what is ‘out of the ordinary’ for your hair.

Understanding The Results – What Does It Mean

  • If your wet hair hair feels strong, stretches easily and returns to normal without breaking, then your hair is BALANCED.
  • If your wet hair feels rough, hard, overly tangled and breaks before it stretches then your hair needs more MOISTURE.
  • If your wet hair feels weak, gummy, limp and it stretches and stretches before breaking, then your hair needs more PROTEIN.

Correcting Your Moisture/Protein Imbalance

Now you’ve assessed whether your hair is balanced, needs more moisture or more protein, you can determine what your next steps should be. Here are some suggestions. If your hair is:

Balanced

  • Maintain the balance by continuing to do what you’re already doing.
  • Continue to use moisturising and strengthening treatments as your hair needs it
  • Wet test often to assess whether your hair continues to stay balanced or needs a moisture or protein boost

Moisture Deficient

  • Increase your moisture by doing a series of deep moisture conditioning treatments
  • Change your products to more moisturising ones as the products you are using may contain too much protein for your moisturising needs.
  • Moisturise and seal daily or even twice daily with water or water based moisturising products and oil or butter to seal.
  • Include an extra rinse, conditioner wash or deep condition (no shampoo) within the week to help restore your moisture balance
  • Wet test often to assess whether your hair is balancing out or still needs more moisturising treatments

Protein Deficient

  • Use a protein-rich shampoo, conditioner or reconstructor before deep conditioning.
  • Use a more protein-rich leave-in conditioner and/or moisturiser before sealing
  • Wet test after each protein product application to assess whether your hair is now balanced or needs more protein in your next step

Protein deficiencies are easily corrected in usually only one protein treatment where as moisture deficiencies may take several treatments to correct. Wet testing at each stage of your re-balancing treatments will allow you to assess whether your next step needs to more moisture based or more protein based.

Maintaining Your Moisture/Protein Balance With Wet Testing

Using the wet testing method to assess your hair for moisture or protein imbalances requires some flexibility on your part. Wet testing at every stage allows you to determine your next immediate step.

For example-

  • Your schedule suggests a shampoo, deep condition, moisturising leave-in conditioner and seal.
  • You saturate your hair with water to begin your cleansing and decide to perform a wet test before you shampoo
  • You assess that your hair actually needs a bit of protein so you decide to include a protein conditioner after shampooing and before deep conditioning. Or you decide to add a few scoops of your protein treatment to your moisturising deep conditioner to help boost your protein in one easy deep conditioning session.
  • After completing your protein and moisturising deep conditioner, on your final rinse you decide to wet test again to determine whether your hair is now balanced. It’s still a little too stretchy for your liking.
  • You towel dry and decide to use your protein-rich leave-in conditioner and moisturiser before sealing to add a bit more protein to your hair as your final step.

This also goes for the opposite. You may be scheduled in for a protein treatment, but after wet testing you determine that your hair is actually already quite balanced. You may then just follow your regular washing routine instead or mix a touch of protein in with your moisturising conditioner to help maintain the balance.

As you can see, wet testing really allows you to, at each stage, give your hair exactly what it needs to stay balanced and healthy. You can wet test in between washes if you need to, by misting your hair with water and waiting a few minutes for it to absorb the water. You can then test to see if you should apply a normal moisturiser or a more protein-rich moisturiser before sealing. Generally though, you can determine after your washing session what your weekly focus will be.

Don’t forget you can dry assess during the week too. Just take a mental note of how your hair feels daily and after each product application. You will be able to determine which of your moisturising or strengthening products you will use next time.

In my next post i’ll be discussing pH and hair. I hope you’ve found this post useful!

 
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Posted by on September 26, 2011 in Getting To Know Your Hair, Hair Care, Wet Testing

 

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Clearing The Misconceptions – Protein Is Only Strengthening

21 Sep

I just wanted to do quick post clearing up the misconceptions that protein is only strengthening. I know of those who will veer clear of protein in any shape or form on the quest to gaining more moisture. But if you are trying to maximise your hairs moisture intake then protein will be of a great assistance to you.

Protein Is A Film Former

Protein does more than strengthen the hair, it forms a breathable film around the shaft that slows down the evaporation of water from within the strand itself. It can also absorb up to twice it’s weight in water. This means it helps to retain water levels in the hair, keeping it moisturised for longer. So often you will find small amounts of protein in your moisturising products (nearer the bottom of the ingredients list) and this is the reason why. Low levels of protein will help the hair feel smoother, softer and shinier. JC of the Natural Haven explains it better in her post ‘How Protein Can Add Extra Moisture’.

Hydrolysed protein seems to be the best choice of protein in hair care, although other forms are effective as well.

Ultimately, you will have to determine which products make your hair feel softer and more moisturised, and which ones contain just a bit too much protein for your moisturising needs. If you are protein sensitive than any amount of protein may make your hair feel like barbed wire! And you may need to stay away from most protein, high or low. But for the majority of us, protein, especially hydrolysed forms, can help keep our hair moisturised for longer!

 
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Posted by on September 21, 2011 in Balancing Moisture & Protein, Clearing The Misconceptions, Hair Care, Protein Is Only Strengthening

 

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Getting To Know Your Hair – Balancing Moisture & Protein

15 Sep

In the last post i shared with you, what i feel, are the characteristics of healthy hair and the three key areas to focus on to maintain it which are – moisture, protein and pH. In this post, i’ll be discussing what i have learned about moisture and protein and how balancing these two elements will allow you to see a MAJOR difference in the health of your hair.

What Is Hair?

First of all we need to understand the hair structure itself. I will do a quick summery here.

In the picture you can see an example of a cross section of the hair shaft. The Medulla is at the very centre of the shaft (which, interestingly enough, is mostly only present in thicker hair types). Next we have the Cortex, which is the main structure of the hair and is where the hair’s strength and elasticity originate. It’s made up of bunches of long, fibrous chains of proteins that twist around each other to create the hair’s basic structure and here is where the colour of the hair is found. Lastly we have the Cuticle, which is the part of the hair that is visible. The cuticle is made up of several transparent layers of interlocking scales made mostly of the protein keratin, which serves to protect the hairs main structure. The cuticles can lift or close depending on pH, chemicals and heat. The condition of the cuticles is what mostly determines the hairs healthy appearance. The hair is made up of mostly protein (around 90%).


The Role of Protein

As mentioned above, protein makes up the bulk of the hair and is what provides the hairs basic structure and strength. Over time, the cuticles become damaged, either by natural weathering, excessive use of heat, chemicals and/or rough handling. Protein loss is a natural matter of fact. Even rinsing the hair in plain water causes some loss of protein. Although hair can never be permanently repaired, it can be temporarily patched up and strengthened with the use of protein. That’s why it’s important to supplement your hair care with regular protein treatments. Hair that has the right balance of protein is able to hold onto moisture well.

Natural hair or hair that has not been chemically processed is naturally stronger, as the protein structure of the hair has not been compromised. Natural hair requires less protein supplementation to stay healthy. Chemically processed hair including relaxed and dyed hair is relatively weaker as the chemicals in these treatments break up the protein structure of the hair and cause significant damage to the shaft. Chemically processed hair requires more protein to maintain a healthy state.

The size of the protein seems to make a difference too. It seems as though hydrolysed proteins are the best proteins to use in hair care as they are the right size to really stick to, and form temporary bonds with the hair (known as adsorbing). Click HERE for more on that.


The Role of Moisture (Water)

Water is very important in the composition of the hair. It gives hair it’s flexibility (elasticity), bounce and vitality and promotes normal and healthy hair growth. The proteins present in the hair are hydrophilic (water loving) and attract and bind to water. The absorption of water gives the hair its required moisture content which is essential for healthy hair appearance. Over the course of time hair loses its water content and needs to be replenished. Black hair in general is dry in nature. Because of the bends and kinks in our hair the cuticles at these points are always slightly open. Therefore water easily escapes, which can lead to dryness and breakage. It’s very important then, to keep our hair hydrated with water to maintain healthy, flexible hair.

A Balancing Act

It’s important to keep the hair’s protein and moisture content nicely balanced. Lack of moisture will leave the hair dry, brittle and dull and the shaft itself will appear thin. Imagine a carrot. With the right moisture content, it’s nice and plump. When that same carrot loses it’s moisture content, it becomes very shrivelled and much thinner in appearance. The same goes for hair. The right amount of moisture will create a fuller, healthier strand. Lack of protein will cause the hair to lose it’s structure. Hair will appear limp and will lose it’s ability to return to it’s normal shape when stretched.


Understanding Breakage

Hair breakage occurs when this delicate balance of protein and moisture is thrown off (aside from rough handling). Most of the time we are told that we need protein if our hair is breaking. Although this might be true, it may not always be the case. Our hair care practices have, over time, caused us to become very afraid of water. We see water and run a million miles. lol. We ‘moisturise’ with oil instead of water and don’t wash our tresses often enough. Most black hair types are so deprived of moisture that chronic breakage sets in. We will then run to all the protein treatments to correct the issue, which often makes things worse because our hair isn’t lacking protein, it’s lacking MOISTURE! Correcting your moisturising habits often solves the issue of severe breakage as the balance of protein and moisture begin to come in line.

On the other hand, once we get into the right moisturising habits we can easily forget about protein. Washing, co-washing, deep conditioning, misting, leave-ins, moisturising and sealing. All these techniques are great, however if not supplemented with protein, can begin to tip the balance to the side of too much moisture which then causes breakage as the hair’s structure becomes compromised.

Maintaining the right balance of protein and moisture will keep the hair strong yet soft and flexible. The perfect formula for healthy hair.

How To Balance Moisture and Protein

Most products fall into either of these two categories and organising your products into each one is a great place to start. Most hair products contain protein of some kind, including shampoos, conditioners, leave-ins and moisturisers but depending on where they are on the list will determine whether the product is more moisturising or more strengthening. Protein nearer the bottom of the ingredients list suggests a relatively low amount and a more moisturising product. If the protein is listed nearer the top (especially in the first five ingredients) than the product is more strengthening than moisturising. Ultimately you will have to experiment to see which ones make your hair softer and which ones make your hair harder (stronger).

Bring more moisture into your routine by moisturising with water and/or water based products and sealing with oils/butters on a daily basis (learn more about proper moisturising techniques HERE). Washing your hair more often (every three to seven days is recommended for black, curly & Kinky hair types, including those who are relaxed) with the use of moisturising shampoos (followed by a moisturising conditioner of course), co-washes or even just warm water rinsing, will help tremendously on the quest to gaining more moisture. Harsh shampoos strip the hair of vital moisture and can leave the hair dry, so be sure to use mild and gentle formulas that are Sulfate free and suitable for daily/weekly use. Moisturising deep conditioning (especially with heat) is also an invaluable moisture source and really helps to replenish moisture deep within the strand and keep it there for longer. Look for moisturising ingredients in your moisturising product range such as water (obviously), glycerine, fatty alcohols like cetyl and cetearyl alcohols, Aloe, panthenol (vitamin b5), honey and polyquaterniums, to name a few.

When it comes to protein, the mistake that most of us make is only scheduling it into our routine, using protein once or twice a month or even once every two months according to the timetable we have set ourselves (so very guilty of this, lol). Scheduling hair treatments is great and allows us to have a well thought out, systematic approach to hair care, however, we must be sensitive to the ever changing needs of our hair. We should be able to read the signs and adjust our hair care maintenance according to the hairs needs. Some of us don’t even use any kind of protein treatments at all. Keeping a selection of protein-rich products on hand including a protein moisturiser or leave-in conditioner and a rinse-out protein conditioner/treatment gives us the flexibility to use protein whenever our hair requires it. Look for hair strengthening ingredients in your protein product range higher up on the ingredients list such as amino acids, hydrolysed proteins (such as oat, wheat and corn), cholesterol and keratin to name a few.

Naturally we will use more moisturising products than protein, as moisture is more volatile and is lost more easily.

The best way to determine what our hair needs is to pay close attention to it. Does it feel soft or unusually hard/wiry? Does it break easily when handled? Does your hair retain moisture well or does moisture evaporate too quickly? Does it feel crunchy or limp and mushy? Noticing the little signs of moisture or protein imbalance will allow us to treat the issues quickly and effectively.

Wet testing is a great way to monitor your hairs health to determine whether it is balanced, needs more moisture or more protein and I will discuss this in more detail in the next post along with how to cater to your hairs protein/moisture needs by relying on the signs of the hair and not necessarily by just following a set routine.

I hope you’ve found this post helpful. Until next time!

 
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Posted by on September 15, 2011 in Balancing Moisture & Protein, Getting To Know Your Hair, Hair Care, Moisturising, Protein Treatment, Science Of Hair

 

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Getting To Know Your Hair–What is Healthy Hair?

13 Sep

We hear the term ‘healthy hair’ on a regular basis and we are assaulted with an incredible amount of products on a daily basis that all promise to help us reach and maintain this ‘healthy hair’ state. But what is healthy hair? What are it’s main characteristics? and what are the basic steps we can follow to help our hair reach it’s ‘optimal health’?

Understanding what healthy hair should look and feel like and learning what REALLY assists in keeping it that way are the best tools you can equip yourself with for the best hair results, irrespective of products used. Technique (knowledge) always triumphs over product!

What are the characteristics of healthy hair?

Healthy hair:

  • Is flexible yet strong, can stretch slightly and return to it’s original length without breaking
  • Is able to withstand day to day handling without much breakage
  • Has few split ends
  • Has flat lying cuticles that makes hair feel smooth to the touch
  • Has great sheen or shine
  • Sheds about 50-100 hairs a day (shed hair has the white bulb still attached)
  • Absorbs water slowly and holds onto moisture well

There are probably a few other factors to consider but this is a good list to start off with.

What is the key to MAINTAINING healthy hair?

There are three things that, in my opinion, are the key to successfully maintaining healthy hair, and they are:

  • Moisture – Gives hair elasticity, bounce, and vitality
  • Protein – Determines the hair’s strength, structure, and ability to maintain proper moisture levels
  • Balanced pH – Enables hair to maintain its natural stability

Learning to balance the hairs moisture/protein and pH is the most effective way of growing and maintaining healthy hair.

In the next few posts i will be discussing the importance of learning to properly balance moisture and protein, exploring the hairs porosity, testing to determine the health of your hair and the role that pH plays in maintaining healthy hair.

Until next time!

 
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Posted by on September 13, 2011 in Getting To Know Your Hair, Hair Care, What Is Healthy Hair?

 

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