To know if you have low porosity hair, you can perform several simple tests at home:
- Float Test: Take a clean strand of hair and place it in a bowl of cold water. If it floats on the surface for a while, you likely have low porosity hair. If it sinks quickly, you have high porosity, and if it sinks somewhere in the middle, your porosity is medium.
- Spray Bottle Test: Spray water on dry hair. If the water beads up and does not absorb well, it indicates low porosity hair. If it absorbs quickly, the hair is high porosity.
- Slide Test: Take a strand of hair and slide your fingers up from the tip to the scalp. If your fingers glide smoothly without feeling bumps, this indicates tight, flat cuticles, characteristic of low porosity hair. If you feel bumps, your hair has higher porosity.
- Drying Time: Low porosity hair usually takes a long time (more than 8 hours) to air dry compared to medium or high porosity hair.
- Flour Test: Sprinkle flour on washed hair. If the flour falls off easily, it indicates low porosity hair with tightly closed cuticles.
- Coconut Oil Test: Apply coconut oil to a small section. Low porosity hair tends to appear shiny and smooth with oil, unlike high porosity hair.
Low porosity hair repels moisture and products initially but retains moisture well once it is absorbed. It may be prone to product build-up and require lighter products or occasional clarifying.
