Complete Guide to Natural Hair Porosity: Low, Medium & High

What Is Hair Porosity?

Hair porosity refers to your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. It's determined by the state of your hair's cuticle — the outermost layer of each strand, made up of overlapping scales like roof shingles.

Understanding your porosity is arguably the single most important factor in building an effective haircare routine. It determines which products work for you, how often you should deep condition, and even how long your hair takes to dry.

The Three Porosity Types

Low Porosity

Low porosity hair has tightly closed cuticles that resist moisture absorption. Water beads on the surface rather than soaking in. This type is common in people with naturally straight or fine hair.

Signs of low porosity hair:

**Best products:** Lightweight, water-based products. Heat helps open cuticles for deep conditioning. Avoid heavy oils and butters.

Medium (Normal) Porosity

The ideal state — cuticles are slightly raised, allowing moisture in and out at a healthy rate. This type requires the least maintenance.

High Porosity

High porosity hair has gaps or holes in the cuticle (often from chemical processing, heat damage, or genetics). It absorbs moisture quickly but loses it just as fast.

Signs of high porosity hair:

**Best products:** Heavy creams, butters, and oils to seal in moisture. Protein treatments help fill gaps in the cuticle.

The Float Test

The simplest way to test your porosity: drop a clean strand of hair into a glass of room-temperature water.

Building Your Routine by Porosity

The LOC (Liquid, Oil, Cream) method works best for high porosity hair. For low porosity, the LCO (Liquid, Cream, Oil) order works better because the lighter cream can penetrate before the oil seals.