On top of being a beautiful dream-like paradise, the Tropics are also an area with loads of ethnic diversity. One of the most pronounced features of Tropical people is their hair, generally silky, shiny and strong. Due to excess humidity or dryness, depending on the area, tropical hair can nonetheless suffer from excess or too little porosity, which might lead to hair damage and, ultimately, baldness.
In this article, you will learn all about hair porosity, what’s your case and what to do about it.
What’s Hair Porosity?
Hair porosity is the capacity of hair to absorb water and keep itself hydrated. This capacity is mostly determined by the hair’s outer layer, which we are going to focus on through the following angles:
- How to keep your hair hydrated according to your porosity
- Best ways to take care of your hair depending on your porosity levels
- What products work best for you
- What to do & more importantly: what not to do!
How Can I Know the Porosity of my Hair?
The best way to determine your hair porosity is to check your hair reaction when it gets wet. Does your hair take a long time to get wet? If your hair takes a while to get wet and it takes a long time to dry too, you surely have low porosity hair. On the other hand, if your hair absorbs water very quickly and dries itself out very quickly, you most definitely have high porosity hair.
I Have High Porosity Hair, What Does That Mean?
It’s fine to have high porosity hair! This is mostly due to genetics and it doesn’t need to have any negative effects. However, high porosity hair can also be due to bad care, such as chemicals, dyes and too much ironing.
If these practices are carried out excessively over a long period of time, the result can be high porosity due to hair damage. That is, little holes will appear on your hair that add to the porosity. These are not visible with the naked eye, so it’s not about aesthetics, but they can make your hair fragile, easy to break and tangly. If this is your case, don’t worry, there’s ways to turn things around.
I Have High Porosity Hair, What Can I Do?
Here’s a list of the most effective ways to combat problems due to high porosity, proven and battle-tested on many tropical hair people:
Protein and Keratin Treatments
That’s right, proteins will strengthen your hair. They are low in calories and very beneficial, so there’s no excuses! You can find them in many different foods:
- Meat and fish
- Legumes
- Soja
- Dry fruits and vegetables
- And many others
For faster effects, protein can be found in hair products specifically designed to tackle high porosity damage. As a general rule, make sure you don’t overuse the product and rather reduce or augment the dose depending on results.
Now, let’s talk specifically about keratin. Keratin is a protein that is mostly found on the skin, hair and on nails. It has different functions in the different body areas. Overall, it serves as a natural protector that enhances both firmness and elasticity and helps in cellular regeneration.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
You can find many hair products to keep your hair hydrated in any store, but we will tell you a grandma trick that may beat them all: olive oil! This is no kind of revolutionary or ‘new wave’ trick, and has been used for countless generations, so it works. Cover your hair with olive oil and put on an aluminum foil hat for better results!
I Have Low Porosity Hair, What Does That Mean?
Low porosity hair can suffer from dehydration due to excess density of the cutaneous structure. The general characteristics of low porosity hair are:
- Softness and luminosity
- Gets dirty easily
Low porosity hair is generally hard to dye too, but it has a good balance of good and bad sides. So let’s look at how to work on the pros and beat the cons!
I Have Low Porosity Hair, What Do I Do?
Low porosity hair is soft and beautiful, so first of all: congratulations! Many people around you certainly envy you. If you take care of it, it will look superb. And it is easy to hydrate too! Here’s a few good tricks to make the most out of it:
Light Watery Products
You should avoid heavy hair products at all costs, as they will only exacerbate the negative sides of your hair type. Go for herbal extracts instead, like aloe vera or honey.
Light oily products can also be beneficial for low porosity hair, our favourite are:
- Coconut oil
- Almond oil
- Shea butter
- Vegetal glycerin
Make sure you use little quantity, the same advice applies as before: start with low dosage and increase or decrease it depending on how your hair reacts to it. Keep it safe that way.
What Can I Do If I’ve Suffered From Hair Loss
Hair loss can happen for many reasons, whether genetics, diet or bad hair care. Solutions differ according to the different causes. You may want to consult a doctor to determine the cause of your hair loss and tackle it quickly. If you find yourself in an advanced stage and want fast results, medical standards and the affordable hair transplant price in Istanbul have turned the Mediterranean country into the leading haven for hair regrowth procedures in the world, so you might want to look into that.
Love Your Hair and it Will Love You
Hair is part of your tropical cultural identity, it is beautiful, and if you take good care of it, it will be your friend for life. Remember: it’s not a sprint, but a marathon. You should maintain healthy life habits and a proper care routine to maintain the splendor of your hair for an entire lifetime. For the amount of time and money it costs, we believe it is well worth it. We hope you’ve found interesting insights in this article and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions!
