A few months back, a new range of Shea Moisture hair products landed on our radar, each one in the collection formulated for either low porosity or high porosity hair. Though familiar with the terms (porosity dictates your hair’s ability to absorb moisture) we admit that it’s not something we always take into account when addressing our own hair care needs. The product launch served as a reminder that perhaps it should be, and we reached out to Sheenon Olson, celebrity stylist and creative director of  Miami’s Atma Beauty, to better understand why. According to Olson, this is what you should be taking into account.
The difference between low and high porosity hair

“Low porosity means that your hair doesn’t absorb moisture easily,” Olson says. “This is usually due to a tight hair cuticle, so the hair doesn’t loose moisture easily either.” High porosity, Oslon adds, is the exact opposite?hair that absorbs and loses moisture quickly. Highly porous hair can often mean it’s more damaged than it should be, whether it be from heat styling or lack of periodic trims.  One way to determine your hair’s porosity is to take a few strands from your comb and drop them into a glass of water. If your hair floats for several minutes, your hair’s porosity is likely low, as it’s not absorbing enough water to sink. If your hair falls to the middle or bottom of the glass, this indicates high porosity.
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