Discover how to identify Type 4 hair porosity and build the perfect haircare routine with the right products for your natural hair porosity.
Type 4 hair is beautiful, bold, and unique. But when it comes to caring for it, one of the most important yet often overlooked aspects is hair porosity. If you’ve ever wondered why some products sit on your hair or why your curls seem dry no matter how much you moisturize, your hair’s porosity level might be the reason. If you ever wonder why you may copy a hair care routine that works so well for someone else, but it fails to work for you, hair porosity might be the issue.
Read on to learn what hair porosity really means, how to identify your porosity type, and how to build the perfect Type 4 haircare routine that is suitable for your specific hair porosity. Whether your strands are 4A, 4B, or 4C, understanding porosity is key to healthy, moisturized, thriving curls.
What Is Hair Porosity?
Hair porosity refers to how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture. It’s determined by the condition and structure of your hair’s outer layer, that is, the hair cuticle. Think of the cuticle as a protective shell made of overlapping layers.
- There are three hair porosity types:
- Low porosity – Characterized by very tight cuticles that tend to resist the entry & loss of moisture into the hair strand.
- Medium/normal porosity – Has cuticles that allow balanced moisture flow in and out of the hair strand.
- High porosity – Often characterized by raised or damaged cuticles that absorb moisture quickly but lose it just as fast.
- Knowing your Type 4 hair porosity type helps you choose the right products and routine that actually work for your coils and kinks.
How to Test Your Hair Porosity
Here are three simple ways to identify your hair’s porosity at home:
1. The Float Test
- Take a clean strand of dry, product-free hair.
- Drop it into a glass of water.
- Low porosity hair will float for a long time.
- Medium porosity will float, then slowly sink.
- High porosity hair will sink quickly.
2. The Spray Test
- Mist a section of your hair with water.
- Low porosity tends to repel water; you’ll notice the water will sit on top of the hair for a long time before getting absorbed.
- High porosity hair will soak it in immediately, and you’ll notice the hair quickly feels damp/wet and has more elasticity.
3. The Slip Test
- Slide your fingers up a hair strand from tip to root.
- If it feels smooth, your hair is likely low or medium porosity.
- If you feel bumps, you may have high porosity due to raised cuticles or damage.
- This option might be a bit challenging to use to establish your hair porosity type; therefore, I recommend you try 2 or all of these methods before deciding on your hair porosity.
Low Porosity Type 4 Hair
Characteristics:
- Water and products sit on top of your hair.
- Hair takes a long time to dry.
- Feels product-heavy or greasy easily.
- Prone to product buildup.
Best Products for Low Porosity Type 4 Hair:
- Lightweight, water-based leave-in conditioners
- Humectants like glycerin and honey
- Clarifying shampoos (occasionally) to remove buildup
- Heat-activated deep conditioners
Best Haircare Routine:
- Use steam or heat caps to open cuticles for deep treatments.
- Avoid heavy butters and oils that can cause buildup.
- Wash hair with warm water to help absorb moisture.
- Try the LOC method (Leave-in, Oil, Cream) using lightweight products.
- Protect your hair at night with a satin scarf or bonnet.
Medium (Normal) Porosity Type 4 Hair
Characteristics:
- Absorbs moisture well and retains it.
- Hair holds styles and feels soft.
- Less prone to frizz or dryness.
- Easy to manage with a consistent routine.
Best Products for Medium Porosity Type 4 Hair:
- Moisturizing shampoos and conditioners
- Leave-in conditioners with balance (not too light or too heavy)
- Natural oils like jojoba or almond
- Protein treatments occasionally
Best Haircare Routine:
- Follow the LOC or LCO method depending on your hair’s needs.
- Deep condition weekly or bi-weekly.
- Trim split ends regularly to prevent porosity from worsening.
- Protect your hair at night with a satin scarf or bonnet.
High Porosity Type 4 Hair
Characteristics:
- Hair absorbs moisture quickly but loses it just as fast.
- Often feels dry or brittle.
- Prone to frizz, breakage, and tangling.
- Highly affected by heat, color, or chemical treatments.
Best Products for High Porosity Type 4 Hair:
- Thick, creamy moisturizers and deep conditioners
- Protein-rich treatments to repair cuticle gaps
- Butters and heavy oils (like shea butter, castor oil) to seal in moisture
- Leave-ins with hydrolyzed protein and ceramides
Best Haircare Routine:
- Use the LCO method (Leave-in, Cream, Oil) to seal in hydration.
- Apply a protein treatment every 4–6 weeks.
- Avoid excessive heat and chemical treatments.
- Always seal in moisture with a heavy oil or butter.
- Protect ends to prevent breakage, and use a satin bonnet or pillowcase at night.
Can Hair Porosity Change Over Time? Here’s What You Need to Know
Please note that your hair porosity can change over time, especially due to environmental, chemical, or mechanical factors. While your natural porosity is determined by genetics, external damage or intentional care practices can shift how porous your hair becomes in the long term.
For example, frequent heat styling, color treatments, bleaching, or chemical relaxers can raise the hair cuticle layer, making your strands more porous. This leads to high porosity hair, which absorbs moisture quickly but also loses it fast, leaving the hair dry, brittle, or frizzy.
On the other hand, if you practice consistent deep conditioning, protein treatments, and protective styling can help improve the condition of high porosity hair by strengthening the cuticle and reducing moisture loss. While these methods don’t permanently “close” the cuticle, they can mimic the behavior of lower porosity hair, making it more manageable and better at retaining moisture.
However, it’s important to understand that you can’t permanently “change” your hair’s porosity back to a genetically lower state. Once the cuticle is damaged, it won’t repair itself completely, though you can improve its condition significantly with proper care. This is especially true if the porosity condition might have been impacted by neglecting your hair.
In some cases, hair that was previously high porosity due to damage may appear to shift toward medium porosity after consistent care, trims, and avoiding harsh practices. But this is usually due to new, healthy hair growth, not a change in the structure of already damaged hair.
In summary, while you can’t fundamentally alter your natural hair porosity, you can influence how porous your hair behaves by protecting it, nourishing it, and avoiding practices that lift or damage the cuticle layer over time.
Final Thoughts on Type 4 Hair Porosity Types
Your Type 4 hair porosity type is just as important as your curl pattern to build a routine that will work specifically for you. Understanding whether your coils are low, medium, or high porosity helps you:
- Choose the right products for your hair
- Create an effective moisture routine
- Avoid frustration and wasted money
- Support long-term hair growth and health
Whether you’re rocking 4A ringlets or 4C coils, caring for your natural hair starts with knowing your porosity. Take the time to test your strands and adjust your haircare routine based on what your hair truly needs, not what’s trending.
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