High-porosity hair: Recognition & Care tips for curls

Do you know that feeling that your hair always feels thirsty? You can pour liters of leave-in, oil, and mask into it, but a few hours later, it looks like you've walked through a desert again?

Chances are your hair is highly porous. And there's nothing to be ashamed of; it's simply a hair type that needs a little more love, layers, and clever products.

What does 'high porosity hair' mean?

Simply put: the hair cuticles of high porosity hair are open like a blooming flower.
For low porosity hair, these cuticles are more closed, like a raincoat.

Due to this open structure, high porosity hair absorbs moisture quickly, but also loses it just as quickly. The result?

• Frizz
• Dryness
• And curls that lose their definition within a day.

This can be due to genetics, but also to heat, chemical treatments, decolorization, or sun damage.

How do you know if you have high porosity hair?

A few recognizable signs:

• Your hair soaks up products like a sponge, but dries out quickly.
• You often have frizz, especially in humid weather.
• Your hair tangles easily and feels rough or straw-like.
• Your curls quickly fall flat or lose their shine.
• Color takes quickly, but also fades super fast.

Beware: don't believe everything you read in Facebook groups

A common saying there is:

"High porosity hair is only temporary; it will eventually become medium."

Sounds nice, but unfortunately, that's not entirely true.
You can even be born with high porosity hair. That's just how your hair cuticles are naturally structured.

What IS true: with proper care, you can make your hair stronger and seal it better, causing it to behave like medium porosity hair.
But that doesn't mean the porosity itself structurally changes.

So if someone in a group says you've suddenly become 'medium porosity' after three weeks of deep conditioning... smile, nod politely, and continue with your own routine.

The right styling approach for high porosity hair

Here, it's all about retaining moisture. You want to hydrate, seal, and protect.

1. Always work on wet hair.
Your hair cuticles are open, so this is the perfect moment to let moisture in and then seal it with the right products.

2. Use the LOC or LCO method.
That stands for Leave-in / Oil / Cream or vice versa, depending on what your hair prefers.

• First a hydrating base,
• then an oil to lock in the moisture,
• and possibly a styling cream or gel to keep everything in place.

3. Avoid heat, blow-dry with a diffuser on medium heat or, if you're using the hover technique, at a high temperature.
High temperature close to your hair = even more open cuticles = even more moisture loss.

The best products for high porosity hair (Amazing Curls recommendation)

Step 1: Cleanse without drying out

Use the Smart Clean Shampoo – this removes buildup and hard water residues, but is mild enough to preserve your natural oils.
→ Ideal for cleaning your hair without making it even more porous.

Step 2: Intense hydration

The All-in-One Treatment is your best friend here.
Use it as a mask or a nourishing conditioner. Thanks to nourishing oils and proteins, it restores moisture balance and strengthens damaged strands.

Step 3: Hydrate + define in one

Use the All-in-One Styling Cream to keep your curls supple, soft, and bouncy.
It contains jojoba and avocado oil, precisely what high porosity hair needs to prevent frizz.

Step 4: Lock in moisture

Then apply the Super Sealing Oil to wet hair.
This luxurious oil contains, among other things, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, an ingredient that acts like a smart 'sealer' around your hair, preventing moisture from escaping.
Tip: use it as the last step on wet hair for extremely dry hair.

Step 5: Hold & Shine

Finish with a little Styling Gel. This locks in definition and gives you a shine so strong you'll almost forget your mirror.

Strengthen from within

High porosity hair often also needs protein to strengthen the open cuticles.
Our Protein Drops are the solution: add a few drops to your Treatment or Styling Cream and turn every product into a protein-rich boost.
This gives your hair the strength it lacks, without overloading it.

If you want to know more about proteins, read this.

Styling tips specifically for high porosity hair

• Use lukewarm to cold water when rinsing – this closes the cuticles.
• Apply products in sections so every strand gets something.
• Use a satin pillowcase – less friction = less frizz.
• Use your diffuser on low-medium setting, and not too close to your hair.
• Scrunch with love, not with force.

Or read our blog about Styling Tips here.

And now honestly: it's trial and error

No two hair types are exactly alike, not even two curly-haired individuals with seemingly identical hair.
What works perfectly for one person might be too heavy, too light, or too sticky for another.

Caring for high porosity hair is a journey of discovery.
It's about testing, trying, adjusting, and sometimes starting over.

So if you notice that a certain method or sequence isn't quite working for you, give yourself (and your curls) time.
Mix, match, and experiment. Eventually, you'll know exactly what your hair truly needs.

A small reality check

High porosity hair is like that one friend who always forgets to refill her water bottle; she means well, but she just needs to be reminded to hydrate.

With the right routine and products, you can transform your curls from dry and brittle to shiny, bouncy, and silky smooth.

High porosity hair demands attention but rewards you with curls that truly live. Read more about porosity in curly hair here.