Hair porosity quiz: low, medium or high?
Seven questions about how your hair takes water and product. No glass of water needed, because the float test does not work.
What hair porosity means
Porosity is how easily water and product get into your hair, and how quickly they leave. It comes down to the cuticle, the outer layer of overlapping scales on each strand. Flat, tight scales make low porosity. Raised or chipped scales make high porosity. Medium sits in between.
Why this quiz skips the float test
Dropping a hair in a glass of water tells you more about the oil and product on that strand than about porosity. Surface tension keeps dry hair afloat, and shed hairs are old ends that do not represent the rest of your head. This quiz asks about the things that do give it away: how fast your hair wets, how long it takes to dry, and what product does once it is on.
| Low | Medium | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wets | Slowly | Normally | Instantly |
| Dries | Hours | A few hours | Fast |
| Leave-in | Sits on top | Absorbs | Disappears |
| Common cause | Genetics | Genetics | Bleach, heat, sun, genetics |
Porosity can be different on the same head
Ends are older than roots, so they have taken more brushing, sun and heat. It is very common to have medium-porosity roots and high-porosity ends. If your answers felt split, care for the lengths as the higher porosity and keep heavy products away from the roots.
Read next
- The hair porosity test: why the float test fails, and 3 checks that work
- Low porosity curly hair routine: get moisture in, keep build-up out
- High porosity curly hair routine: how to make moisture actually stay
Questions people ask
What is the most accurate hair porosity test?
Watching your hair over a normal wash day: how fast it wets, how long it takes to dry, and whether leave-in sits on top or disappears. If two of the three agree, that is your porosity. The float test is the least reliable method.
Can you change your hair porosity?
You cannot lower porosity permanently once the cuticle is damaged, but you can manage it: conditioners, protein and sealing oils make high-porosity hair behave as if it were less porous. New growth comes in at your natural porosity.
Is low porosity hair healthy?
Usually, yes. Low porosity hair has an intact cuticle and is strong. Its only problem is that products struggle to get in and build up easily, so it needs lighter products and regular clarifying.
Does high porosity mean damaged hair?
Often, but not always. Some people are born with high porosity hair, especially tightly coiled hair. Bleaching, heat and sun are the most common reasons it rises.