Black Hair Don't Care: How to Manage Your Low Porosity, High Density Hair

Source: Youtube

The growth of the natural hair care business is booming! More women are returning to their roots, while caring for their roots. >Insert boisterous laughter here> No? Ok, bad joke aside, according to a research by Mintel, more black women in the United States of America are gravitating towards natural hair care products and this has seen an increase in the sale of hair styling products, which jumped to 26.8 percent between 2013 and 2015, reaching a value of $946 million which represents more than 16 percent of the overall hair industry. Black women are moving away from chemical based products, this change in lifestyle has created the boom in natural hair care product sales. 

While business is booming, there are a massive number of women that find it difficult to manage natural hair. Deciding to go natural involves a process almost as rigorous as the FBI hiring process. After finally taking the leap of faith to just do it, because why not, do the most liberating, socially rebellious thing as wearing the hair God gave the lady must:

*determine the type of hair they have (like seriously, what does the c in 4c hair even stand for?)

*identify if its low, medium or high porosity and density (My hair is poros? What is that? Is it bad? Is this why my hair is thick?)

*search high and low for the right hair care products (is there a medium search button for hair care products? i'm on product 8 bazillion and 5, i'd like to scale this back)

*research "growing hands" stlyists (Is this stylist a renowned edge whisperer?)

*develop an intense daily and weekly regiment to ensure healthy manageable hair (Why does my hair feel drier than the desert, I've moisturized daily?)

Whispering Roots Hair and Scalp Moisturizer

So, while getting back to the root of all is on a steady rise, choosing to properly care for your natural hair is not easy requires tenacity and werewithal. While there are several places to start, understanding your hair type can be the most difficult one to start with. No worries, we will provide a cliffsnotes version, a cheat sheet if you will to putting the pieces of your hair puzzle together. 

You've finally did the big chop and are now standing in the mirror envisioning yourself in the middle of the beauty supply with what seems to be miles and aisles of products. Where do you begin? How do you decide? Before you jet out the door, do a simple search on your hair type based on its porosity and density. Porosity is your hair's ability to absorb moisture/water. Low porosity hair is resistant to moisture and if tested (clean hair only) will float in a bowl of water. This hair type finds difficutly in getting water in and keeping it there. High porosity hair absorbs moisture greatly. This leads to frizzy hair. Choose products that are water soluble if you have low porosity hair as this aid in the reduction of build up and are rich in moisture. For high porosity hair choose products that protein rich and lightweight to avoid heavy hair. 

If you have ever heard an elder in your family say, "That baby sure has some thick hair" then you have an idea of what hair density is. It simply refers to the thickness of your hair. This is not be confused with the hair strand, but rather the thickness of your hair in any given section of your head. Thick hair bearers (high density hair) should use products that are heavier. However, beware if you are low porosity and high density as thicker products may block /seal the small folicle openings before moisture has a chance to penetrate. So always moisturize before sealing with heavier products. Low density hair should use leave-in conditioners that promises appearance of fuller hair. 

Now that you have had your science lesson on hair, lets discuss the economics of hair care products...in other words, let us examine how what supply of products your hair will demand. Low porosity hair should look for products with water and either coconut, sunflower, grapeseed, or argan oil in the first six ingredients. Jojoba, jamaican black castor oil, almond oil and shea butter will also work for sealing the moisture in. Adding heat to your regiment also helps hold moisture in. High porosity hair should seek products with avocado oil or high protein conditioners to help control the frizz. In addition to these products, creating a diy at home conditioner using any combination of these products that may work for you: honey, mayo, avocado, olive oil, and a banana. 

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