How Much Hair Is "Normal" to Lose When Your Brush It Post-Shower?

Table Of Content

• Hair Falling Out While Brushing
• stress
• Androgenic alopecia
• Addressing shortfalls through diet and supplements: Does it help hair growth?

That’s because your hair cycle got interrupted due to illness. But this will settle down, and your hair will begin to grow back again. So the 100 hair shed per day rule is a rough estimate to work with. At the moment, it applies to both men and women and across all ages.

Hair Falling Out While Brushing

The latter doesn't accurately indicate whether your hair loss is normal or something to worry about, and Kingsley cautions about using this as a barometer due to its addictive nature. "I find that if a person pulls on his or her hair and does not see any hair the first time, he or she will repeat the action four or five times until hair comes out," he says. "It is almost as if people want continuous proof that their hair is falling out." When you start to notice some extra hair in your brush or circling the shower drain, it's natural to be come worried about hair loss.

stress

The water and the act of washing and rinsing can loosen and dislodge hair that is already in the shedding phase of the hair growth cycle. This can give the impression of losing more hair in the shower. According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, it’s normal to lose anywhere from 50 to 100 strands of hair per day. For people with longer hair strands, losing them may be more noticeable.

Androgenic alopecia

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"This is something I talk to patients about a lot. In general, I tell patients not to worry if their daily hair loss is 150 or less — maybe even 200 hairs for people with thick hair," Dr. Kuhn says. Or your bathroom floor is basically a graveyard of many, many strands. Anyone noticing shorter or broken hairs in their brush may wish to talk to a dermatologist about more natural hair care options or ways to strengthen the hair. It is important to note that shedding is not the same as permanent hair loss. The hair should return to its previous thickness following the resolution of the underlying cause. Also, hair loss due to dieting or vitamin deficiency will correct itself when you replenish with a healthy diet and vitamin levels.

If you're dealing with hair shedding or hair loss, it's crucial to understand that there could be many underlying causes. The best course of action is to schedule an appointment with a board-certified dermatologist if you're experiencing excessive shedding or noticeable hair loss. Once they've determined the cause, they can recommend available treatment options to help you combat your hair shedding or loss.

Addressing shortfalls through diet and supplements: Does it help hair growth?

In most cases, hair loss returns to its regular rate within a few months. The average person loses about 50–100 hairs each day, and this number may increase naturally as the person ages. Losing anywhere from 50 to 100 hairs every day is considered normal by the American Academy of Dermatology. It varies from person to person, some lose more and some less. The everyday wear and tear from combing, washing and styling causes hair to chip and split. Plus, whenever you are using a hot tool on your hair, like a flat iron or curling wand, use a protectant—or use low heat to preserve the integrity of your strands without sacrificing the style.

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No more than 10 hairs per 100 strands being tugged should be coming out. Stress and certain health conditions may cause increased shedding. As a part of hair growth cycle, new hair grows to replace the fallen hair.

Your clinician might prescribe anti-inflammatory medications, like corticosteroids, if hair loss seems related to an autoimmune condition. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications generally consist of topical creams, gels, solutions, or foams that you apply directly to the scalp. The most common products contain an ingredient called minoxidil.

What is hair loss?

Another thing Dr. Fox suggests paying attention to is the amount of hair you’re shedding when you’re brushing your hair. Pay attention to how much hair is falling onto the floor while you’re styling it as well as how much your brush collected. Make sure you start with a totally clean brush and stand on a towel so you can easily gather and assess the amount of hair in your brush and that fell onto the floor. A 2005 study found that the realization of hair loss among men was linked to a concern about losing an important part of personal attractiveness, negative effects on social life and even feelings of depression.

A hair pull test is a clinical examination conducted by a healthcare provider, often a dermatologist, to evaluate the hair condition and assess the extent of hair loss. It is important to note that this type of shedding is temporary and normal. As the body gradually readjusts, the excessive shedding subsides, and within six to nine months, the hair typically regains its normal fullness. In reality, the hair loss experienced during showering is often within the normal range of daily shedding.

If you like the idea of adding supplements to your routine, there are some which are specifically formulated to contain ingredients that increase hair thickness and health. Being gentle with your hair while it’s experiencing change is important so as not to exacerbate any thinning. It goes without saying that excessive heat and chemical treatments aren’t a good idea, but try and opt for protective hairstyles too. “Opt for hairstyles that minimize tension on the hair follicles, such as loose braids, buns or ponytails,” advises Gaboardi. “Avoid tight hairstyles and hair accessories that pull on the hair and handle your hair with care to minimise breakage and damage. “Increased shedding in the shower” could also be a sign of significant hair loss, says Fox.

Remember that early intervention is key to achieving the best outcome, so don't wait to seek medical advice. On a similar note, many people experience lowered iron levels when they get their period or just in general, and that can throw things off, according to Kingsley. Most people notice the excessive hair shedding a few months after the stressful event.

Since there are 100,000 hair follicles — or more — on each person’s scalp, the loss of 100 or so hair strands a day doesn’t make a big difference in appearance. Hair loss, on the other hand, is when something happens that actually stops your hair from growing, the AAD explains. Examples of this include hereditary hair loss, losing hair because of a medication like chemotherapy, using harsh hair care products, or having a compulsion to pull out your own hair.

Dr. Bergfeld also recommends using a wide tooth comb to help tame your locks. Using a bristle brush or small toothed comb can cause breakage and pull out more hair. The average person loses 50 to 100 hairs a day, but it really depends on length and thickness of the hair. People with shorter or thinner hair appear to shed less.

How Much Hair Loss Is Normal? Experts on When to Worry About Shedding

Table Of Content

• How Stress Can Affect Hair Loss And What To Do About It
• Addressing shortfalls through diet and supplements: Does it help hair growth?
• Medical Professionals
• How much hair loss is normal?
• Hair Shedding vs. Hair Loss
• What causes hair loss?

If they suspect an autoimmune or skin condition, they might take a biopsy of the skin on your scalp. This involves carefully removing several small sections of skin for laboratory testing. They’ll likely use a combination of your health history — including any recent illnesses, surgeries, life stressors, and family history — and a physical exam to help narrow down the causes.

How Stress Can Affect Hair Loss And What To Do About It

Washing the hair also collects many of the hairs that have already detached from the head. Dieting can lead to malnourishment as you do not get the necessary vitamins and minerals, leading to poor health. But, if you are losing more than usual, that may mean all is not well with your hair. You may think you are losing too much hair, but you could be wrong. Send your Q to for a chance to have it featured in a future installment of Hair Health Hotline.

Addressing shortfalls through diet and supplements: Does it help hair growth?

Correcting the underlying problem is often all that’s needed to help stop hair loss. Stopping hair loss indefinitely depends upon the underlying cause. As a general rule, the sooner you treat hair loss, the more likely you will be able to reverse or reduce the rate of hair loss. Some research connects excess intake of vitamin A or selenium with an increased risks for hair loss. Any information you can provide about how quickly the hair loss occurred, along with any family history of baldness, will also be helpful. Hair transplant surgery involves moving small plugs of skin, each with a few hairs, to bald parts of your scalp.

Medical Professionals

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On the whole, it’s important that you speak with your doctor about any symptoms you’re experiencing. A dermatologist can provide a proper diagnosis, and select a personalized treatment that will help restore health to you hair and scalp. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that is characterized by “round patches of hair loss on the scalp,” although it can occur elsewhere on the body, Agbai says. While the exact reason for this type of hair loss is unknown, it is generally understood that “the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss,” she adds. Another test that you can try to determine how much hair loss you’re experiencing is the 60-second hair count.

Telogen effluvium is a type of sudden hair loss that results from emotional or physical shock, like a traumatic event, period of extreme stress, or a serious illness. It’s also the most common cause of hair loss, affecting up to 50% of people. The main symptom of alopecia is losing more hair than usual, but this can be harder to identify than you might think. Genetics plays a huge role in determining a person’s hair thickness over time. In fact, alopecia is often hereditary in both men and women, Dr. Rajagopal says. Have you started on a new med lately ​and​ you're shedding more hair?

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For conditions like alopecia areata that may affect children as well as adults, groups can provide emotional support and even help you buy wigs or find other ways to cope. When you start to shed more strands — and fewer or none grow back — the condition is considered alopecia (hair loss). There are several types of hair loss, and it can affect adults of any gender and even children. You may lose hair just on your head or from your body as well. Male pattern baldness typically involves progressive hair loss above the temples and thinning at the crown of the head, creating an “M” shape. The normal amount of hair you lose daily shouldn't change rapidly—and it's important to differentiate between running your hands through your hair and pulling on your strands, notes Kingsley.

Of course, if you're losing more, it could be a sign that something else is going on, from nutritional deficiencies or an underlying disease to tough-on-your-scalp styles. “Give your doctor a full hair history — when the thinning began, where and how extensive the thinning is, and any relevant symptoms,” she says. But consult your doctor before you start to worry; thinning hair is often reversible, Dr. Simpson says. Many people who style their hair using a hairbrush may worry when they see all the leftover hairs in the brush. Let’s say you had COVID or some other illness, you can expect your hair to come out after a few weeks.

What causes hair loss?

Since strands are most susceptible to breakage when they are wet—curls and coils are the most delicate, due to their lower elasticity—be gentle during the detangling process, Dr. Howard-Verovic explains. Consider using the Pattern Beauty Shower Brush ($17, ulta.com) and take a careful approach. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, a typical loss is 50 to 100 strands per day.

Ahead, dermatologists explain hair loss causes, prevention, and treatments. Excess hair shedding lasting longer than 2 to 4 weeks requires medical attention, says Kingsley. There are a few instances when we notice hair shedding most, the first being when we brush our hair. The more often you brush (and shampoo) your hair, the less strands you should see fall out each time, says Kingsley. So, if you lose 45 strands per day on average, but also brush every day, you should see a smaller, consistent number in the bristles; you'll see the bulk of normal shedding in the shower.

If you are losing more than 15 hairs per pull, it likely means more than 10 percent of the hair on your head is in the ‘resting’ phase. It can be alarming to look at your comb or the shower drain cover and see a clump of hair. Not only could it clog your pipes, it can cause you to worry that it’s a sign of serious hair loss. But chances are what you’re seeing isn’t anything to be concerned about—and if you want to be sure, there are easy ways to check for abnormal hair loss without visiting a doctor.

Ultimately, tracking a pattern of hair loss that deviates from your baseline, as opposed to monitoring a numerical amount, is a better indicator of a problem, notes Dr. McMichael. Most baldness is caused by genetics (male-pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness). This usually isn't noticeable because new hair is growing in at the same time.

Excessive washing, bleaching, brushing, and heat styling can also have an impact on how much of your hair falls out every day. Once your hair follicle has been stretched or split as a result of a cosmetic hair treatment, the structure of the hair follicle is compromised. There are hundreds of thousands of hairs on your head, and every single one them is at a different stage of its two- to five-year lifespan. Hair grows and dies in phases, and nutrition, stress, hygiene, and daily styling all play a role in how much hair you lose daily.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid disease and certain autoimmune conditions, such as alopecia areata and lupus, can all cause hair loss. It's likely that everyone will experience telogen effluvium at some point in their lives, says Dr. Kuhn, but the good news is that this is not permanent and your hair will come back completely over six to 12 months. A stressful event or acute illness may cause a person to shed more hair than normal.

A doctor will be able to assess whether your hair loss is normal shedding. There’s no way to measure the difference objectively, because daily heat styling and frequent hair coloring plays a big part in how much of your hair sheds. Approximately 40 percent of women lose extra hair every day because of the way they style it. Women are also more likely than men to experience periods of increased hair shedding due to life events like pregnancy and menopause. If you experience an uptick in your daily hair fall, it's important to pay attention to how long it lasts, and whether you can pinpoint an event that may have triggered temporary increased hair loss. "There's probably something internal going on or maybe it's the beginning of hair thinning."

High Porosity Hair: Characteristics, Products, and Tips for Care

Table Of Content

• How To Care For High Porosity Hair
• Get a Dose of Protein
• What does hair porosity mean?
• Styling products
• How to Care for High Porosity Hair, According to the Pros

Products with those types of chemicals are a big NO NO as they pull essential moisture from your hair. The most popular way to confirm if you have high porosity hair is to do a strand test on clean hair. All you have to do is take a strand of your hair and drop it in a glass of water. If your hair sinks very quickly to the bottom, you have high porosity hair.

How To Care For High Porosity Hair

These cuticles protect the inner layers of your hair by controlling how much moisture, as well as products and chemicals, can be absorbed. Hair with “normal” levels of porosity will absorb 75% of the maximum water possible within four minutes. People with normal porosity hair usually have an easy time getting their hair to hold bleach, hair dye, or relaxer, and the results tend to be predictable. After a few minutes of allowing the hair to rest in the water, take a look. And if the strand is somewhere in the middle of the water, you have medium to normal porosity hair. "High porosity hair has many gaps in the hair shaft because the cuticles are raised. Adding protein will reduce breakage, make your hair thicker and improve the elasticity of your hair."

Get a Dose of Protein

“These products are intentionally formulated to be acidic in order to preserve color or make your hair feel smoother by lowering the pH,” he explains. Black hair requires a lot of moisture when it's healthy, so when it's high porosity, it needs it even more. The goal here is to manage your damaged tresses while promoting healthy new growth that doesn't become high porosity. Bailey recommends using the Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Wash Day Deep Moisture Masque ($16). To help nourish, moisturize, and repair highly porous hair, you may have to use certain hair care products that include “heavier” ingredients like oils or butters.

What does hair porosity mean?

This affects how well oils and moisture pass in and out of the outermost layer of your hair, known as the cuticle. If going natural taught me anything, it's that I don't know everything there is to know about my hair—no matter how many YouTube videos I watch. According to YouTube, I have a 4c hair type, and according to how coarse and dull my hair gets after some time (mainly due to my laziness), my hair veers toward the dry side. But what I didn't realize is that I could adopt different methods and use a bevy of products to give my hair its best life, but none of that matters if I don't understand my hair's porosity. Other maintenance of this hair type revolves around combatting dryness and ensuing breakage.

“Remember that all hair is already dead, so it’s important to nourish it as much as possible, especially if you’re doing damaging treatments that can lead to high hair porosity,” Dr. Kahen says. This shampoo specifically targets damage so that users observe a significant improvement in their hair after each wash. Highly moisturizing yet cleansing, it’s suitable for all hair types and textures and is color safe to boot. Customers love the formula for how soft it leaves hair feeling, with one reviewer calling it the best shampoo she’s used in her life. The formula also eschews harsh cleansing ingredients like sulfates, opting instead for mild surfactants that thoroughly cleanse the scalp and strands of buildup, sweat, and pollutants without stripping hair of its natural oils.

An intense treatment like this only needs to be applied once, and you must follow all directions carefully to avoid further damage. Less severe damage can be managed with maintenance protein products like Ouidad's Curl Quencher Moisturizing Conditioner ($24). Protein may strengthen your hair, but it might also be drying—apply a protein mask once a month to condition without breakage. "Products that restore moisture, reduce frizz, seal in moisture, and protect the hair from heat are great products for high porosity hair." To revive your hair, drastically minimize your heat usage, and having chemicals applied only (if at all) in a salon setting can be a great help.

Unlike low porosity hair, which has an extremely flat cuticle layer, making strands less likely to absorb water and products, high porosity hair has a more open cuticle layer. However, it's harder for high-porosity hair to retain moisture due to the cuticles' openness. To learn more about how to care for high porosity hair, we turned to top dermatologist Joyce Park, MD, as well as hair specialists Alicia Bailey of Design Essentials and Leigh Hardges of Maxine Salon. This conditioner (and its corresponding shampoo) is made with high porosity hair in mind, specifically targeting concerns like breakage, split ends, frizz, and damage from heat tools and hair color. It promises to smooth out dreaded frizz in even the most humid locales, and to improve elasticity so you can find less hair in your comb after each brush.

High Porosity Hair Care

He recommends plant-based oils like coconut and sea buckthorn oil, which are hydrating to the hair, as well as moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and manuka honey. Dr. Garshick suggests Andalou Naturals Argan Oil Conditioner, as it contains a blend of argan oil and avocado oil, as well as shea butter and vitamin E to both moisturize and condition the scalp. If you have highly porous hair, you can expect lots of frizz, especially during humid weather, dullness and tangles. Your hair will also likely be prone to breakage and damage, and may look and feel dry. There are multiple factors that can cause high-porosity hair—the biggest one being genetics.

As high porosity hair is fragile and subject to breakage, incorporating protein will help to fortify it. Processing your hair or styling your hair like straightening, blow-drying, bleaching or using other chemical applications can all  lead to high porosity hair. Individuals with high-porosity hair encounter several challenges when striving to maintain hair health.

“Look for products that offer intense hydration and nourishment.” Groover adds that steam therapy is another way to create moisture miracles so that products are able to connect to the strands. High porosity hair is prone to frizz because it’s more damaged and cannot retain moisture as well. If you have high porosity hair, it means that water, oils, and other types of products can be easily absorbed by your hair. On the flip side, because your hair is highly porous, it may not be able to retain moisture as well as other types of hair.

Protective styling involves braiding your hair, wearing wigs or adding hair extensions to your hair. Anything that reduces constant manipulation of your hair is basically protective styling. Natural hair clip-ins, for example, help you to have fuller, longer hair without much manipulation. Deep conditioning treatments are especially helpful for adding moisture, nourishment, and softness to highly porous hair. High porosity hair can be genetic, which means that it runs in your family. Many times, though, it’s caused by hair processing and styling treatments like straightening, blow-drying, bleaching, and other chemical applications.

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High-porosity hair differs from other hair types in that it quickly absorbs and loses moisture due to a raised or open cuticle layer. This stands in contrast to low-porosity hair, which has a tightly closed cuticle layer that makes it more resistant to moisture absorption. Medium-porosity hair falls somewhere in between, with a moderately receptive cuticle layer. High-porosity hair can be a bit of a diva—it does a great job of soaking in moisture that’s applied to the hair, but then loses that moisture too quickly. “The cuticle, or outermost layer of the hair, has what would best be described as scales coating it,” explains Paul Cucinello, a celebrity stylist, beauty expert, and founder of Cucinello Beauty.

This can cause your hair cuticles to become raised and open, which may make it harder for your hair to retain moisture. "High porosity hair usually needs more protein or oil to help seal in moisture. Some conditioners have more protein in them, so look for conditioners with keratin, wheat, or silk protein for added strength," she explains. Stevens suggests using an egg, which is packed with proteins, to help strengthen weakened strands. Cleansing, on the other hand, isn't based on any porosity but how much build up in on the hair.

Additionally, be sure to steer clear of products that are clarifying or high alcohol content sprays, since these also zap moisture. "Spritz a section of clean, dry hair with water," Park says, "If the water beads up and takes a while to be absorbed, your hair may have low porosity. If it quickly soaks in, it suggests high porosity." Here are some examples of conditioners that may be especially helpful for highly porous hair. These types of treatments can damage your cuticles, causing them to lift or separate. This can create gaps between your cuticles and, as a result, your hair may be more porous than it would normally be. If you’re unsure which type of hair you have, there are a few experiments you can try at home to get a general idea of whether you have low, average, or high porosity hair.

“These scales are raised when the pH level of the hair is high, and sealed tight when the pH of the hair is low.” High porosity hair has a noticeably dull appearance, a higher pH than average, and a more coarse texture, too. High porosity hair has a more openly sealed cuticle layer, making it receptive to moisture absorption yet prone to moisture loss. "This type of hair may feel rough and is prone to frizz," according to Park. Whether due to genetics or hair damage, high porosity hair allows moisture to be absorbed into the hair shaft easily, yet it isn’t able to retain moisture for long. Therefore, having high porosity hair means hydrating strands, doing damage control, and ameliorating frizz and breakage. Protein treatments are also important to add to your routine, when you have highly porous hair.

High-Porosity Hair: An Expert-Approved Care Guide

Table Of Content

• Suds up with the right shampoo
• Cantu Flaxseed Smoothing Cream Gel
• Using the Right Products
• Don’t shampoo too often
• Cut Down on Styling
• Can you change your hair porosity?

If your hair sinks to the middle of the cup and then gradually descends to the bottom, you have normal porosity hair. However, if your hair floats in the glass for a lengthy period of time before sinking, you probably have low porosity hair. When caring for high-porosity hair, make sure the scalp and hair are free from product buildup. Additionally, skipping regular haircuts can lead to split ends and breakage, so maintaining a consistent schedule is important for preserving the health of high-porosity hair. Lastly, overloading the hair with heavy products can lead to buildup and stiffness, so it's essential to strike a balance between moisture and protein to keep the hair hydrated and flexible. It's also essential to protect high-porosity hair from heat-styling tools and harsh environmental factors that can further damage the hair cuticle, our stylists explain.

Suds up with the right shampoo

Celia Shatzman (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor who has penned stories on topics ranging from beauty to fashion, travel, celebrities, health, entertainment, finance and more. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Cantu Flaxseed Smoothing Cream Gel

If you have high-porosity hair, it’s important to take lifestyle factors and environmental elements into account in order to maintain its health and hydration. “Firstly, exposure to harsh weather conditions such as sun, wind, and humidity can exacerbate dryness and damage to high-porosity hair. Therefore, protecting the hair from these elements by wearing hats or scarves can help minimize moisture loss and prevent further damage,” says Powell. If so, you may have high-porosity hair, and understanding the unique characteristics of your strands is essential to crafting an effective regimen.

Using the Right Products

Protein treatments can help repair the hair cuticle and reduce hair porosity. Using a protein treatment can help fill in the areas in your cuticle that have damaged cells. This can help smooth the cuticle down and create a protective coat over the hair shaft. People with high-porosity hair should try to limit things like heat and chemical treatments. These can further damage cuticles, making it even harder for your hair to retain moisture and nutrients. I personally swear by this hair mask from Act+Acre, which is meant to repair damage by providing intensive hydration.

Remember that different hairs on your head can have different levels of porosity. If you have high or low hair porosity due to genetics, you may not be able to change it. However, according to hair care experts, there are things you can do to make your hair healthier, more manageable, and easier to style. With low porosity hair, the cuticles are tightly packed and very close together. So, if low porosity hair runs in your family, there’s a good chance you’ll have low porosity hair, too.

Hair porosity can be impacted by your genetics or your hair grooming routine. It’s possible to have hair strands of multiple porosity levels on your head and even have different levels of porosity within a single strand of hair. You can also test your porosity level by running a finger down a strand of your hair. Low porosity hair will feel smooth, whereas high porosity hair will feel rough and bumpy because the cuticles are open. Washing your hair with clay is another delicate way to clean high porosity hair. Clay pulls dirt and build-up from your scalp like a magnet, but at the same time really nourishes your hair and defines your curls.

The most pressing concerns for high porosity hair are damage and loss of moisture. Because hair porosity isn't visible to the naked eye and can't necessarily be felt through the tips of your fingers, it can be difficult to understand whether you fall on the low or high end of the spectrum. But luckily, there's a tried-and-true test that can be done in minutes to test the porosity level of your hair. For an even bigger boost, you can ask your stylist for a repair treatment add-on when you visit the salon. For example, the Kérastase In-Salon Fusio Dose is custom created by your stylist to target your specific needs.

How To Care For High Porosity Hair

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Have you ever noticed that your hair seems to absorb moisture super easily, but then struggles to maintain that moisture? While high-porosity hair might be a little bit more high-maintenance, it’s certainly not impossible to effectively treat, maintain, and grow, too. You can easily test your hair porosity using a dry, freshly washed strand of your hair and a clear glass or bowl of water. In addition to hair treatments, too much ultraviolet exposure can also increase the porosity of your hair. To protect your hair from the sun, wear a hat or some type of head covering when you’re outdoors.

Styling products

In addition to using nourishing, hydrating hair care products, the following tips may help cut down on hair breakage. If you want to know what types of products and ingredients tend to work well for high porosity hair, here are some suggestions. Some people with textured hair use a technique to seal in hydration called the LOC method, which stands for leave-in conditioner, oil, and cream. Hair porosity refers to how much or how little water your hair absorbs and retains.

“Limit the use of heat styling tools, and always use a heat protectant spray before styling. Additionally, using a silk or satin pillowcase can help minimize friction and breakage while sleeping,” says Groover. If you have high-porosity hair, you should aim to deep-condition your hair regularly to maintain optimal hydration and nourishment. Groover says that you should always saturate the product evenly root-to-tip and hydrate under steam for 15 minutes. Following both these steps helps replenish moisture lost due to the hair's raised cuticle structure, which allows moisture to escape more easily.

“If your parents have high-porosity hair, then there is a likelihood that you might, too,” explains Butcher. Both heat damage (from excessive use of hot styling tools) and mechanical damage (from vigorous brushing or wearing tight styles) can also cause high-porosity hair. "High porosity hair should be treated very gently because it is so fragile," says Hardges. She recommends detangling and combing with a wide-tooth comb working from the ends of the hair working upward, and taking an extra step to care for your hair before bed. Any drying ingredients will further strip your hair of the moisture it needs and can cause breakage.

Then, brush your hair through with a clean brush, and take a strand of hair that comes out in the brush. Protective styling is a great way to not have to constantly manipulate your hair and thus allowing your hair to grow. Since high porosity hair is prone to breakage, using protective styling can prevent this for you.

Alicia Bailey is a licensed master cosmetologist and the CEO and Global Hair Education Director at Iman Yvonne Beauty with over 30 years of experience. She is also an author, life coach, and public speaker, and has owned salons such as Flawless Sessions Hair Salon in Georgia and Flawless Unisex Hair Salon in Hampton, Virginia. She has also worked as an educator for McBride Research Laboratories since 1999, and has worked with a number of women's magazines to promulgate education about black haircare.