When a bride says "my hair won't hold a curl" or "products sit on top and do nothing," she isn't describing bad hair — she's describing porosity she's never been taught. After fifteen years of chair-side diagnostics, here's porosity explained the way I explain it in person, because it changes your product routine and your whole countdown.
What porosity is, simply: your hair's cuticle is a shingled surface, and porosity measures how open or closed those shingles sit. Low porosity hair has shingles flat and tight — moisture bounces off, products sit on top, and heat is the key that opens the door. High porosity hair has shingles lifted and gapped — moisture floods in and floods straight out, absorbing everything and holding nothing. Neither is bad; both are just physics that want different routines.
The home tests, do them tonight: the float test — a few clean strands in a glass of water; sinking fast is high porosity, floating stubbornly is low. The caveat: product coating or a week of dry shampoo makes hair float dishonestly — clean hair, clean glass, honest answer.
What high porosity needs, the Florida majority: sun, salt, and heat lift cuticles, so most Florida hair drifts high. The routine is layering and sealing — leave-in while damp, a cream to follow, heavier masks that high porosity drinks up, and protein treatments, which work in the gaps.
What low porosity needs: patience and heat — conditioners applied in a warm shower with steam, masks under a warm towel, and lighter products that won't build up on the closed surface. And the clarifying wash low porosity needs more than any other kind, because buildup is its signature issue.
Why this matters for your wedding: porosity decides whether your hair holds sets, how extensions bond, and which products reach the cortex. We read your hair's true behavior at the preview — included in the Bride Experience at $1,000 — and build the countdown around it. Rates live in the investment guide; send your date through the inquiry form and bring your glass-of-water questions.
The Products I Actually Use
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