Hair Porosity Test
Hair porosity is your hair's ability to absorb and hold moisture, set by how tightly the cuticle lies. This free test identifies whether your hair is low, medium or high porosity in about a minute, using the float test, your drying time and how your hair handles products.
Free, independent, no sign-up. No photo. Just answers.
Question 1 of 5
Drop a clean, dry strand of shed hair into a glass of water and wait 2 to 3 minutes. What happens?
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is hair porosity?
- Hair porosity is how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture. It depends on how flat or raised the cuticle (the outer layer) sits: low porosity repels water, high porosity absorbs it fast but loses it fast too.
- How do I test my hair porosity at home?
- The classic method is the float test: drop a clean dry strand in water and watch whether it floats (low porosity) or sinks (high porosity). This test combines that with your wetting, drying and product signals for a more reliable result.
- Is low or high porosity better?
- Neither is better; they just need different care. Low porosity needs lightweight products and gentle heat to absorb moisture, while high porosity needs richer products and sealing to hold onto it.
- Can I change my hair porosity?
- Genetic porosity is mostly fixed, but porosity raised by damage, bleaching or heat can improve as damaged hair grows out and with gentler care. Bond-building and protein treatments can also help high-porosity hair behave better.
- Does porosity depend on my hair type?
- No, they are independent. Any hair type from 1A to 4C can be low, medium or high porosity, which is exactly why combining the two gives a far more useful routine than either alone.