Hair Porosity 101: Why Your Color Acts the Way It Does
Have you ever wondered why your color fades fast…
Or why sometimes your toner grabs darker…
Or why certain areas feel dry while others feel silky?
A lot of this comes down to hair porosity — one of the most important (but least talked-about) parts of hair health and hair coloring.
And don’t worry, we’re going to break this down in the simplest way possible.
What Is Hair Porosity? (The Sponge Analogy)
Think of your hair like a sponge.
A sponge can be:
Super absorbent
Medium absorbent
Hard to saturate
Hair works the same way.
Porosity = how well your hair absorbs and holds onto moisture, color, toner, and products.
It has nothing to do with hair type, curl pattern, or thickness.
Even straight fine hair can have high porosity, and thick curly hair can have low porosity.
What changes porosity?
Genetics
Heat damage
Color/lightening history
Texture (curly hair naturally has more openings in the cuticle)
Overwashing
Chemical services
Porosity is simply the “capacity” your hair has to drink in products — just like a sponge.
The 3 Types of Hair Porosity (Explained for Non-Stylists)
1️⃣ Low Porosity (The sponge that repels water)
This hair type has a tightly closed cuticle, so water and color sit on top before they slowly absorb.
How it behaves:
Takes forever to get fully wet
Products can sit on top of the hair (feels coated or greasy)
Color can take longer to process
Toners may not grab well
Hair types that often fall here:
Fine, virgin, or minimally colored hair.
How to care for low porosity hair:
Use lightweight products
Use warm water to open the cuticle
Avoid heavy oils or butters
Clarify regularly to remove buildup
2️⃣ Medium/Normal Porosity (The perfectly absorbent sponge)
This is the ideal porosity. It absorbs and holds onto moisture and color evenly.
How it behaves:
Easy to wet
Color takes well
Toners hold nicely and fade evenly
Hair feels soft and manageable
Hair types that often fall here:
Healthy natural hair or hair with minimal color/lightening.
How to care for medium porosity hair:
Maintain balance between moisture + protein
Use hydrating shampoos and conditioners
Protect from heat to keep it at this level
3️⃣ High Porosity (The overused sponge full of holes)
This type of hair has a raised or damaged cuticle, so it absorbs everything very quickly — but it also loses moisture just as fast.
How it behaves:
Gets wet instantly
Feels dry or rough
Color grabs dark quickly
Color also fades faster
Toners can come out deeper
Hair tangles more easily
Needs moisture constantly
Hair types that often fall here:
Curly hair, bleached hair, highlighted hair, or hair with chemical/heat damage.
Curly hair naturally has more porosity because of the shape of the strand — it has more openings along the curl pattern.
How to care for high porosity hair:
Hydrating masks
Leave-in conditioners
Oils + creams to seal moisture
Bond repair (K18, Olaplex if recommended)
Avoid overwashing
Gentle, sulfate-free shampoo
Why Hair Porosity Affects Your Color
Porosity is one of the main reasons your color does what it does — here’s how:
✔ High porosity hair grabs dark very fast
This is why toners or all-over colors can look deeper on damaged sections.
✔ Color fades faster on high porosity hair
The cuticle is open, so pigment escapes quickly.
✔ Low porosity hair can reject toner or color
It takes longer for the cuticle to open enough to absorb pigment.
✔ Mid-porosity hair gives the best, most consistent color
This is usually the easiest to work with.
✔ Damaged or porous ends might turn cooler or warmer than the roots
Because they absorb differently.
Understanding porosity helps us choose:
The right developer
The right toner
The right processing time
The right aftercare products
Can You Fix Hair Porosity?
You can improve it — but you can’t fully change your natural porosity level.
Here’s what you can fix:
✔ Hydration level
High porosity hair loves moisture. Masks and leave-ins work wonders.
✔ Protein balance
Protein helps strengthen porous areas — but too much causes brittleness.
✔ Bond repair
Treatments like K18 help repair hair on a molecular level.
✔ Heat protection
Heat is one of the biggest causes of raised porosity.
✔ Product selection
The right products can smooth the cuticle and create a more even canvas for color.
What you can’t do is permanently close or alter the cuticle structure.
But you can make it healthier, stronger, shinier, and more predictable during color sessions.
Quick Ways to Tell Your Porosity at Home
Here are easy, stylist-approved tests for clients:
1️⃣ The Spray Bottle Test
Spray a piece of hair with water.
Beads up = low porosity
Absorbs slowly = medium
Absorbs instantly = high
2️⃣ The Wetting Test
How fast your hair gets fully saturated in the shower says a lot.
3️⃣ Touch + Texture Test
Rough ends = high porosity
Super smooth mid-shaft = low porosity
Balanced texture = medium
My Professional Advice
Porosity plays a HUGE role in how your color lifts, grabs, and fades.
If you ever feel like:
Your toner gets too dark
Your color fades too fast
Your ends get dry easily
Your hair feels uneven in different spots
…porosity is usually the reason.
The goal is not perfection — it’s creating balance.
When you understand your hair’s porosity, you can take care of it in a way that makes your color last longer, look more even, and stay healthy.
Want to Learn Your Porosity Type?
Book a color appointment or consultation and I’ll help you understand exactly what your hair needs — so your color stays gorgeous and lasts longer.