Creating the Perfect Hair Routine for You (Pt 1)

Curly hair routines... We see them all over the internet. And products, there are so many to choose from... and many are well promoted by our fellow curlies. But what about you? what is your signature style, routine, and favorite products? 

That is what this article will be about today.

 Now when I first became a curly girl I watched a YouTuber that is now called, "SpankieValintimeTV" (previously, UerbanOGcom) Being so new the curly girl concept I did exactly what Spankie does for her hair. I'm sure most of you have done the same thing; watch a convincing hair tutorial and copy the person's routine exactly expecting the same results.

But this is wrong. Why? Because no two heads of hair are alike, whether your hair is curly, wavy, kinky or straight. And yet we all have the same basic needs for our hair to thrive. How we accomplish that is up to us, how our own individual bodies are set up. Once you understand what your hair needs, your hair can only prosper. 

But how? By knowing your hair's properties. Your hair's Porosity, Density, Texture and Width play huge roles in finding the beast products and/or routine for you. 

Porosity
 Porosity refers to how easily your hair is able to absorb and hold moisture. It is affected by the flexible outer hair layer called the cuticle, which determines how easily moisture and oils pass in and out of your hair. For most people, porosity is genetic, but it can also be affected by external factors such as exposure, heat treatments and chemical processing.
  
 There are two methods you can use to find out how porous your hair is.

The Float Test: Take a couple of strands of hair from your comb or brush and drop them into a bowl of water. Let them sit for 2-4 minutes. If your hair floats, you have low porosity. If it sinks, you have high porosity.

The Slip'n'Slide Test: Take a strand of hair and slide your fingers up the shaft (toward the scalp). If you feel little bumps along the way, this means that your cuticle is lifted and that you have high porosity. If your fingers slip smoothly, then you have low porosity hair.

Low Porosity
  Hair with low porosity has a tightly bound cuticle layer with overlapping scales that lay flat. This type of hair is usually considered healthy, and is often very shiny, especially when it's dark in color. Low porosity hair repels moisture when you try to wet it and is hard to process since it resists penetration of chemicals.
Low porosity hair is also prone to build-up from protein-rich deep conditioning products, which can leave it feeling stiff and straw-like. 

Medium (also knows as "Normal") Porosity 
 Hair with medium porosity often requires the least amount of maintenance. The cuticle layer is looser, allowing just the right amount of moisture to enter while preventing too much from escaping. Hair with normal porosity tends to hold styles well, and can be permed and colored with predictable results. Over time, however, these chemical processes can damage your hair and increase its porosity.

High Porosity
 High porosity can be either an inherent property of hair or the result of damage from chemical processing, rough treatment or environmental damage. High porosity hair has gaps and holes in the cuticle, which let too much moisture into your hair and leave it prone to frizz and tangling in humid weather. Even simple acts such as bathing, swimming and shampooing can create more damage and breakage due to the sheer amount of moisture highly porous hair can absorb.

Now to keep the post from being too long, I must stop here. But stay tuned for part 2!