Hair Porosity Calculator
Hair Porosity Calculator
The Hair Porosity Calculator helps you identify whether your hair has low, medium, or high porosity so you can choose products and techniques that actually work for it. Porosity describes how easily your hair absorbs and retains moisture, and it is governed by the condition of the cuticle — the outer layer of overlapping scales on each strand. Getting porosity right is one of the biggest unlocks for fixing dryness, frizz, buildup, and lackluster results from products.
Answer four quick questions based on simple at-home observations — including the classic water test — and the calculator weighs your responses to estimate your porosity level, then gives a tailored care plan.
The At-Home Water Test
Take a clean, dry strand of shed hair and drop it into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats at the top, you likely have low porosity; if it slowly drifts to the middle, medium porosity; and if it sinks quickly, high porosity. Combine this with how your hair wets, dries, and responds to products for a more reliable result.
Low vs. Medium vs. High Porosity
- Low porosity: tight cuticle, resists moisture, prone to product buildup.
- Medium porosity: balanced cuticle, easy to manage and style.
- High porosity: raised or damaged cuticle, absorbs and loses moisture fast, prone to frizz and breakage.
Why Porosity Matters
Matching your routine to your porosity helps moisture get in and stay in. Low-porosity hair benefits from lightweight products and gentle heat, medium-porosity hair thrives on a simple balanced routine, and high-porosity hair needs richer sealing products and protein support. Porosity can change over time with heat, color, and chemical treatments, so it is worth re-checking periodically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hair porosity?
Porosity is your hair's ability to absorb and hold moisture, determined largely by how open the cuticle layer is. It is classed as low, medium, or high.
How do I test my hair porosity at home?
Drop a clean, dry strand into a glass of water. Floating means low porosity, sinking slowly means medium, and sinking quickly means high porosity.
How should I care for high porosity hair?
Use richer oil- and butter-based products, seal with the LOC method, rinse with cool water, and limit heat to help the raised cuticle retain moisture.
Related Hair Calculators
- 🧬 Baldness Risk CalculatorCalculate your estimated risk of baldness based on age, family history, and stress level.
- 📏 Hair Growth CalculatorEstimate how long it will take to reach your target hair length with typical growth rates.
- 💡 Hair Tip CalculatorGet personalized hair care tips specifically tailored for your hair type and goals.
- 🍂 Hair Loss CalculatorAnalyze your daily hair shedding and understand whether your hair loss is within normal limits.
- 🧴 Hair Care Routine CalculatorGenerate a comprehensive hair care routine based on your scalp type and hair porosity.
- 💉 Hair Transplant Cost CalculatorEstimate the number of grafts you need and the approximate cost of a hair transplant for your Norwood stage.
- 🧔 Beard Growth CalculatorEstimate how long it will take to grow your beard to your target length based on average growth rates.
- 📈 Hair Growth Rate CalculatorMeasure your real hair growth rate from two length measurements and project your future length.