Show of hands: Does your natural hair take hours to dry? Do
products slide off or clump up into balls of unattractive white gel? If so, you
may be suffering from non-porous hair. Not to worry! With a few quick tips from CurlyNikki.com, you can help your strands easily absorb product so you can get
stylin’ in no time.
First, do a porosity check. After cleaning your hair, grab a
shed strand from your head, brush or comb, and drop it in a glass of water. If
the strand takes forever to sink to the bottom, then you are a low-porosity
natural. Though you can’t change the porosity of your hair, you can accept it
and learn to work with it. Here’s how:
• Always apply styling products to hair that damp, not wet. After
washing, your hair holds onto a lot of water and is too full and plump to absorb
anything else. If you allow your hair to dry a bit, the strands will release
some of that water and be in a perfect state to receive and absorb product.
• Use a detangling comb or brush. After you apply your
favorite product, distribute it through your hair to prevent damage and
buildup. Next, grab a comb or brush and run it through your hair from root to
tip for a thorough application.
• Squeeze out excess product. If leave-in conditioners have
a tendency to stay on your strands and turn white, or your hair takes hours to
dry, get rid of the excess stuff. After applying products, simply grab a small hair
section, sandwich it between your index and middle finger and run another finger
down tresses to slide off excess product. Repeat until any foamy or white product
clumps disappear.
• Smooth in heavier, thicker products. In general, these are
butters that can’t be squeezed out of hair, only smoothed in. To do this, grab
a small hair section and place it between your palms. Next, run your hands down
the length of your strands until the product disappears.
• Try a “cherry lola” treatment. Nope, this isn’t hair soft
drink. This is a mix of baking soda and water that you spritz on your hair to help
temporarily lift the cuticles. (Baking soda is alkaline and allows for better
product absorption.) After applying the baking soda–water mixture, rinse then
apply your favorite thick stuff. Finally, reseal your cuticle with an acidic
product, such as aloe vera gel, to prevent frizz.
Yes, dealing with textured tresses can be hard work. But click here to learn how to soften up those natural curls.
