High hair porosity: what it is and how to care for it.

High porosity hair is one of the most important profiles to recognize in professional haircare because it directly impacts hydration, color longevity, and breakage risk. When the cuticle is raised or uneven, moisture enters the strand quickly but escapes just as fast, leaving the hair dry, fragile, and difficult to manage. When it comes to how to fix high porosity hair, the goal is not only hydration but also retention, helping the fiber keep moisture, lipids, and repair actives inside the cortex. With the right hair rescue routine, highly porous strands can recover softness, shine, and resilience.

article-duration
6 min read
L'Oréal Professionnel Team
08/09/2026

Your questions and our answers about high porosity hair.

What is high porosity hair?

High porosity hair designates strands with lifted, chipped, or overly open cuticle layers. This allows moisture to enter the strand quickly and escapre just as fast, leaving the hair dry, fragile, and difficult to manage.

What are the visible signs of high porosity hair?

Some of the visible signs of high porosity hair are frizz, roughness, tangling, dullness, dryness and moisture leakage.

How to care for high porosity hair?

The best way to care for high porosity hair combines detox, deep moisture and cuticle sealing. The full Metal Detox system is a professional range that helps restore shine, improve elasticity over time.

All you need to know about hair.