Can you be high porosity but still be sensitive to coconut oil?

Teresina

I'm pretty sure my hair is high porosity. I didn't do the test where you put your hair in water to see if it floats or sinks. Instead, I just ran my fingers up the shaft of a few of my hair strands and it feels bumpy, not smooth, when I run my fingers up the strand. Also, my hair gets wet fairly quick in the shower and it also dries fairly quickly when there is no product in it. So, I'm thinking that all points to high porosity.

My hair is also coarse and very dense. I was told by a Deva stylist once that coarse hair does not like coconut oil. But, I thought coconut oil acts like a protein and porous hair is supposed to like protein. So...my question is...can I be highly porous and sensitive to proteins? I'd like to try some new products but so many of them contain coconut oil as an ingredient and I don't want to mess up my hair. I'm just wondering if the coconut oil in a conditioner and/or oils and creams would act the same as other proteins.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Curls80

Teresina wrote: »

I'm pretty sure my hair is high porosity. I didn't do the test where you put your hair in water to see if it floats or sinks. Instead, I just ran my fingers up the shaft of a few of my hair strands and it feels bumpy, not smooth, when I run my fingers up the strand. Also, my hair gets wet fairly quick in the shower and it also dries fairly quickly when there is no product in it. So, I'm thinking that all points to high porosity.

My hair is also coarse and very dense. I was told by a Deva stylist once that coarse hair does not like coconut oil. But, I thought coconut oil acts like a protein and porous hair is supposed to like protein. So...my question is...can I be highly porous and sensitive to proteins? I'd like to try some new products but so many of them contain coconut oil as an ingredient and I don't want to mess up my hair. I'm just wondering if the coconut oil in a conditioner and/or oils and creams would act the same as other proteins.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

First, yesterday that sounds absolutely like high porosity. My hair dries so quickly and also takes on water quickly. Those are clear indicators of high porosity. Behaviour of hair tells you so much.

Yes, it is possible to be coarse and porous. I have mainly coarse hair and I'm highly porous. I had my hair analyzed and although I knew my hair was porous I didn't know how coarse it was.

It's a balancing act. You don't need protein because your hair is coarse (coarse hair has enough protein), but you need some protein because you're porous.

And yes coconut oil will bind that protein to your hair. I use coconut oil judiciously- if I use it I combine it with other oils. I think as an ingredient in conditioners, I'd still use them but I'd alternate. Or it depends on how high up on the list coconut is.

I was also told that certain proteins may work better on my hair than others. It's experimenting unfortunately lol

NatrulyMe

Teresina wrote: »

I'm pretty sure my hair is high porosity. I didn't do the test where you put your hair in water to see if it floats or sinks. Instead, I just ran my fingers up the shaft of a few of my hair strands and it feels bumpy, not smooth, when I run my fingers up the strand. Also, my hair gets wet fairly quick in the shower and it also dries fairly quickly when there is no product in it. So, I'm thinking that all points to high porosity.

My hair is also coarse and very dense. I was told by a Deva stylist once that coarse hair does not like coconut oil. But, I thought coconut oil acts like a protein and porous hair is supposed to like protein. So...my question is...can I be highly porous and sensitive to proteins? I'd like to try some new products but so many of them contain coconut oil as an ingredient and I don't want to mess up my hair. I'm just wondering if the coconut oil in a conditioner and/or oils and creams would act the same as other proteins.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I think it all depends on rather or not you are allergic to coconuts? Also, how your hair behaves when using a coconut product(s)? I have high porosity myself, so when my hair tends to get dry, frizzy and tangly I have to maintain a balance with a moisturize and protein treatments. Do you have a daily hair spritz? Study shows that coconut oil can help reduce the protein loss from hair when used pre-wash or in a post-wash grooming product. This is great, as protein is what gives the hair its strength and structure. But too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Adding a daily spritz (aloe vera with distilled water in an applicator bottle) may help.

Here a link for more info (sharing):

Why Coconut Oil May Not Work For Every Hair Type - hair buddha

Therese1

If you go to the Science-y Hair Blog, there is a recipe for an oil blend to use on the hair. The author of the blog said that even if coconut oil by itself causes your hair to become crispy, blending coconut oil with other oils will make it more suitable for the hair. Her recipe uses three different oils, I think.

Teresina

Thank you for your reply! I guess I'm going to have to experiment (which I'm kind of scared to do LOL).

Teresina

Thank you all for your suggestions and information. I appreciate it.

Teresina

I used this as my leave-in, with Aussie Instant Freeze gel, when I did my wash and go. It was great for the first few days but I needed to touch it up today and sprayed my hair with water and then smoothed in some more of the Legendary Olive Oil in my frizzy spots and by the end of the day my hair looks like hay! Granted, it's extremely humid here today but I'm wondering if the mineral oil in it is the culprit. I'm thinking it may be acting like coconut oil? Thoughts???

Thanks.

nykishamk

Hi! I'm new here, but I definitely experience exactly what you are going through.  I have 3c/4a very dense, very coarse, VERY high porosity hair that *hates* coconut oil.  I've had to figure out a method that works for me, in lieu of coconut oil to achieve the same results.  Right now I am using aloe vera (straight from the leaf), argan oil, olive oil, JBCO and Vitamin E oil as a pre-poo, and it is doing absolute wonders at keeping my hair moisturized.  You should definitely try it .... let me know if you need help! :-)

~Nyki
Pattern: 3C/4A
Porosity: High
Density: High
Elasticity: High Elasticity

Kinky Curly-Coily Megan

Yes I am high porosity and my hair hates coconut oil by itself. It dries my ends out and causes split ends every month even if I trimmed them before. I use coconut oil mixed with olive oil, castor oil, and other oils. My hair is left moisturized and soft. Before I was not it felt stringy and my scalp itched bad.