How can an individual determine their hair's porosity effectively?

Determining hair porosity is essential for understanding how well hair can absorb and retain moisture, which influences hair care practices. The water test is a reliable method for assessing porosity because it directly evaluates how the hair interacts with water.

In this test, an individual takes a clean strand of hair and places it in a glass of water. Observing how the hair behaves can provide insights into its porosity. If the hair floats on top, it typically indicates low porosity, meaning it resists absorbing water. If the hair sinks quickly, it suggests high porosity, indicating the hair readily absorbs water but may also lose moisture quickly. Hair that sinks slowly may indicate normal porosity.

This method provides practical, visual feedback about the hair’s characteristics, which is more informative than assessing length, thickness, or shine, as those factors do not correlate with porosity.