Products sitting on top of your hair?
Waves looking perfect when wet… then flat and frizzy by midday?
Your hair porosity is probably the reason.
A lot of people with wavy hair assume they just have “difficult” hair.
But often, the issue is not your waves themselves; it’s that your hair absorbs and holds moisture differently than expected.
Understanding your porosity changes everything.
It helps explain:
- Why some products make your hair greasy
- Why your waves disappear quickly
- Why your hair feels dry no matter what you use
- Why certain routines work brilliantly for other people… but not for you
And the good news?
You can figure out your wavy hair porosity at home in just a couple of minutes.
This guide will walk you through:
- How to test your hair porosity properly
- The three different porosity types
- What each one means specifically for wavy hair
- A quick wavy-hair porosity quiz
- How to build the right Merwave routine for your results
Hair porosity refers to how easily your hair absorbs and retains moisture.
Your hair strand is covered in tiny layers called cuticles. The way these cuticles sit determines:
- How quickly water enters the hair
- How well moisture stays inside
- How your hair reacts to products
For wavy hair, porosity matters a lot because waves need balance.
Too little moisture → dry, fluffy frizz
Too much moisture → limp, stretched-out waves
Understanding your porosity helps you stop guessing which products and routines your waves actually need.
There is not one perfect hair porosity test.
The best approach is to combine a few different methods and look for patterns.
Here are the three easiest ways to test your wavy hair porosity at home.
This is the most popular hair porosity test.
How to do it:
- Wash your hair with shampoo to remove product buildup
- Let it dry naturally
- Take a clean strand of shed hair
- Place it into a glass of water
- Wait 2–5 minutes and observe
Results:
- Sinks quickly = High porosity
- Floats in the middle = Medium porosity
- Stays floating on top = Low porosity
Important note for wavy hair:
The water test is useful, but not perfect.
Product buildup, oils, and styling products can affect results, which is why it works best when combined with the next two tests.
This is often more reliable for textured and wavy hair.
How to do it:
- Take a single strand of hair
- Hold it between your fingers
- Slide upwards from the end toward your scalp
Results:
- Very smooth = Low porosity
- Slight texture = Medium porosity
- Rough or bumpy = High porosity
The rougher the strand feels, the more raised the cuticle layer usually is.
This test is particularly useful for wavy hair because it mimics real-life styling.
How to do it:
- Start with dry, product-free hair
- Lightly mist a small section with water
- Watch how your hair reacts
Results:
- Water beads and sits on top = Low porosity
- Water absorbs gradually = Medium porosity
- Hair absorbs water instantly = High porosity
If your hair takes ages to get properly wet in the shower, that is often a sign of low porosity.
If it gets soaking wet instantly and dries very quickly, it often has high porosity.
1. How long does your hair take to dry naturally?
A) Forever, it stays damp for hours
B) A reasonable amount of time
C) Very quickly
2. What happens when you apply products?
A) They sit on top and make hair greasy quickly
B) They absorb normally
C) My hair drinks them up instantly
3. How does your hair react to humidity?
A) It goes flat or heavy
B) Mostly stays balanced
C) Frizzes up immediately
4. Does water bead on your hair in the shower?
A) Yes, especially at first
B) Sometimes
C) No, it absorbs straight away
5. What best describes your waves?
A) Easily weighed down
B) Fairly balanced
C) Dry, fluffy, or inconsistent
Your results
Mostly A’s = Low porosity
Your hair struggles to absorb moisture properly.
Mostly B’s = Medium porosity
Your hair has a balanced moisture structure.
Mostly C’s = High porosity
Your hair absorbs moisture quickly but struggles to retain it.
Low porosity wavy hair
Low porosity wavy hair has tightly packed cuticles that resist moisture entering the strand.
For waves, this often means:
- Products sit on top of the hair
- Waves get weighed down easily
- Hair feels greasy quickly
- Moisture takes longer to absorb
But low porosity waves are often naturally shiny and healthy-looking.
What to avoid
- Heavy butters
- Thick coconut oils
- Rich curly hair creams
- Over-layering products
These often suffocate waves rather than support them.
Recommended Merwave products
Medium porosity wavy hair
Medium porosity hair absorbs and retains moisture fairly evenly.
This is often the easiest porosity to manage because products tend to perform consistently.
Waves usually:
- Hold shape well
- Respond nicely to styling
- Stay balanced longer
What to avoid
- Overcomplicating your routine
- Excessive heat styling
- Very heavy moisture layering
Even balanced hair can become overloaded.
Recommended Merwave products
High porosity wavy hair
High porosity hair has a more open cuticle structure.
It absorbs moisture very quickly… but loses it quickly too.
For wavy hair, this often shows up as:
- Frizz
- Dryness
- Tangling
- Inconsistent definition
Your waves may look amazing initially, then become fluffy and undefined later.
What to avoid
- Over-clarifying
- Too much heat styling
- Harsh shampoos
- Skipping conditioning
The key for waves is moisturising without heaviness.
Recommended Merwave products
Yes, and for wavy hair, it often does.
Things that can affect porosity include:
- Heat styling
- Bleaching and colouring
- Hormonal changes
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
- Sun exposure
- Chlorine and seawater
- General wear and tear
For example:
- Bleached hair often becomes more highly porous
- Product buildup can temporarily mimic low porosity
- Damage can make waves harder to define
This is why your routine may need adjusting over time.
Once you know your porosity, your routine becomes much easier to personalise.
Low Porosity
Focus on:
- Lightweight hydration
- Clarifying regularly
- Smaller product amounts
Medium Porosity
Focus on:
- Maintaining balance
- Flexible styling
- Occasional deep hydration
High Porosity
Focus on:
- Moisture retention
- Bond repair
- Frizz control
Hair porosity is not about putting your hair into a box.
It is about understanding:
- Why your waves behave the way they do
- Why some products work better than others
- What your hair actually needs
Because once you understand your porosity… your waves become much easier to work with.
