The Forgotten Step

I was asked when and why Porosity control should be used. The reason why I use it, is to ensure my hair retains moisture when (deep) conditioning. Sometimes I would rinse my hair out with ACV/water(see below) or Roux Porosity Control Conditioner after deep conditioning. Either way works fine for me. I always make sure to use it a week before I get a touch-up and a week after.(I should be using it after the chemical process, but I always forgot to bring it to the salon). I probably use it once a week.
Here's a little info I got on Hair Porosity from associatedcontent.com. Sorry this is long, but I wanted to get all the information available.

What is Hair Porosity?Low or "poor porosity" refers to hair that does not readily absorb moisture and resists chemical treatments. Poor porosity is not exactly a problem that should cause you great concern. It is, however, ideal to have hair that falls somewhere in the middle of the two porosity extremes: hair with good porosity that retains moisture well and accepts chemical treatments.


The following questions will help you determine whether or not your hair is overly porous:Does your hair continuously soak in moisture without ever actually feeling moisturized?
Is your hair chronically dry despite your best conditioning efforts?
Does your hair appear/feel puffy, frizzy, swollen, or tough to the touch?
Does your hair have a natural, reddish toned cast to it that is usually more pronounced in spring and summer time?
Does your hair hold styles and curl well?
If you've answered yes to any of the above hair characteristics, and these characteristics appear more pronounced toward the ends of your hair, you may have a problem with your hair's porosity level.Porosity refers to the hair's ability, or inability, to absorb water or chemicals deep into the cuticle layers and cortex. All hair is naturally porous and somewhat permeable to water.

Porosity Problems for the Relaxed and Color Treated-Relaxing or colored treating the hair with chemicals forces the cuticle layers up and open. Unfortunately, when this happens, these chemical treatments increase the porosity of the hair by both means: by degrading the cuticle layers and causing them to lift dramatically. In time, the cuticle layers do eventually close on their own, but if the damage is repeated too often by either back to back coloring jobs, heat overuse, or relaxing too frequently those cuticle layers may never close fully again. For this reason, relaxed and color treated individuals should be extra diligent about managing their hair's porosity.

I found some Quick steps on how to determine if your hair is porous on ehow.com.

Step 1

Wash and condition hair. Dry hair with a towel or t-shirt. Do not add any products to your hair.
Step 2
Separate hair strands and gather one strand. Capture the hair strand with your index finger and thumb.
Step 3
Run your index finger and thumb up the hair shaft. Start at the end of the hair and run down to the root.
Step 4
Determine hair porosity. Overly porous hair catches down the hair shaft. Normal porous hair is smooth down the shaft, and low porous hair feels slick.



Two Ways to Treat Porous Hair

Acidic Rinses for Restoring Proper Cuticle Orientation
A weekly acidic rinse with Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a common home remedy for treating porous hair. Simply combine 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with 2 cups of cool water. Poor this mixture over the hair as a final rinse after shampooing and conditioning are complete. Rinse thoroughly in cool water. This acidic rinse will temporarily reduce porosity by constricting the cuticle scales. The ACV rinse will also enhance your hair's shine, eliminate tangles, and increase manageability.

ACV rinses should never make your hair feel hard. If the ACV rinse makes your hair feel hard or tangly after rinsing, your mixture needs to be diluted with more water.


Acidic Conditioners for Combating Overly Porous Hair
Some porosity problems can be temporarily resolved by applying a low pH solution or product, usually a conditioner. Most good deep conditioners are acidic products that will help restore and temporarily repair the cuticle layers. After treating the hair with a protein source listed in solution #1, your hair should be ready to receive and maintain the moisture you give it from your regular, weekly moisturizing deep conditioner.

When searching for a good acidic shampoo and conditioner brand for your porous hair, check the aisles for formulas for color treated hair. Typically, color treated products the most acidic. These products are extra gentle and help maintain the tightness of the cuticle layers in order to preserve hair colors and keep your vibrant shades from "leaching." Even if your hair is not color-treated, and you suspect that your hair may be porous, keep an eye out for products formulated for damaged or color treated hair