Hair Health 101: What you need to know.

Part 1 of a 5-Part Series

PART 1: KNOW YOUR HAIR

Understanding Your Hair Type, Porosity & What Your Hair is Really Telling You

Nearly three decades behind the chair has taught me that the single biggest mistake most people make with their hair is treating it the same way everyone else treats theirs. Your hair is as individual as you are, and the sooner you understand what makes it unique, the sooner everything else falls into place. And honestly, you do know your hair best, but might not know how it works best, so let's dive in.

Welcome to Part 1 of our Hair Health 101 series. I am going to break down everything you need to know to build your healthiest hair ever starting from the inside out. No complicated routines. No overwhelming product lists, just some personal rec's. Just some real, honest education from someone who has spent nearly three decades helping people understand and love their hair.

Let's start at the beginning...

What Does "Healthy Hair" Actually Mean?

Healthy hair isn't just hair that looks good it's hair that behaves well, feels strong, and holds up to the demands of your daily life. There are four things we look for when assessing the health of someone's hair:

Strength — Hair that doesn't snap or break easily under normal handling, brushing, or styling. Strong hair has intact protein bonds that hold the strand together under tension.

Elasticity — Healthy hair can stretch slightly when wet and spring back to its original length without breaking. Poor elasticity is when hair snaps instead of stretches this is one of the earliest signs of damage or over-processing.

Moisture Balance — Hair that retains the right amount of moisture is soft, flexible, and manageable. Hair that is either too dry or too porous struggles to hold moisture at all, no matter how many products you throw at it.

Smooth Cuticle — The outermost layer of your hair strand is made up of tiny overlapping scales called the cuticle. When these scales lie flat and smooth, hair looks shiny, feels silky, and resists frizz. When the cuticle is raised or damaged, hair looks dull, feels rough, and tangles at the slightest opportunity.

Everything we do at The Lab, from our professional staff, will make sure the services we recommend to the home care products we send you home with are designed to protect and support these four qualities.

Integrity of the hair is our modo, and that starts with the foundation.

Understanding Hair Porosity — The Game Changer Nobody Talks About

If there is one concept I want every client to understand, it is porosity. Porosity is your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture, and one of the most important factors in how your hair responds to products, color, and treatments.

Most people spend years buying the wrong home care products for their hair simply because they don't know their porosity. Let's help you understand.

Low Porosity Hair: The cuticle is tightly closed, making it difficult for moisture to enter the hair shaft. Low porosity hair often feels resistant to products and can experience buildup easily.

Signs you might have low porosity hair:

• Water beads on your hair rather than absorbing quickly in the shower

• Products seem to sit on top of your hair rather than soaking in

• Your hair takes a very long time to fully dry

• Color sometimes processes unevenly or fades faster than expected

What helps: Lightweight, liquid-based moisturizers, gentle heat when deep conditioning to help open the cuticle, and a monthly clarifying shampoo to remove buildup. Shampoo reco: R+Co Metal Detector Detox Shampoo.

Medium porosity hair: The cuticle allows moisture to enter and be retained with relative ease. Medium porosity hair is the most manageable type and responds well to most products and services.

What helps: A balanced routine of moisture and protein, regular deep conditioning, and consistent trims to keep ends healthy.

High Porosity Hair: The cuticle is raised or damaged, allowing moisture to enter quickly but escape just as fast. High porosity hair is often the result of chemical damage, heat damage, or rough handling — though it can also be genetic.

Signs you might have high porosity hair:

• Your hair absorbs water almost instantly in the shower but never feels truly hydrated

• Hair dries very quickly but still feels dry and rough to the touch

• Frizz is a constant battle regardless of what products you use

• Color fades significantly faster than it should

What helps: Heavier, richer moisturizers, protein treatments to fill in gaps in the hair shaft, cold water rinses to close the cuticle after washing, and leave-in conditioners to lock in moisture. Shampoo + Conditioner recommendations: Atlantis Moisturizing B5 Shampoo and Sun Catcher Power C Leave-in Conditioner.

A Simple At-Home Porosity Test

Not sure what your porosity is? Try this:

Take a clean, product-free strand of hair, preferably hidden in the back of your head and drop it into a glass of room temperature water. Watch what happens over the next 2 – 4 minutes.

Floats on top → Low porosity

Sinks slowly to the middle → Medium/normal porosity

Sinks quickly to the bottom → High porosity

It's not a perfect science but it's a great starting point for understanding your hair.