Naturals who specialize in do-it-yourself hair care know caring for natural hair during the winter is not for the negligent. After all, cold weather can impact curls negatively. That said, prioritizing moisture is key for healthy hair, however, over-moisturizing can damage natural hair by way of hygral fatigue.
Sess Lee Cannon, the founder and educator at Flourish Curls Salon, spoke with NatuallyCurly about how to avoid hygral fatigue and hair porosity being the real determining factor when our hair’s ability to retain moisture.
Read on below for more.
What is Hygral Fatigue?
Hygral fatigue happens when curls become weak from constantly absorbing and losing moisture. Sleeping in wet hair and allowing styles done on wet hair to take more than one day to dry are common culprits of this issue.
According to Cannon, curls and coils are more prone to hygral fatigue because moisture and water are necessary for curls to thrive.
Signs that will tip naturals off to hygral fatigue include breakage, limp mushy curls, extreme frizz, curls refusing to retain styling despite using products and curls not bouncing back the way they should.
“If you’re dealing with any of this, your hair might be crying out for balance,” Cannon says.
Hair Porosity Is Key
Despite popular belief, how curls retain moisture has less to do with texture and more to do with hair porosity, or how hair absorbs moisture.
Hair can either be low, medium or high porosity.
Curls that are low porosity are less likely to experience hygral fatigue because the cuticles are tightly closed, preventing moisture from entering easily. However, low porosity curls typically retain moisture once the cuticle is penetrated because they’re tightly closed. Other characteristics of low-porosity hair include shine, the ability to hold styles well and not being prone to breakage.
Medium porosity hair is the perfect balance of moisture absorption and retention.
On the other end of the porosity spectrum, high porosity hair has higher chances of experiencing hygral fatigue because the cuticles are damaged or raised. These raised or damaged cuticles allow water into the strands but it dries out just as quickly, causing the hair to swell and contract.
“You can’t change your natural porosity (that’s genetic), but you can improve the
health of your hair if it’s become high porosity due to damage,” Cannon says.
Avoiding Hygral Fatigue
To avoid more damage by way of hygral fatigue, Sess has five tips for naturals who are working on balancing their moisture routines at home.
- Incorporate protein treatments to strengthen hair strands to better handle moisture without breaking down.
- Modest deep conditioning, once or twice a month, is enough to help curls retain moisture but don’t sleep in it!
- Seal the moisture into natural hair by applying a cream or gel to lock in hydration.
- Stop frequently rewetting natural hair without giving the hair enough time to dry completely.
- Let hair dry completely before applying more moisture.
“Adding protein treatments, sealing with oils, and protecting your hair from heat and chemicals will help your cuticles lay flatter and reduce water loss.”
Reversing Hygral Fatigue
However, naturals who are already suffering from hygral fatigue need to redirect their focus to strengthening their strands. In addition to using protein treatments, naturals can use a clarifying shampoo to remove build up that is contributing to strands holding excess moisture. Allow the hair a chance to recover from frequent wetting and trim any damaged ends if necessary.
“Your hair doesn’t just need moisture—it needs moisture and strength to keep things balanced,” Cannon says.
Sess’ Best Practices For Maintaining Moisture
- Alternate between moisturizing and protein-based treatments.
- Avoid overloading your hair with heavy products, especially if you have low porosity.
- Pay attention to your hair’s elasticity: Healthy hair stretches a bit and snaps back. If it’s limp or breaks easily, adjust your routine.
“Listen to your curls, take time to learn what they need and don’t be afraid to tweak your routine,” Cannon says. “Healthy hair is all about consistency. A little love and care will go a long way.”
