How Far Should You Go For That Perfect Hair Routine?

The other day, I was writing an article about dry shampoo when someone asked, "Why would men even need a dry shampoo?" Men generally have shorter hair, so they can just hop into the shower, wash their hair and jump out in a matter of minutes, right? Then there’s the other camp at the magazine, which deemed that there’s more to men's haircare than just the 10-in-1 shampoo cum conditioner.

The perfect mane requires work, irrespective of length. Men aren’t cave animals, after all. And the best part is that an increasing number of men are now discovering the magical powers of a great hairstyle (much to the joy of the wives and girlfriends community). Every other day, I see men asking for product recommendations on Indian skincare subreddits, a space that, up to the end of the pandemic, was practically a female-only corner of the internet. Men practically run the r/IndianHaircare subreddit at this point.

But easy as it is to lose yourself in the insanely informative world of personalised haircare, at some point you just have to stop and ask yourself: just how much is too much?

The Two Parameters To Perfect Hair

Now see. There’s a lot of things that you can do a deep dive into when it comes to your hair. I’ve seen people earnestly looking up every single ingredient of a product to determine which conditioner works best for them. But in all honesty, you only need two main parameters: your hair porosity and how humid a place you live in.

Simply speaking, this is how much moisture - water- your hair can absorb and retain. If your hair porosity is high, it gets drenched within seconds of stepping into the shower. And it dries up just as quickly, so you’re always left with damaged-looking, frizzy hair within minutes of stepping out of the shower. 

Inversely, low-porosity hair is almost water-repellent. Think of those videos of people with afros stepping into the rain. If you just stand and do nothing, it can take full minutes for your hair to feel fully wet. Similarly, once it’s wet, it takes ages for your hair to completely dry. Most of you guys with low porosity hair would need a hair dryer if your plan for the day includes taking a shower and going out. Your cuticles also collect grime and oils easily, leaving you with greasy hair within three or even two days after a wash. Oh, and another heads up, if you have very curly hair, it’s probably less porous than you think.

And then, squat in the middle of these two lies the medium porosity hair. Let’s just say that it has the best - and worst - of both worlds. If the descriptions of both high and low porosity hair sounded familiar to you, here’s where you fall.

What’s The Deal With Humidity?

Here’s the basic rule of thumb for all haircare: if there’s water that your hair can absorb, it will absorb that water. If there’s water around hair that cannot take in more, it will only hang on to the surface of the hair.

This means that the more humid it gets, higher porosity hair will absorb the moisture and become more frizzy. Lower porosity hair will weigh down with moisture and look flattened.

How Does Porosity Affect Which Product You Can Choose

You don’t need a 12-step routine or a shelf that looks like a salon exploded. You need products that match how your hair handles moisture. That’s it.

If you have high porosity hair, your problem is keeping moisture locked in your hair. So stop buying lightweight, “volumizing” formulas that evaporate faster than your motivation on a Monday morning. You need heavier conditioners, leave-ins, gels and oils that actually seal the cuticle. Ingredients like butters, oils, and proteins help reduce the constant frizz halo. Skip this, and your hair will look dry no matter how much you condition it.

Low porosity hair is the opposite headache. Your hair resists moisture, which means thick, heavy products are your enemy here. You need lightweight, water-based products that can actually penetrate the hair. Think minimal layering, occasional clarifying shampoos, hair mousse and a bit of heat when conditioning. Medium porosity hair may sit in the sweet spot, but don’t experiment with everything under the sun. Stick to a mix of hydration and light sealing.

One more thing that most people ignore: your environment will override your products if you’re not paying attention. In a humid city, even the “perfect” routine can fail if it’s not adjusted. High porosity hair needs stronger sealing to fight frizz, while low porosity hair needs even lighter formulations to avoid being weighed down.

What About Curl Type, Hair Density And The Like?

As a wavy/curly haired woman, none of this matters. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars out of my savings and pocket money over the last five years on ridiculously expensive, curl-friendly, silicone-free products suited to my hair density, only to realise that the basic drugstore shampoo you see ads for everywhere worked way better at making my hair look healthy. I have since given up on the internet-approved “curly girl method” and whatnots, and every hair product I use is a function of my hair porosity and the humidity of the city I’m living in.

As for the myriad other things you should pay attention to for perfect hair… All hail marketing.