# What Usually Causes Highly Porous Hair?

> The answer is prior chemical over-processing. It raises and damages the cuticle, which is what makes high-porosity hair absorb product so fast.

Canonical: https://fadejunkie.com/practice/hair-science/high-porosity-from-overprocessing  
Last updated: 2026-08-11

**The answer is prior chemical over-processing. It's what raises and damages the cuticle, which is why the hair soaks up product so fast.**

A raised, damaged cuticle lets liquid in quickly but also lets moisture and color pigment escape just as fast, which is the real problem with over-porous hair. Diet, hormones, and scalp conditions can affect hair health generally, but they aren't the direct cause of high porosity itself.

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