This Pro Secret Is The Key To Taking Care Of Curly & Textured Hair

Ask any hairstylist and they'll tell you this: Properly conditioning your hair is not a one size fits all endeavor. In fact, those with curly or textured hair might find that slapping on a mask or deep conditioner in the shower rarely yields the kind of health-boosting results you desire. What you may not know is that understanding your hair's porosity just may be the secret to softer, shinier, more voluminous, and all around healthier strands.

Understanding your hair's porosity, or how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture, is the first step towards proper deep conditioning. Then, only once you know where your hair falls on the spectrum can you take steps to make your masking session more effective. For more on this topic we consulted two pros that work primarily with curly and textured strands: Shai Amiel, stylist and co-founder of L.A.'s Capella Salon, and Nikki Walton, curl expert and author of CurlyNikki.

So where do we begin? Click here to uncover your hair's porosity level first — there's a simple "float test" that makes it easy — then keep clicking for tricks to make your mask day that much better.