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Following my last hair extension article, I incorrectly assumed that I had satisfactorily explained the differences between cuticle and non-cuticle hair. But The Journal’s mailbag shows that people still have a lot of unanswered questions. Since this information is fundamental to our professional life, I am going to talk about hair characteristics in more detail in my next few hair-related articles. Today, I would like to cover moisture and how it affects the hair’s appearance and the individual fiber’s strength.

Moisture, why it matters

Simply put, moisture is the single most important factor in determining the way your client’s hair looks! When moisture content of the hair drops below 10-10.2% (depending on the type of hair and the level of environmental humidity), hair looks like brittle straw as opposed to supple green grass.

The critical moisture level is the difference between a fresh slice of bread and one left on the counter for 3 days. In the example of the straw or the stale slice of bread, if we apply the slightest pressure, they will break. The same pressure on the fresh slice of bread or the green grass shows us how malleable these materials could be. Likewise, any pressure put on dry human hair, as opposed to well-moisturized hair, will result in breakage.

When companies send me hairpieces with high levels of breakage to analyze, I conduct tests that usually end with a clear conclusion: Dry hair leads to breakage, especially with repeated combing applied in a localized area [the crown]. Customers who have paid for hairpieces or wigs with high breakage levels are naturally disappointed, because they come to me to unearth what they imagine to be a complicated problem, and then return with a silver-bullet remedy. They are more than a little surprised when I tell them that they don't have to buy my hair care products, in fact, they don't need to buy any products, in order to improve their hairpiece's or hair extension's performance. When I explain that all they need is some plain water, they begin to fear they are spending their money consulting with me for nothing.

Moisture content = Strength of the hair

Here are some numbers to illustrate my point. An average strength properties reading for Indian non-cuticle hair with a diameter of 0.055mm would be 0.22 gn/m². An average result for the same type of hair from the same bundles, but completely soaked with tap water would be 0.66 gn/m². A normal value for such hair would be around 0.32 gn/m². (gn/m² stands for Giganewtons per square meter, which is a measure of pressure. For human hair, these figures explain the fiber’s strength – the amount of pressure it can withstand before breaking.)

The important lesson here is that moisture - any type of moisture - will increase the strength of the hair by up to 300%! Every test I have conducted on hair has shown me that plain water is as effective as any conditioner or leave-in moisturizer. For example, try wearing your jeans after washing them, while they are still soaking wet and feel the roughness of the fabric. This has to do with the swelling and increased strength of the fabric when wet. Until the water evaporates, the denim will be significantly stronger. The same goes for hair. All the stories written by marketing departments about conditioners that add strength and elasticity to hair are about as good as the stories your parents used to tell you to calm you before going to sleep – It’s all placebo effect.

The role of conditioners

Conditioner will add strength, but only temporarily, just as water will. Now we are getting to one of the major tradeoffs between conditioner and water: Water will evaporate much faster, but will not leave deposits that will weigh down your client’s hair extensions. Conditioner will evaporate much more slowly and contribute to the strength of the hair for a longer time, but will leave deposits that may weigh down the hair.

In hot desert climates such as in Arizona and Nevada, it is extremely important to maintain the moisture of the hair extensions, especially if the client spends any time in the sun. Just a few minutes of ultra-violet exposure on treated hair is enough to make a significant impact. In these conditions, a very light leave-in conditioner is highly recommended. If the client is not inclined to buy more hair care products, give or sell a very small mist bottle (2 oz will be sufficient) filled with water so they can mist the hair a few times a day.

Sharing this important information about hair extension and hair replacement care with your clients as well as your employees and partners to create a mutual understanding is an important step towards customer satisfaction. Their success is directly related to yours, of course. In our aggressive and crowded marketplace where we all buy our hair products from a small number of vendors, the best among us must stand out by finding the small ways to display our uniqueness. What could be better than showing your clients how you can turn esoteric information into a vital tool to help them maintain their hairpieces? Further discussions of the technical side of hair management will appear in subsequent issues of The Journal, but should you have any more questions, remarks, or want us to elaborate on something in the mean time, please do not hesitate to contact us.