research articles

There seems to have been an epidemic of inquiries about hair quality this past year. A lot of retailers have expressed concern about inconsistency and delays and wonder if the popularity of hair for life programs with their accelerated hair system rotation patterns might be a contributing factor.

Many of them have been propositioned by overseas factories promising easy solutions and wonder if they could do better striking out on their own. But the hair business is not that simple, and salon owners and wholesale hair suppliers who have attempted to buy directly have encountered a new world of confusing hair terminology where nothing is at it seems. It may appear to be a simple matter to become your own buyer of human hair, but it quickly turns into a daunting task of sorting out trade names, trendy brand name and varying hair grades. Most people give up the idea in the early stages and admit a new respect for the wholesaler hair suppliers they had been taking for granted.

However, as an educational service and perhaps a warning I'd like to offer a brief primer on the advantages and disadvantages of each type of hair including the Remy and Non Remy hairs and explain the cost differences and the reasons for them. I'll also answer the question, "As long as it feels good, looks good and doesn't tangle, why do I care about where the hair has originated from?" When I'm done, you too will appreciate the behind the scenes negotiating and control that is provided invisibly day in and day out by your current importer. The first question all new customers ask is where did the hair extensions and hair pieces come from? They want to know about the geography. I am always happy to answer these questions and try to assist people who call me. One day, a customer said it would be wonderful if we could create some kind of information sheet that explained everything: So here it is and thank you for the suggestion. We are going to classify human hair as follows. I will describe the characteristics of each variety and summarize its pros and cons.

Origin: China, Eastern Europe, Russia and India
Grade: Cuticle, Non-Cuticle, Virgin, Processed, Single Drawn, Double Drawn, Remy and Non-Remy
Type: Caucasian, Asian

ORIGIN

Chinese Hair (aka Asian Hair):This type of hair is a thick and coarse fiber that is naturally straight and dark brown to black in color.

Advantages:

• High Quantity
• Durability
• Low Cost
• Strongest human hair capable of withstanding multiple chemical and mechanical processes.
• Easily mass-produced.
• Comfortable to process at the manufacturing level and there is no shortage of supply.
• Ventilating a hairpiece does not require as much skill or care as with cuticle hair.

Disadvantages:

• Poor Quality.
• Chinese hair requires extensive chemical processing to output  hair that simulates European texture, color and body.
• The majority of the hair is collected and processed as double  drawn, non-Remy hair that requires heavy-duty chemicals to remove cuticle layers.
•  It is still at a high risk for severe tangling problems because the cuticles are large and the layers are dense.
•  The thick strands reflect light differently and appear 3 times as large next to Caucasian hair.

Common Use: Inexpensive off-shelf wigs, hairpieces and machine made hair extensions.

Indian Hair (aka Asian Hair, Italian Hair): A variety of fiber types from fine and straight, medium thick with bodywave and curly to thick coarse hair. Italian hair is actually Indian hair that has been processed in Italy or Spain and then sold at premium prices.

Advantages:

• High Quantity
• Good Quality
• Variety and Low Manufacturing Cost.
• Indian hair is popular to use for custom made hairpieces and wigs because it can be made to resemble European hair. Although prices for Remy Indian hair increase every 2-3 months, it is still available in the less expensive non-Remy form.
• The Indian hair fiber is small in diameter compared to Chinese hair and after chemical processing can feel and look just like European hair.
• A great attribute of Indian hair is that it comes in a full range of textures and body.

Disadvantages:

• Low Quality
• Higher Retail Cost.
• Indian hair still requires quite a lot of chemical processing to make it appear as European hair. And the efforts to maintain the integrity of Remy hair and/or buy the best quality in India can increase prices closer to European hair.
• To reduce time and materials, many manufacturers choose to work with non-Remy Indian hair, which must undergo the same processes as Chinese hair that results in a poorer quality.
• Indian hair is also known to have split ends; lice and most exporters handle the hair badly.

Common Use: The remy hair is often produced as European or Italian hair for custom-made wigs and hair extensions. The non-remy hair is processed for custom-made hairpieces and less expensive wigs and machine and hand made hair extensions.

European Hair (aka Russian Hair, Caucasian Hair): A fine to medium density fiber that is naturally straight to slight wave and available in a variety of natural colors, most commonly dark blonds to medium browns. The Virgin colors will often be streaked with lighter shades or the ends will be much lighter than the roots due to weathering.

Advantages:

• High Quality.
• True Caucasian hair, whether originating from Russia, Eastern Europe or even the United States, is the best quality for the European and American market.
• The fine textures and natural colors eliminate the need for extensive processing and can often be sold as is (virgin hair).
• It easily matches the density of Caucasian customers so the hairpiece or extension blends in with their own hair.

Disadvantages:

• Low Quantity and High Cost.
• It has always been an availability problem and is becoming more difficult to source lengths longer than 15 inches and of a good quality.
• Limited availability makes the European hair extension a valuable item. The care that must be taken at the manufacturing level, as the fiber is fragile in comparison to Indian and Chinese hair, adds to the overall cost of working with European hair.
•  Usually those that choose to work with this hair want it as close to its virgin state as possible, so much care and skill must be taken when ventilating a wig or hairpiece to keep the roots in one direction and properly trimmed to avoid tangles.

Common Use: High priced custom wigs, hairpieces and hand made hair extensions. Preferred hair type by production companies for the film industry.

GRADE

Cuticle Hair (aka Remy Hair, Virgin Hair): Cuticle hair can refer to all hair extensions, no matter the origin. It defines the state of the fiber and quality. The cuticle layers have not been chemically altered and care must be taken to keep roots and tips from running opposite directions.

Advantages:

• High Quality.
• Hair extensions with cuticles usually have the feel and look of natural hair.
• It retains dye colors and perms better than processed hair and lasts longer through normal wear and tear because the cuticles act as a protective layer for the rest of the fiber.

Disadvantages:

• High Cost and Tangles.
• Cuticle hair is considered a higher grade of hair and the time and care during production make it a more expensive hair that is preferred by most hair stylists and wholesale hair suppliers.
• If not properly handled or cared for before and during the life of the hair replacement or extension, it is prone to tangle. (Although it costs the manufacturer more to process hair to non-cuticle, many have the opinion that cuticle hair is more expensive.)
• They are confusing the cost of ventilating or producing cuticle hair extensions with the hair process cost. Non-cuticle hair and extensions are more expensive but easier to ventilate or produce hair extensions. Cuticle hair extensions are less expensive but require greater skill in handling.

Non-Cuticle Hair (aka Processed Hair): This hair type can also refer to all hair no matter the origin, including European. The cuticles have been chemically processed to remove the first few layers and fuse the remaining layers. The roots and tips can be mixed in opposite directions.

Advantages:

• Low Manufacturing Cost and No Tangles.
• Less labor time when making hairpieces, wigs or hair extensions and less hair required per unit.
• If cuticle process is done correctly, this is a permanent process and used to prevent tangles even if the roots and tips are mixed in opposite directions.

Disadvantages:

• High Hair Manufacturing Cost and Poor Quality.
• Unfortunately, this type of hair is usually mass-produced in large factories using harsh chemicals that greatly degrade the hair.
• Also the hair purchased for non-cuticle hair is usually non-Remy hair.
• When the chemical process is applied poorly and the hair extension starts to tangle, it tangles severely.
• Dye colors and perms do not last and the overall damage to the hair extension creates a very short life for this type of hair.

Common Use: Low to medium priced hairpieces, machine-made hair extensions and wigs.

Virgin Hair (aka European Hair, Cuticle Hair): All hair types no matter the origin. Usually refers to European hair as Chinese and Indian hair is rarely sold in their original colors and textures. This is hair that has not been chemically altered at any time and care must be taken to keep roots and tips from running in opposite directions.

Advantages:

• High Availability and Low Hair Manufacturing Costs.
• When it is truly virgin hair, the manufacture has very little preparation to perform before selling it.
• The lack of chemical processing leaves the hair extension in a healthy and natural state resulting in a longer life for the finished unit.

Disadvantages:

• Low Availability and High Cost.
• The dwindling availability of good virgin European hair, especially in lengths longer than 15, has made it an expensive commodity.
• There is still quite a bit of hair to find, but most of it is very old hair that has a musty odor and tangles very easily. Unfortunately, most Russian exporters are selling this type of hair.

Processed Hair (aka Non-Cuticle Hair, Non-Remy Hair, Asian Hair): All hair types can be chemically processed (cuticles, color, texture). Usually the term processed refers to non-cuticle hair and its most common form is non-remy hair. If handled well by the hair manufacturer, processed hair extensions can retain much of its original quality properties.

Advantages:

• Variety.
• The hair manufacturer is able to chemically alter the cuticles, color and texture of the hair to simulate European grade hair and offer multiple color and textures to the customer.

Disadvantages:

• High Manufacturing Costs and Low Quality.
• The hair manufacturer must apply multiple chemical processes to the hair.
• Each process lowers the quality of the hair and shortens the life of the finished piece.

Common Use: All types of wigs, hairpieces and hair extensions.

Single Drawn Hair (aka Cuticle Hair, Virgin Hair, Remy Hair): A bundle of hair, no matter its origin or grade that appears like a ponytail because all the short lengths of regrowth hair are kept in the bundle. Many a novice buyer thinks the shorter lengths are split ends. Different hair extension manufacturers sell bundles of hair in single drawn form, but sometimes split the percentage of short hair and sell at a higher rate. Wholesale hair extension manufacturers may decide to take out perhaps 50% of the shortest lengths and leave the rest in the bundle.

Advantages:

• High Availability
• High Quality and Low Manufacturing Cost.
• Single Drawn Remy hair is much easier to process the cuticles than Double Drawn Non-Remy hair because it requires less chemicals and processing time. This leads to a higher quality type of hair extension.
• The shorter lengths make the bundles appear tapered, therefore more natural. (Many prefer this type of hair. For example, one famous actress insisted that her wig be made with single drawn hair because the shorter lengths give it the perfect look.)

Disadvantages:

• The ratio of short hairs to longer hair within a bundle is usually greater, which causes a high amount of loss and waste.
• The manufacturer must purchase higher quantities to account for the wastage.

Common Use: Medium to high quality hairpieces, wigs and hair extensions.

Double Drawn Hair (aka Non-Cuticle Hair, Processed Hair, Non-Remy Hair): A bundle of hair, no matter its origin or grade that is all one length. There are no shorter lengths of hair present, which creates a very smooth and polished look. Due to expense and availability with Remy hair, Non-Remy Processed hair is usually sold double drawn. The term refers to a mechanical process that draws out all the shorter lengths from a bundle, and then draws again to realign the top of the bundle.

Advantages:

• High Quality for Remy Hair
• Low Cost and High Availability for Non-Remy Hair.
• One length creates a seamless silky curtain of hair extensions that looks picture perfect.
• It gives the illusion of very healthy hair that has never suffered normal wear and tear.

Disadvantages:

• High Cost and Low Availability for Remy Hair.
• Hair grows, breaks and regrows so that a natural head of hair contains several different lengths of hair.
• When a ponytail of hair is donated or sold, the bundle tapers down to a point. If the bundle is 18” in length and you draw out only the strands that are 18”,  you are left with only a few strands of hair that represent maybe 10-15% of the bundle.
• The rest of the bundle contains the shorter regrowth hair. It would take 10 kilos of single drawn 18” hair to make 1 kilo of double drawn 18” hair.
• This makes it very expensive and undesirable for the manufacturer who is now left with 9 kilos of shorter hair.
• It is much more cost effective to offer double drawn non-Remy hair, but the blunt one length look makes the hair extension appear synthetic.

Common Use:

From Non-Remy hair: Low cost, off the shelf hairpieces, wigs and hair extensions.

From Remy hair: High priced custom wigs, hairpieces and hair extensions.

Remy Hair (aka Cuticle Hair): Hair that was carefully bundled at the roots from the moment it is cut from donor and maintained throughout production so the cuticles run in same direction. This hair is usually processed to non-cuticle, but the root direction is maintained.

Advantages:

• Low Hair Manufacturing Cost
• High Quality.
• The cuticles are not always removed for Remy hair, therefore lowering productions costs and time. If the cuticles are processed, it is much easier than non-Remy hair due to less chemicals and processing time.
• The reduced chemical processing reduces the level of damage that leads to a relatively higher percentage of moisture, as opposed to other types of chemically treated hair.
• This prevents the straw-like appearance that happens with processed non-Remy hair within the first few months.

Disadvantages:

• High Cost
• Low Availability
• High Hair Manufacturing Costs. For unknown reasons, the temples that collect the hair do not take care to keep the roots and ends sorted correctly; therefore the resource of non-Remy is much more than Remy hair.
• Remy hair with cuticles require smaller batches and careful processing during production to avoid matting and tangling the hair during bath circulations.

Common Use: High Quality, custom-made hairpieces, wigs and hair extensions. (Our lab tests on many hairpieces submitted to us by customers have shown that the units were actually made with non-cuticle non-remy hair, although they were told that it was remy hair.)

Non-Remy Hair (aka Non-Cuticle Hair, Processed Hair, Asian Hair): Hair that was cut and collected from the floor so that roots and ends are mixed. To solve the inevitable tangling, the cuticles must be chemically removed. Non-Remy hair is sold in Double Drawn form.

Advantages:

• Low Cost.
• The reasons factories in the Orient prefer to buy this type of hair are for two reasons:

1) It is much cheaper than Remy hair,

2) You can bleach and dye several kilos of hair in one batch without worrying about matting during circulation, thereby lowering the manufacturing costs significantly.

Disadvantages:

• Low Quality.
• The hair must undergo heavy chemical processes to remove cuticles. As a result the hair becomes very dry over a short period of time.
• The proceeding bleaching and dyeing reduces the diameter of the hair, creates dry course hair extensions that eventually splits and cracks along the fiber.
• The tips are already vulnerable naturally due to years of growth and weathering.
• In Non-Remy hair the tips are running both directions so the entire bundle suffers split ends and breakage.
• There is also uneven distribution of fiber thickness since some roots are at the top and some at the bottom of the bundle, which makes it resistant to combing.

Common Use: Medium to low priced hairpieces, wigs and hair extensions.

TYPE

Caucasian: Russian Hair. Very small resources in Poland and Romania.

Asian: Chinese and Indian Hair. Very small resources in Philippines, Vietnam and other small countries, but the quantities are so small that they are not really considered.

I hope these notes will help you separate the fact from the fiction in hair selection and processing. The hair extension and replacement market is indeed evolving rapidly and it is important that we work with common standards and terminology. This is one man's attempt to provide a simple road map; I hope you find it helpful.