Why Choose a Human Hair Wig?
Why choose a human hair wig? This is a question we get all the time. Ultimately there is nothing comparable to real human hair when finding a hair piece. Here are some things to know about a synthetic wig:
Synthetic Wigs
They're Plastic
Synthetic wigs are made of plastic or acrylic fibers. This means that they do not move, respond to heat and product, or have the same sheen human hair does.
They Have Short Lives
Synthetic wigs also break down more quickly, and with less wear and tear.
They Knot More Easily
The plastic fibers on synthetic wigs also tend to knot and matte a lot more easily than a human hair wig.
They Can't Be Dyed
Because the hairs are plastic, synthetic wigs cannot be dyed with hair color, permed, or chemically processed in any way.
What About Human Hair Blend Wigs?
All of the above also applies to human hair blend wigs. Human hair blend wigs are just human hair (usually heavily processed) with synthetic fibers blended throughout, usually to bring down the price of the hair piece for the buyer.
Human hair is really the only way to go when getting a hair piece that looks as realistic and natural as possible.
Human Hair Wigs
Not All Human Hair Wigs are Equal
There are many levels of quality and variety. Not all human hair pieces are created equally. The lowest quality human hair pieces are heavily processed and contain non-remy hair from questionable sources, like salon floor sweepings or prisoners. There are a number of things you need to consider when purchasing a human hair wig.
What to Look for When Purchasing a Human Hair Wig
Remy Hair
What does Remy mean? Remy is a term used to describe the way in which each strand of hair is oriented. Hair strands, just like fingernails and scales on a reptile, grow in a certain direction for a certain reason.
The cuticle on the hair as it grows out of the head is facing downward and flat. If the hair is non-remy, that means that the root and tips aren’t oriented the same way which in turn makes the hair break down more quickly.
Think about brushing the scales of a snake in the wrong direction. His scales grow in a certain direction and are not meant to be pushed in the opposite direction. The hair facing the wrong way will degrade extremely quickly. When buying human hair, make sure your hair is remy.
Non-Processed Hair
Another thing worth delving into is what is meant by “processed hair.” Processed hair can mean a variety of things but to sum it up it indicates that the hair has been treated with some type of chemical to alter its color or texture.
At its worst, it indicates that the hair has been put in an acid bath to strip all color and texture and subsequently colored and permed to be all the same. This is done because the hair in these situations is not from a single donor. In order to make the most money and allow for the quickest, mass-produced wigs, the wig maker might combine multiple different sources of hair together, no matter the color or texture, and then process it.
After all the processing is done on this hair, factories usually coat the hair in silicone to give the hair softness and shine. The problem with this silicone coating is that it adds a tackiness to the hair and after it washes off or burns off, the hair is left dry and split. These heavily processed wigs do not typically last more than three months.
The term “processed hair” can also apply to the hair simply being permed or dyed. Remy human hair that falls under this category generally lasts a little longer but comes at a lower price point than virgin hair.
Virgin Hair
What is virgin hair? Virgin hair is hair that has not been chemically processed in any way. Virgin hair is usually shinier, stronger, and softer than processed hair, as it hasn’t been touched by any harsh chemicals.
The Origin of Hair
When buying a human hair wig, another thing to look for is where the hair comes from in the world. Hair sold in stores comes from countries all around the world such as India, Brazil, Mongolia, China, and Russia to name a few. Hair from Europe and Russia has the most varieties of virgin hair colors and textures. To learn more about hair from each country, refer to the infographic located on our wigs tab.
At Serenity Wig Salon we offer the highest quality hair pieces to our clients. We only carry remy hair and all of our pieces contain hair that was ethically sourced. Most of our hair is sourced from Ukraine and Russia but we also carry Brazilian hair. A large amount of our selection is virgin hair but any processed pieces that we carry have only been minimally processed to adjust color.
To summarize, high-quality human hair comes at a high price point but there is really no comparison to other options when it comes to feeling as natural as possible in your hair piece.