REMY HAIR VS. HUMAN HAIR

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Hey beautiful people, the summer is here and I know you want to look your best especially after we come out of lockdown and that might mean a new luscious look. For those thinking about hair extensions, choosing which hair to buy is not always as easy as you’d like it to be. As a hair extension specialist I often get asked… 

“What is the difference between human and remy hair?” 

Today, I’m here to explain the differences and help you to make a more informed choice, so let’s go!

First, let me just point out that this may seem odd to view this in terms of ‘Remy vs. Human’, when Remy is in fact human hair too. However all human hair can be separated into 3 categories and this is where the differences lie:

 
Hair-extensions-blog-essex-hair-salon.jpg
 

  • 100% VIRGIN HUMAN HAIR

‘Virgin’ or ‘Raw’ hair is not only 100% human but it is also unprocessed and untreated, which means that it has never been permed, straightened, bleached, dyed or any other chemically treated process including harsh washing…NEVER! Although many shampoos and conditioners have some chemicals in them, virgin hair is considered to be undamaged by any really harsh chemicals. For the hair to be truly virgin it must also come from a single source donor and have each of the cuticles still intact. As a result, this hair is softer, silkier and will last much longer than any other type of hair when taken good care of.

  • 100% REMY HUMAN HAIR ‘

Remy’ hair is also 100% human however it may have been through a chemical process or steam process and is therefore not as pure as virgin hair. Much like virgin hair, Remy will also have the cuticle intact if it’s of high quality. If the hair does not have the cuticle intact it is neither virgin nor Remy so be careful. This is an unregulated industry therefore some manufacturers will mark their products as Remy to get the sales, even if the hair has been mixed with other synthetic hair or has no cuticle, so please ensure you check when purchasing. This hair will need a lot more care than standard human hair but will last much longer. High quality Remy hair can also be dyed later on if you so desire.

  • 100% HUMAN HAIR

‘Basic Human’ hair is again 100% human and has not been mixed with any other synthetic hairs however unlike the virgin and Remy hairs, this hair has been chemically stripped of the cuticle and machines processed. The stripping of the cuticle causes brittleness and dryness and so it is naturally of a lower quality and will tangle. (see image below) High quality human hair will last a reasonable length of time however take special care if purchasing low quality human hair as it may have been mixed with synthetic or animal hair because again this industry is unregulated.

SX NEWS.jpg

  • HUMAN HAIR QUALITY (MEH… 😕 DEFINITELY LESS THAN 100%)

Anything labelled ‘Human hair quality’ is not 100% human but has been mixed with animal or synthetics and it can not be dyed or coloured. It will be much cheaper in price and will not last as long as real human hair. Don’t be fooled by this!

There you have it… Now just one tip before you run out and buy your hair.

  • THE SHEDDING TEST

To test your Virgin or Remy hair for shedding before purchase. Simply grip the hair bundle at the top and run your hand down and through the hair shaft. No hair should come out in your hand and the bundle should maintain its thickness and if so it gets a thumbs up from us. So whether the hair you purchase is Brazilian, Peruvian, Mongolian, Indian, Chinese or even Italian hair make sure you are purchasing the real deal!

 
TIP OF THE MONTH, Hair ExtensionsStrictly Xtended