Hair Grades System: 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 12A, 15A [Infographic]

When it comes to hair extension grades, I’m sure you’ve heard enough about “7A” and “8A”.

If you’re looking for an in-depth article where you can dispel confusion, then you’ll love this infographic.

Here’s my take on the hair grades system insights from the infographic:

What’s hair grading system?

The hair grade system was created by Chinese hair vendors to determine the quality of hair.

However, this is also a catch.

Well… Let’s first look back at history.

A Little Hair Grades System History

When “3A” hair appeared, some people say that it was so amazing. That might have been back around 2010-2011.

Then, there was “4A” hair in 2012. The hair was considered the new top grade.

In 2013, “5A” hair was created, and as you may have guessed, it became the best.

Um… the “6A” hair was then popular in 2014.

Then, there was “7A” hair in 2015. It became the best grade hair.

During 2016-2017, “8A” hair was very popular, and “9A” hair was the best.

Now in 2019, you see some hair vendors marketing “10A” hair as the best hair. Some hair suppliers even sell 11A and 12A grade hair.

Do you find the interesting trend?

Every year hair vendors add an additional “A” to their hair. And then it becomes the most popular and means top quality.

Just remember:

In fact, it is just hair marketing to stay competitive.

How to Define Hair Grading System?

As there is no regulating body that controls what can be considered 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 12A, or 15A hair.

One company version of 7A hair may not be the same as another.

However, there are also some suppliers who name their 5a hair instead 7a hair, even 8a hair.

Or worse yet, the hair that used to be called “5A” 5 years ago is now called “8A” by the same vendors. In reality, it’s probably the same hair but just an additional “A”.

Overall, every company can define its own hair grading system in order to describe the quality of products. And there is not a universal standard to define hair extension grading.

This is why customers are in big trouble if choosing top-quality hair with “A” as a standard.

So, you can’t only judge hair quality by hair grade number, we should see other ways to make sure the quality of the hair.

Why Use Hair Grading System?

There are so many different needs of customers when it comes to buying weave hair.

Remember:

Hair vendors’ #1 goal is to make clients happy.

This means they need to give people different options. That’s why they use the hair extension grading system.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with calling your hair a certain grade.

Instead, this hair grading system can help some clients find quickly the hair extensions that will work best for them in their price and need range.

For example:

• 6A hair: Grade 6A hair is 100% human hair without any animal and synthetic mixed, but it’s non-Remy hair.
• 7A hair: Grade 7A hair is completely human hair, and it’s Remy hair.
• 8A hair:  Grade 8A hair is the same hair as 7A with full cuticle aligned, no acid bath, natural unprocessed. And virgin 8A hair is much thicker than 7A, which means that has less short hair mixed in the hair bundles.
• 10A hair: Grade 10A hair is 100% raw human hair.  This hair has no short hair mixed in the hair bundles, which means that all hair strands are the same length.

You can clearly see a distinction between qualities. Pretty cool.

With the hair grading system, clients can easily decide which one is the most suitable for their market.

All good right? Well…

In addition, when shopping for hair extensions from one company, it makes sense to use these hair grades to differentiate between different qualities of hair.

Why?

Because the different company has different quality standard to define different hair grade.

Enough sure, the “8A” hair of one company could be a “10A” from another company.

So, if you compare the same hair product from multiple companies, you should NOT just be focused on the grade number, it really doesn’t matter! Quality is the key we should first consider.

Grade 15A, 12A, 10A, 8A, 7A, 6A, 5A, What is the difference?

In today’s human hair market, there are basically 3 tiers of hair extension: Low Grade, Middle Grade, and High Grade.

Not everyone is looking for the most expensive hair. That’s why the markets need different hair grades, which means people are purchasing products that are right for you.

For low-grade hair extension, here’s a simple explanation:

This grade hair has a very short lifespan, but its price is very cheap. These hair have the following features:

• Be mixed with animal or synthetic fibers, etc.
• Non-Remy human hair, not cuticle intact.
• Be Chemically treated.
• Hair manufacturer uses color or silicone in the process of hair manufacturing.

Needless to say, if you are only looking for low-cost options, then this would be it.

Well, let’s hop on over to mid-grade and high-grade hair.

If one company has higher quality hair extensions like 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 10A, 12A, and 15A hair grades, you can relatively say 15A extension is the best hair. Generally, it’s without question.

Now you may be wondering:

What’s the difference among these hair grades?

In fact, the biggest difference is the ratio of relatively shorter hairs in a bundle.

The higher the grade, the less percentage of short hairs in a bundle. In other words, the higher the number, meaning the higher the grade.

But, compared to two companies with the same hair grade, we should look for other quality variables to determine which one is better.

Well, how do I know if a company is selling great hair?  I’ve included the question in the infographic.

Now It’s Your Turn

Now I’d like to hear from you:

Do you have any questions about hair grades or the numbers system?

Or maybe you’ve known the difference between hair grades 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 10A, 12A, and 15A.

Either way, leave a comment below right now.