If you asked me to name the #1 definition of hair term mistake I see most often, I wouldn’t hesitate before answering: “Virgin Hair.”
In fact:
This term is often used by hair vendors to describe the products they sell. But, most hair vendors are also just for marketing and selling purposes. That’s why many definitions of terms are confusing.
In this post, you’re going to learn what you need to know all about virgin hair.
Let’s drive right in!
What’s Virgin Hair?
In human hair market, virgin hair is the hair that has never been chemically processed. When you think about chemically processed, this means it has been color treated, permed, bleached or dyed.
Now you’re probably wondering:
Why do hair manufacturers chemically process hair?
Well, here’s two possible answers:
- The quality of hair raw materials collected is poor.
- To produce color hair that meets the needs of consumers, such as ombre hair, golden hair, red hair, etc.
In a word, the end-product looks nice after chemical treatment. And it can give you a more beautiful and uniform appearance.
But, the drawback of this type of hair is that it can NOT last too long. As soon as you wash it, the hair would matte, shed, tangle, and even change colors.
In today’s hair market, stream processing is becoming more and more popular in the manufacturing process of hair extensions. Almost 95.99% of hair factories use the processing procedure, especially in China.
Why?
By steaming processing, hair manufacturers can create unique and exotic styles, like body wave, curly, deep wave, loose wave, natural wave and so much more.
So, today’s hair extension industry standard is so much different than what was just a few years ago. Now, virgin hair is 100% human hair that has only been steamed processed, and simply disinfected.
As you might imagine, the hair raw materials collected are dirty. Therefore, It is necessary to disinfect and clean it.
Pro tip: Many hair companies claim that their virgin hair products are cut directly only from one donor. In fact, it’s hardly true. In our opinion, as long as the quality of hair is excellent, it doesn’t matter whether it comes from a single or multiple donors.
Virgin Hair VS. Remy Hair: What’s the Difference?
Do you genuinely know what REMY hair means?
This word is often used incorrectly and leads to the consumer making a purchase. Some hair sellers even claim that Remy hair is the highest trade hair.
The truth is, Remy hair just means the direction of the cuticle of the hair.
Let me explain what I mean.
Remy hair is bundled in such a manner that the roots of the hair are on one side and the tips of the hair are on the opposite side. That’s to ensure the cuticle does NOT tangle or matte.
So, Remy means the cuticles of the hair are not stripped and remain aligned in one direction. As you can imagine, the end-products hair goes through such a tedious process to not damage the cuticle.
That’s why high-quality virgin or remy hair is more expensive. But, this hair still looks fantastic even after multiple times being washed.
You can read more about the detailed information on Remy hair in this article here.
Well, let’s see the relationship between Remy and virgin hair.
If Remy hair is NOT any chemically treated, in such a situation, you can think that Remy hair is virgin hair.
If virgin hair is minimally processed to ensure the roots and tips of hair travel in the same direction, you also can think that virgin hair is Remy hair.
That said:
Not all Remy Hair means virgin hair. Also, not all virgin hair means Remy hair.
Pro tip: If you care about whether or not the hair extension is from a single donor, beware! In reality, majority companies’ Remy hair is NOT from a single donor.
Virgin Hair VS. Raw Hair: What’s the Difference?
Have you ever asked what the meaning of Raw hair is? And do raw and virgin hair mean the same thing?
Great question! Here’s a quick definition of Raw hair:
Raw hair is unprocessed 100% human hair that has not undergone ANY chemical, heat, or steam processing. Raw hair is the purest and most natural form of hair on today’s hair market.
The advantages of raw hair are excellent in quality and can last years. But its disadvantages are also obvious: single variety and expensive.
When compared to virgin hair, you won’t easily get those hot trendy styles like curly or body wave. And raw hair won’t be identified from each other.
That’s because the raw hair extension is not steamed to form the uniform, various styles.
The definition of raw hair used to imply that the hair was not only unprocessed but also a single donor over the past few years. But it’s challenging for hair companies to provide a full bundle of single donor hair consistently.
As a result, now raw hair can also mean multiple donors as long as the hair is not processed in any way.
Compare Virgin vs. Raw vs. Remy vs. Non-Remy Hair
Not all people have the time to read lengthy content, so we prepared a list that you promptly see their distinct features.
(Understanding Virgin hair vs. Raw hair vs. Remy hair vs. non-remy hair)
What kind of virgin hair is there?
Here are the most popular types of virgin hair:
Body Wave – Virgin body wave is a lush hair texture with a deep S-shaped wave pattern. It is voluminous, low maintenance, and versatile. And the hair is one of the most popular hair textures.
Curly – Virgin curly hair is a more tightly spiral. This hair type is also great for blending with natural hair.
Straight – Virgin straight hair is your go-to for a sleek look with minimal effort.
Deep Wave – Virgin deep wave is perfect for those who want big waves that make an even bigger splash.
Frequently Asked Questions About Virgin Hair
1. How Long does Virgin Hair Last?
Usually, the lifespan of virgin hair extension is 6-8 months up to a year or longer, if cared for properly.
To prolong the lifespan of virgin hair extensions in the best possible, I recommend watching the below video about hair care and tips:
2. How Many Bundles of Virgin Weave Should I Purchase?
For a full weave install for styles 22 inches or shorter, I recommend three bundles. However, for styles longer than 22″ inches, I recommend using 4-5 bundles to achieve a full look.
3. How to Tell If My Virgin Hair is Real or Fake?
Just about every hair company claims to carry virgin hair, and if not educated properly you can get scammed. Here are a few tips you can heed to tell the real virgin hair from the knockoffs.
1. Smell it
Virgin hair is not chemically processed. Therefore, the hair you purchase should not have a strong pungent smell.
2. Check for Cuticles of Hair
Virgin hair should still have its cuticles intact. And the cuticles of hair flow in the same direction.
But, cuticles are quite difficult to see with the naked eye. Now what?
To feel for the hair cuticle, run your fingers up and down the hair shaft. The hair strand should feel smooth towards the direction of hair growth, but a bit of resistance should be felt in the opposite direction.
3. Observe the color of hair
Virgin hair comes in natural colors and has not been dyed by the hair donor or the hair vendor. If you look at it carefully, it’s easy to tell if it’s virgin hair with the naked eye?
4. Burn it
Take out just one or two hair strands, then set alight, virgin hair quickly burns completely and smells like your natural hair if burnt. However, burns very slowly and smells of burning plastic, this indicates synthetic fibers have been added to the hair bundle.
5. Curl and straighten it
Like your own hair, your virgin hair extensions should be heat treated. So, using a curling or straightening tool, test if the hair curls or straightens nicely.
4. Is Remy Hair Better Than Virgin Hair?
This question is the same as another one:
Is 8A hair better than 7A grade hair?
The question is not necessarily so because there is not a universal standard for hair extension grading.
Similarly, different company has different quality standard. You can’t say with certainty that Remy hair must be better than Virgin hair.
Furthermore, there is no universal standard for the definition of Remy and virgin hair. “Remy” hair of one company could be “Virgin” hair.
So, before you purchase your hair, It’s important for you to be educated about hair.
Over To You
Now I’d like to hear from you:
Is there any other way to test if your virgin hair is real?
Or maybe you have a question.
Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
Carol Gray says
Looking for your best virgin hair, 23 inches long; tight curly