It can’t be durable and natural at the same time… FALSE.

While you can easily achieve a more natural appearance with a system that is made with lighter more delicate materials it is not impossible to get the same result with a more durable construction.

Hair replacements being made today use a variety of base materials. Recently the trend has gone towards “Program Hair” meaning you have several units, change them frequently and throw away the system when it’s time to change to a new one. What this means is that the hair retailers in the recent past demanded that the manufacturers make products that were lighter, thinner and most importantly they wanted them cheaper and faster. This is where the breakdown begins.

If you require cheaper products manufactured at a faster rate, something has to give, and that’s quality. Once the retailers started getting their cheaper faster systems in they discovered that without the quality they had only one option and that was to sell the consumer more products. Keep them “addicted” to hair and get there hands on your credit card so they could keep charging you monthly whether you needed service or a new system or NOT. Great gimmick!!

This is what has trapped so many into programs where the retailer holds the customer’s additional hair replacements hostage to keep the customer’s business. Here’s the funny part – many of those retailers are still buying your systems one or at best two at a time. It’s your monthly fee that is paying for each new system you’ll require. In our 25+ years of working with retailers, the number who have actually ordered more than 3 systems at a time for a client is next to none. They just don’t do it.

If your hair replacement provider tells you your hair piece is custom, take it with a grain of salt. Most all program hair is stock and readily available for immediate delivery from one of the big wholesalers. Fast and cheap. These systems aren’t made to last longer than 30 to 60 days. Implanted hair and loops fall out like your own growing hair. They look great, for a while, but they aren’t intended for long term wear. We see this most frequently in Skin units as they are most susceptible to breaking down more rapidly than their mesh base counterparts.

If you want durability and a natural look we can give it to you. You won’t be using some of the materials they say are necessary for a natural look, but we’re certain you’ll be happy with the end result. It’s all a matter of taking your desires and your lifestyle into consideration and working with you to give you what you want and need. Remember the two areas that are most important for a natural look are the front of the hair replacement and the blending areas. Give us a call or email us. We can help.

Virtually all the hair being used in hair pieces available on the net and in the salons is processed hair. There are several reasons for “Processed” hair. First, the hair used in productions comes from many heads. The hair must be treated to reduce or flatten the cuticle. The typical technique is an acid wash that causes the cuticle to flatten to the hair shaft. With the cuticle flattened it is less likely to catch on other hairs causing extreme tangling. It is impossible to remove the cuticle as this is the protective layer of the hair shaft not unlike our own skin.

The newest method of flattening the cuticle is the use of Silicone based products. Silicone on the hair shaft fills the cuticle and damaged hair and protects it. The silicone used is more concentrated than the hair care products you’ll find available in the salon and will remain on the hair for an extended period of time. It will however eventually wash off. This is why you sometimes get a hair replacement system that’s ok for awhile then suddenly after a washing, tangles. Silicone is almost always used after acid wash to give the hair a smooth silky feel and greater shine.

Processed hair also includes bleaching, dying and chemical waving (Perms). 99.9% of human hair used in production comes from China and India. Generally the hair most suited in China comes from regions where the diet consists more of wheat products than rice products. The growing hair in these regions has more characteristics found in European hair, meaning it is softer and has a thinner diameter than hair coming from other regions of China where the hair is straighter, thicker and generally very straight.

The hair used comes in basically 3 shades—Black, Blacker and Blackest. In order to meet the demand of the Western market this black hair has to be bleached down to get the myriad of colors of hair found in the Western world. For the darkest colors generally you’ll find 100% Indian hair is used. There is enough color difference in Indian hair to accommodate all dark shades with minimal bleaching. Indian hair is more like Caucasian hair in diameter and wave. For dark red and brown colors the will have a combination of Indian and Asian hair. While the hair undergoes more bleaching than the dark shades the inclusion of the Asian hair helps to buffer the chemical treatments required and the two types of hair become more Caucasian in appearance.

For the Lightest shades of Blonde and Red it is almost exclusively Chinese hair that is used. The reason for this is that the Chinese hair can be bleached to a higher level than Indian hair. If the factories were to bleach Indian hair to the level needed for the lightest blonde colors the hair would turn to MUSH. Chinese hair once bleached to the highest level becomes softer and more accepting to color and perms. However, this is the most delicate color range to work with. The amount of hair lost to High Level colors is tremendous which is why it is sometimes more expensive to obtain a product with very light colored hair.

This is an incredibly huge subject but let’s just say that Processed hair is the norm, it’s probably in your current hair replacement and it is designed to make your life easier by eliminating the negatives connected with Cuticle / Virgin hair.

Breathable Polyurethane – Big Myth. Just think about the plastic bags that come back with your dry cleaning. There is a serious reason why they are printed with a warning to keep away from children for fear of suffocation. You put a plastic bag on your head and you can’t breathe. So how in the world could a Polyurethane (plastic) hair replacement breathe? It can’t, it’s impossible. Now there are PU bases with small holes punched through them and from those holes air can come in but breathe—I think not. Also, PU used for hair replacement applications is in no way gas permeable, it is plastic plain and simple. Now silicone is a different story while it also cannot breathe, it is gas permeable, it takes on the body temperature so it is not hot to wear and it is extremely conducive to human skin contact. That’s why silicone is used in the medical world; it’s safe and extremely hygienic in nature. PU breaks down with body oils and acids and is not hygienic in any way that’s why it is extremely important that your attachment materials be of a the highest quality available since they are the buffer between your skin and the PU of your base or tape tab.

Actually the use of the word Breathable in the hair replacement industry is somewhat embarrassing as it is so not possible in the context in which it was introduced to the market and is another one of those “Let’s take their eyes out of their heads and convince them they can see better without them” marketing gaffs that was perpetuated for many years.

Remy Hair – this term has been used over and over and is really not such a big deal. Remy hair means that all the hairs (cuticle) are going in the same direction in the hair piece. Needless to say, all products made with human hair have the cuticle going in the same direction. Therefore all human hair products are made with Remy hair. Also, Remy only refers to hair in our applications; it has nothing to do with base materials or base constructions. That being said…..

Cuticle Hair – all hair has cuticle even hair that has been processed for use in hair replacements, wigs and extensions. This is why all hair is Remy hair. Cuticle hair essentially means that the hair has NOT been processed to “Reduce” or “Flatten” the cuticle to help reduce possible tangling. Cuticle hair, while very nice for a touch and feel, is not recommended for commercial use because of the greater possibility for tangling and the special requirements for ventilation that are not typical for standard production of hair goods. It is also more work and headache for the consumer. Cuticle hair is primarily for film and theatrical use, but is becoming more and more difficult to find in virgin form.

European / Virgin hair – Europe and mostly Italy for many years was the source for the best quality hair. The most coveted hair being “Italian Blue String”. This hair WAS pure virgin hair. There was absolutely no chemical on the hair whatsoever. The hair was collected in regions that had not been affected by the modern world. It was washed only once or twice a week at most, keeping the hair glossy due to natural oils from the scalp. The hair was never permed or colored at any time in its growth period.

If you check the import and export statistics for any one country or all of Europe and you will find that the same amount of Human hair enters the countries as is exported. Therefore the European hair is actually “Processed In Europe” hair. This hair, while “Virgin”, in the sense that it has not been treated to reduce the cuticle, is limited at best. We will see these influxes usually after some kind of war or instability in a region, most recently hair coming out of Eastern Block countries such as Bosnia. Generally speaking “Virgin European” hair is not cost effective for customers, retailers and production facilities. It is extremely expensive if you can find it.

Processed Hair – You’ve probably heard this term again and again, in fact, your probably wearing a piece with “processed hair” right now. There are a variety of reasons for “processed hair, too many to fit on this page. 

Synthetic / Man Made hair fiber – for many years most manufactured hair systems were made exclusively of “Modacrylic” man made fiber. These are basically the same fibers used in the production of carpets, tooth brushes and other items we use on a daily basis. The difference in these fibers is mainly the diameter of the fiber and the dying process. The most commonly used names for synthetic fiber in the hair replacement industry are: Kanekalon – the first fiber designed specifically for the use in the hair industry. Toupelon – Kanekalon fiber that is treated for more natural color effects, more color fastness and more human hair like feel and movement.

Elura™ – a brand name Kanekalon fiber mainly used by fashion wig manufacturers.

Cyberhair™ – Cyberhair has some great properties that are not found in Modacrylic fibers. It has been manufactured with a type of “cuticle” treatment to the surface of the fiber allowing it to reflect light like human hair for a more natural appearance and better blending into the growing hair. It maintains moisture, has high color retention and has a much higher melting point than Modacrylic fibers. This means the fiber is stronger and can be curled with a higher heat without having the fiber singe, break or melt. It also means that you can go into a Hot shower or Sauna and it will not go flat.

NextGen™ Fiber – A product similar to Cyberhair available exclusively in the US through HN. Basically the two fibers are very similar in how they function. The main difference is the degree of heat needed to set the curl or wave in the fiber itself. NextGen™ has a high melting point like its counterpart but not quite as high. Why you may ask? We wanted to make this fiber a little more consumer friendly by making it a more flexible to work with. When a Cyberhair™ product is made and the curl has been set in the fiber, it is virtually impossible to change the curl pattern. NextGen™ fiber can be easily manipulated using common styling tools such as blow dryers and curling irons.

There are basic downsides to all synthetic fibers – even the high tech ones – and that is, it’s still synthetic. It will eventually stretch and frizz. With the new high tech fibers you will find that this action will take much longer to occur but eventually it will frizz. Modacrylic fibers will frizz on the ends and the fiber will break. This will happen quite quickly if not properly cared for. NextGen™ and Cyberhair™ fibers, because of their strength, will stretch, and the frizzing usually occurs at mid shaft rather than the ends, and usually will not break. Because the frizzing occurs at mid shaft, the option to slightly trim the fiber will not be a viable solution to eliminate the frizz and the system is basically shot. However, this will usually not occur until the system is very old and high performance synthetic hair will generally outlast the base it is tied into.