Lesson 1: Hair for hair piece production
I was talking to a customer the other day and repeating a story I have repeated a million times so if you’ve heard this you can stop reading. The question was; Why do I get some units with great hair that holds up and others seem to dry out, get frizzy and the hair breaks after it’s been worn for a few weeks? It’s really a great question and the answer really does affect all hair colors but generally the worst cases are with color from #5 or #6 up to #23 on the HN color guide.
First, all hair pieces are being produced in China and the hair comes from all over Asia but the common denominator with all the Asian hair is color, BLACK, BLACKER and BLACKEST…..
This is great for hair pieces in the #1 to #4 color range as very little processing needs to be done to get the color required but what about those pesky Light Browns and Blondes??
Hair is gathered from all parts of Asia the softest and closest hair to Caucasian hair comes from areas of India where generations of Western blood and its geography gives us softer finer hair than hair that is gathered in China which is generally courser and have a thicker denier. The hair is separated from where it’s gathered then all the hair is put into vats to lighten the hair to color ranges that can be dyed, it is also processed to have the Cuticle on the hair shaft smoothed or compressed so the hair won’t tangle. Then the hair is conditioned and coated with silicone and is ready for production.
Going back to the question about the inconsistency of the customers hair there are several reasons why a customer who wears a dark color with no problems may sometimes get a unit that is dry, frizzy and poor-quality hair.
If the hair is tangling and matting it is probably a matter of poorly processed hair for the reduction of the cuticle and this is a no fix situation. If this happens to you with one of our systems, please be sure to call and let me know as soon as you see the problem. I’ll need to replace that one but send any bad systems back because I do send them back to the factory for credit.
If the hair is dark and dries out and get’s frizzy quickly the odds are there was an Old Switcheroo in the hair allotment department. Not good hair for bad but probably Blonde hair for Black; this means the factory ran out of the dark hair needed for the order so rather than buy more dark hair they often will take colors that are lighter and recolor the hair to the darker shades. Since the lighter colored hair is more highly processed the additional processing for color adds to the decreased quality and the dark colored hair reacts much like the blonde colors by drying out and getting frizzy.
If the hair color is Light #5 up to #23 remember it started out BLACK. Think about it, thousands of heads of hair all mixed together, color lifted, cuticle processed to avoid tangling; what could go wrong? This hair is a problem right from the start so it’s important to keep that in mind if you find you need to frequently reorder your unit in color #17, #18 or #23. These colors are the most temperamental, prone to breakage and simply won’t hold up in the long run.
Finally remember that the hair comes from all over Asia from thousands of different people, it’s a natural raw material therefor always changing and never consistent.
Here are some tips to keep in mind
Avoid heat, blow dryers, hot irons letting your system air dry is always a safe bet for all colors.
Avoid styling products with Alcohol usually this will be found in hair spray and gels so look for low alcohol non-drying products, witch hazel is a good base for hair spray and use the smallest amount of product you can and don’t reapply.
A great tip for cleaning and conditioning is to dilute the products your using. A small squirt bottle or an empty shampoo bottle works well, add a dollop of shampoo to the bottle then fill with water, mix and squirt the diluted shampoo onto the scalp through the mesh and all over the hair. Rather than scrubbing try simply using your hands and pressing the shampoo through the hair and base then rinse well by standing with your back to the shower head tilted back and let the water flow from front to back. You can use this same technique for conditioner but be sure to rinse extremely well to get any residue out of the base material and hair. Another option for conditioner is to put a small pea size amount in your hands and work into clean damp hair avoiding the base of the unit so you’re conditioning the hair only. You can also take a few dollops of conditioner and mix it with water in a spray bottle for a leave in conditioner you can spray on when needed.
While the actually hair that’s used for HN product is out of my hands I do try to direct the factory to use the best quality available for all models and colors and always address hair quality issues as soon as they may arise.
If you have any questions or issues you’d like me address in the future please be sure to let me know send me an email to: mary@hair-necessities.com or text me at 612-423-7483
Remember at Hair Necessities “We’ve got you covered!”
