About Hair 101

Remy Hair is truly the finest quality used in making hair extensions. It can also be called cuticle hair, unprocessed hair and sometimes even virgin hair. The hair is from one donor’s cut off ponytail. This way all of the hairs can remain aligned in their natural growth pattern and the cuticles can be left in tact.

Remy is not a hair manufacturer or a brand, it is just a name that is used to describe hair that has come from one donor, with the cuticle in tact and all hairs still aligned in their natural growth pattern. Remy hair can come from many different origins, some of the best being imported from Russia and Europe, followed by India and Asia which is the most common and not quite as good. Unlike other commercially sold hair extensions, which is the hair that you will find in your local beauty supply store, on ebay, and many websites, Remy hair is created by using youthful hair and processing it in a way that maintains the shine and luster while keeping the cuticles in tact. The cuticle is the outer protective coating of the hair. This promotes long life and manageability of the hair resulting in natural silky hair with highlights and shading just as your own hair has. Even though most remy hair will be processed with color, the hair itself is still considered unprocessed and will be left completely healthy, shiny and beautiful. The higher grades of remy hair are generally not available for commercial retail sales with out certifications fromthe hair companies, so we are proud to offer this hair to you!

You may also find that the cost of Remy hair varies quite a bit depending on the origin and Grade of the hair. Unfortunately the saying is true, you usually do get what you pay for based on the quality of the hair. Not all Remy hair is the same quality as mentioned in the prior paragraph, so be sure to check the origin and ask alot of questions. Treat Remy hair as you would your own. You can use a curling iron, hot rollers, flat iron, hair blower etc. Keep in mind that we all care for our hair differently, so the life of the hair will vary from person to person.

There is some confusion about this because both terms are used. It is simply a different spelling for the same thing.

You will find this hair readily available at beauty supply stores available to the public because of its economical pricing. Usually the packaging will just say “Human Hair Extensions”. Remember as we said earlier, Human Hair comes in many qualities and unfortunately the saying is true, you do get what you pay for. This hair will look and feel beautiful when you first get it, very similar to the remy hair, however that quality will only last for a short while. Unlike remy human hair, non remy human hair is collected from many donors. Due to this reason the hairs can no longer be aligned in their natural growth pattern. Since the hairs are going in all different directions, the hair will easily get tangled and matted, especially in the long lengths. To avoid this problem, the hair cuticle is stripped in an acid bath and replaced with a silicone coating which brings back the shine and silkiness of the hair.

This is only a temporary fix, because after several washings, the silicone coating will wash off. You will then be left with raw over processed hair that will begin to feel dry, brittle and unmanageable in only a couple of weeks. It will start to tangle and matt terribly. You will become frustrated and it will be time to get new extensions. If you are looking to wear extensions for short term use, a party, holiday, event, etc, then non remy human hair is a good choice and will fit everyone’s budget.

The hair that is used for extensions can be human or synthetic. The hair is of great importance. It is for the greatest part responsible for the look and life span of your extension.
Human hair extensions are still the most popular because it is the closest to your own hair. Synthetic hair however, has come a long way and is getting closer to natural hair.
The human hair used for extensions comes in a large variety. The different qualities depend on where and how the hair is collected and what kind of treatment is used. In general you can say that you get what you pay for.

Low quality hair is cheaper of course but it can become a nightmare when used in hair extensions. It can result in dry, brittle hair that tangles constantly. Lower Hair Quality
When hair is collected without considering cuticle direction and is simply placed in a bag, the hair will interlock like Velcro. It will lead to tangled and matted hair with no healthy shine. Before this hair can be used it is chemically treated to remove all cuticles. To give it back its natural look and shine the hair is covered by a silicon layer.
This hair can feel and look beautiful when it is used for the first time but after washing it a few times the silicon layer comes of and it will lose its shine, become dry, and tangles.

Hair is made of different layers. The cuticle is the outer layer of the hair. It is made up of overlapping layers of long cells. All cuticles are aligned in the same direction like the tiles on a roof. Their free edges are directed towards the tip. The cuticles protect the hair from outside elements and lock in the necessary moisture. It is not just a protective layer. A healthy cuticle makes the hair shine. Light reflects from their glossy surfaces. This gives the hair its characteristic appearance in addition to the pigment within the cortex. Hair with damaged cuticles or no cuticles at all would appear dull and lifeless. It would dry out and break easy.

Hair is collected in bundles. Hair that sticks out is removed from one end to create a bundle of hair that is approximately the same length. When this is done once it is called single drawn hair. With single drawn hair you will have some shorter hair as well. The norm is that it can be 2″ off. This means that with for example 22 inches single drawn hair there can be strands that are 20 or 24 inches as well.

With double drawn hair the removal process is done a second time. More short hair is removed and sometimes the hair is evenly cut to a specific length before it is sold. This way double drawn hair will have a solid length from the top to the ends.

Double drawn hair is less commonly used and more expensive.

Hair is also specified by the location where it comes from. Indian and European hair is most popular and usually of good quality. Depending on how the hair is collected you can have Indian Remy hair or just Indian hair. This applies to other locations as well of course.

European hair comes mainly from Eastern Europe (Russia) and Italy. Because of its quality it is popular to use for extensions. Natural blond or red hair is less common but it can be dyed in any color just like your own natural hair. Typical European human hair is relatively thin and has an oval cross-section.

Indian hair has a very similar basic structure as European hair. In general this hair type is of a very high quality. However the method of collection is very essential. India is one of the largest exporters of human hair. Indian temple hair is a name you will hear when you deal with hair extensions. Many Indian women offer their hair in Hindu temples as a sign of respect and gratitude. This hair is bundled and bagged with cuticles lined up for each individual separately. Collected in the right way this hair is one of the best hair types available for use in a human hair extension.

Not all Indian hair is Remy hair.

Most of the Indian hair is shipped to China but other countries are also important.

Asian hair comes mainly from China. It is very often used for human hair extensions. This hair is thicker than European hair and has a round cross-section. It is dark black. To prepare this hair for use in hair extensions it is usually chemically treated to make it thinner and lighter. This will lower the quality. This hair is usually less expensive.

Some factories mix Asian hair with Indian Remy hair to make it cheaper. If you want 100% Remy hair make sure that it is not mixed.

Yaki hair is hair that is designed to have a similar texture as relaxed African-American or Caribbean hair so it looks and feels the same. It can be chemically treated human hair or synthetic.

Synthetic hair is in general the cheapest hair available. It is man-made fiber that is made to look like your own hair. It produces a different sheen than human hair, moves differently and therefore does not blend as well with human hair.

New fibers are developed continuously and synthetic hair is now better resistant to heat and has an appearance closer to human hair than ever before. It comes in a large variety of colors. Sometimes this hair is mixed with human hair and than used for a human hair extension. This is not the way to do it of course, both hair types need a different after care.

With the constant improvements that are made there could be a moment that fibers can replace natural hair.