Human hair can come in all sorts of different grades, different blends and different qualities. You've probably heard of the three different types - Non-Remy, Remy and Virgin, but you may not know what they actually mean. Not to worry, we'll go through all of that!
First things first, cuticles. They're the outermost part of the hair shaft, that protects the underlying cortex in order to maintain adequate hydration levels (sorry to get technical). A healthy cuticle is smooth and flat and this is what gives hair its shine!
So, why did you need to know that? Because the key difference between Non-Remy and Remy hair, is the cuticle.
Non-Remy Hair
Non-Remy hair is human hair that is collected from the floors of temples, salons, and random suppliers. As this is sourced from multiple donors (AKA lots of different people's hair), the cuticles are misaligned and fall in different directions, this causes the hair to easily tangle and matte. This type of hair is initially processed and coated in silicone to give the illusion of gloss and shine, but after one wash the silicone will be stripped, leaving you with brittle, dry and tangled hair.
This type of hair is inexpensive for this reason, and has its place on the market, but isn't something that we use at Wigs at Kirstie.
Remy Hair
Remy hair is human hair that has been sourced from one or a couple of donors. The cuticles are intact and are all aligned in one direction. It is sourced and collected in a way that ensures every hair strand remains in the same direction as it did when it was growing naturally from the scalp.
As you can imagine, this an expensive process and it is reflected in its higher price tag. With the cuticles being aligned, the tangling and matting problems associated with Non-Remy hair are eliminated, leaving you with smoother, shinier, and healthier hair for your wig.
Remy human hair is long lasting due to its higher quality, which is exactly why we use it on all of our wigs! Check out the wig we currently have available here!
Virgin Hair
Virgin hair is hair from only one donor. This donor's hair would have never been chemically treated or altered in any way. It is the highest quality of hair on the market as it is completely unprocessed. True virgin hair is extremely difficult and expensive to source.
There is a common misconception that Remy hair and Virgin hair are the same, but they actually aren't! Remy hair does go through some elements of processing, which therefore makes it no longer Virgin hair.