But with so many choices and plenty of horror stories it’s hard to know where to start. Every extension brand claims to have the ‘best’ unprocessed hair. In this guide we break down all the terms of the industry, what they mean, and what to watch out for. As a result, when you’ve finished reading you’ll be able to make an informed purchase and buy the hair of your dreams.
Contents:
Unprocessed Hair Meaning
Unprocessed hair is human hair that has NEVER been chemically processed, this means over the life of the hair it’s never been dyed, coloured, or bleached. As a result, unprocessed hair is incredibly healthy and is used to manufacture stunning quality hair extensions.
Features of unprocesssed hair:
- 100% pure human hair.
- Super healthy.
- Never been heat treated.
- Never been dyed, coloured, or bleached.
- Neat and healthy ends.
- Can last years with proper care.
- Returns to it’s natural shape after wash.
All unprocessed hair extensions are naturally black because they come from donors in countries like Brazil, Peru, and Malaysia. So if you’re a black woman with naturally black hair it’s a much better choice to buy unprocessed hair extensions rather than extensions that have been dyed to a 'natural black'.
Unprocessed hair is human hair that has NEVER been chemically processed, dyed, coloured, or bleached.
Furthermore, because unprocessed hair is so healthy it’s extremely versatile so if you’ve got blonde hair or want a bright red mane you can dye unprocessed hair extensions to match any shade and they’ll generally be much healthier than buying a pre-dyed set of standard processed extensions.
Unprocessed Hair Extensions Explained
Buying hair extensions is a complex process! We’ve put this guide together to try and make things a little easier. We'll explain all the jargon, what the popular terms mean and how they affect the hair extensions. In short, when you've finished reading you will be able to make an informed purchase.
Virgin Hair
'Virgin hair extensions' is another term for unprocessed hair extensions – they mean the same thing. ‘Virgin’ refers to hair that has never been heat-treated or chemically processed. This applies for the whole life of the hair not just after it was harvested. Virgin hair must meet meticulous standards which include never having been straightened, curled, permed, dyed, coloured, bleached, or chemically processed in any way. In conclusion, unprocessed.
Remy Hair
The term ‘Remy’ refers to a manufacturing method of human hair and is associated with exceptional quality. Unprocessed hair extensions are naturally remy and only go through this manufacturing method if the hair is taken from multiple donors. To guarantee the hair is soft, silky, and tangle free it’s collected using a method that keeps all the cuticles aligned and facing the same direction, just like they would be if the hair had grown from your own scalp.
‘Remy’ refers to a manufacturing method of human hair and is associated with exceptional quality.
Remy hair eliminates tangling and shedding problems associated with standard human hair extensions. Although it may initially be more expensive we recommend always using remy hair especially if you’re having it permanently fitted. ‘Non-remy’ hair is kept smooth using a silicone coating which wears off after a few washes. It may seem just as nice when it’s new but subsequently becomes dry and damaged.
Ebay Remy
There’s extra manufacturing steps which add to the cost of remy extensions but also ultimately extends the life of the hair, so it’s rarely cheap. Cheap remy hair on ebay is almost always ‘Stripped remy’. This is a way for manufacturers to keep costs down by removing the cuticles completely. This is a dreadful way to produce extensions and this kind of hair is thin and only lasts a few days. So be careful and only buy hair from a trusted company. To clarify, you get what you pay for.
Cuticle Direction
So all this talk of the importance of the cuticles, but what are they? The cuticle is the outer layer of the hair strand, it locks in moisture and in addition provides strength.
The cuticle is the outer layer of the hair strand, it locks in moisture and provides strength.
Under a microscope the cuticle is not smooth, it grows like the trunk of a palm tree with many overlapping layers. On remy hair these layers all point in the same direction which is great. However if the layers are pointing in different directions (non-remy) they catch and as a result the hair will become tangled, broken (shedding), rough, and difficult to manage. If there’s no cuticle at all the hair will be thin and dry.
Remy Hair Features:
- Hair cuticles all face the same direction.
- Soft, silky, and tangle free.
- Exceptional quality.
So we’ve covered what virgin and remy mean, now when you see hair listed as ‘unprocessed virgin remy’ you should have a much better understanding of what these terms mean. Next we’ll discuss grading.
Unprocessed Hair Grading
You may have seen unprocessed hair extensions listed as A, AA, AAA, 6A, 7A, 8A, etc; This is the hair extension grading system. At Sahar we don’t use the grading system because it’s outdated and has become an exploitative way for suppliers to seduce customers to purchase what they think is higher quality hair by listing it as AAAAAAAA or 7A.
The grading system is outdated and has become an exploitative way for suppliers to seduce customers.
The grade of a set of unprocessed hair extensions is determined by the factory that sources the hair from the donor. It’s an internal marker unique to each factory: One factory might produce a very poor 7A, while another might produce a very good 7A.
That being said it’s still good to be informed right? So here’s what those grades mean:
Grading Doesn’t Represent Quality
You may think that the grading system represents quality? We did way back when we first started buying unprocessed hair extensions, but this is not the case. The grade represents the percentage of strands that measure the full length of the extensions.
The grade represents the percentage of strands that measure the full length of the extensions. Not the quality!
Grade A
Less that 50% of the hair strands measure the full length.
Example: If the hair extensions are 16″, less than 50% of the strands will measure 16″.
Grade AA
50% of the hair strands measure the full length.
Example: If the hair extensions are 16″, 50% of the strands will measure 16″.
Grade AAA
60% of the hair strands measure the full length.
Example: If the hair extensions are 16″, 60% of the strands will measure 16″.
Grade AAAA+
75% of the hair strands measure the full length.
Example: If the hair extensions are 16″, 75% of the strands will measure 75%.
Grade AAAAA+
90% of the hair strands measure the full length.
Example: If the hair extensions are 16″, 90% of the strands will measure 16″.
Terms like 6A and 7A represent the same system. A higher number means a higher proportion of longer hairs, this results in thicker hair extensions from root to tip – Or at least it did in the early days of hair extensions, nowadays, as we mentioned above, you can’t use the grading system as a reliable indicator anymore. So what can you use?
Introducing Single & Double Drawn
‘Single drawn’ and ‘double drawn’ are terms that have replaced the grading system, they describe the same feature of the hair (ratio of hair strands that measure the full length) but they’re much clearer, easier to understand, and less likely to be confused with the quality of the hair. Here’s what they mean:
Single Drawn Hair
Single drawn is the standard ratio for unprocessed hair extensions. It’s the most popular choice and generally if extensions aren’t listed as single or double drawn they will be single drawn, this means:
50-70% of the hair strands will measure the full length.
Example: If the hair extensions are 16″, 50-70% of the strands will measure 16″. The remaining 30-50% will measure between 12″ and 14″.
Although 50% might sound low there’s many positives associated with single drawn hair extensions. The main one being how natural they look. 50% is the natural ratio for your real hair because each of your own strands (one’s that have grown from your scalp) have a different growth rate.
Advantages of Single Drawn Hair:
- Natural volume.
- Organic thickness.
- Cheaper than double drawn.
- Lighter weight to wear on your head.
- Perfect if your natural hair is thin to medium.
- Can be trimmed by a few inches to create thicker ends.
Double Drawn Hair
Double drawn extensions have had the majority of short hairs taken out and replaced with longer hairs. This is done by hand and creates extensions that are thick from root to tip, great if you’re looking for a big volume glamour look.
70-80% of the hair strands will measure the full length.
Example: If the hair extensions are 16″, 70-80% of the strands will measure 16″. The remaining 20% will measure between 12″ and 14″.
Advantages of Double Drawn Hair:
- Enhanced Volume.
- Very thick.
- Perfect if your natural hair is medium to thick.
Notice that all of the advantages for both could easily be turned on their head and presented as disadvantages. Which one you buy will depend on what style you’re after, what your natural hair is like, and ultimately what your budget is.
Now you know about grading and that it doesn’t represent quality. You should understand what both ‘Double Drawn Virgin Remy Hair’ and ‘Single Drawn Virgin Remy Hair’ are, and therefore make an informed purchase if your natural hair is thick, medium, or thin.
Unprocessed Hair Types
Unprocessed hair extensions come from 3 main sources, Brazil, Peru, and Malaysia. At Sahar we only use hair that ethically come from these sources. They’re all pretty similar in terms of quality and all great choices, the main difference is the texture. If you’ve never bought hair extensions or want a great all-rounder we recommend Brazilian.
If you’ve never bought hair extensions or want a great all-rounder we recommend Brazilian Virgin Hair.
Brazilian Virgin Hair
Brazilian virgin hair comes from rural areas of Brazil. It’s currently the most popular type of unprocessed hair because of it’s versatility. It’s main features include:
- Comes in straight, wavy, and curly textures.
- Blends well with every hair type.
- Holds a curl well.
- Responds well to straightening.
- Soft, smooth, and silky.
- Has a natural healthy shine and lustre.
- Lasts the longest if well cared for.
Peruvian Virgin Hair
Peruvian virgin hair comes from rural areas of Peru. It’s a great choice if your natural hair is super curly. It’s main features are:
- Comes in straight, wavy, and very curly textures.
- Blends well with straight, naturally wavy, and super curly hair.
- Holds a curl extremely well.
- Responds well to straightening.
- Becomes more curly when wet or washed.
- Soft and silky.
- Coarser than Brazilian hair.
- Has medium lustre.
Malaysian Virgin Hair
Malaysian virgin hair comes from rural areas of Malaysia. Malaysian hair is gaining popularity because it has a high shine. It’s main features include:
- Comes in wavy.
- Blends well with naturally wavy hair.
- Holds a curl well.
- Wavy when wet.
- Soft, smooth, and silky.
- Has a high shine and lustre.
That concludes this part of the guide, you should now have an understanding of the 3 main sources of unprocessed hair, the features of each type, and what will work best for you.
Unprocessed Hair Cost
How much you want to spend on unprocessed hair extensions will vary because everyones budgets are different. Our only recommendation is that you buy the best you can afford if you’re having it permanently fitted. At Sahar we’ve tried to cater to every budget and we’ve made the hair the very best quality for each price point. We have 3 product ranges to cover these price points.
Sahar Essential
This is our entry level range – The quality is excellent for the price. You’d be hard pushed to find this quality hair for this price anywhere else. We’ve made test purchases from competitors and their hair didn’t come close. If you normally buy hair around this price, try ours 🙂
- 100% human hair.
- 50% single drawn.
- Super healthy.
- Lasts for 2 years.
Sahar Original
This is where it all started, our original range – Premium unprocessed hair extensions. This range can compete with the best of them, an excellent all rounded and a great investment. This hair will easily last for 2 years with a proper care routine. If you normally buy hair from the big brand names around this price give ours a shot, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
- 100% human hair.
- 65% Single drawn.
- Super healthy.
- Nice thick ends.
- Lasts for 2 years.
Sahar Diamond
This range was born from the rising trend in celebrity level volume. Unfortunately it also comes with a celebrity level price tag. If you’re a model – Either catwalk or Instagram, this is the hair for you, it’s stunning, luxurious, and devastatingly gorgeous. It’s also expensive but this is the best hair we’ve ever seen. If your budget can stretch to Sahar Diamond you’ll never buy anything else.
- 100% human hair.
- 85% double drawn.
- Super healthy.
- Crazy thick ends.
- Celebrity choice.
- Lasts for 2 years.
How Much do I Need to Buy?
This is a question we get asked a lot. It depends on how thick your natural hair is and the length you buy. As a guide for a full head we recommend:
- Thin Hair: 2-3 packs or 1 bundle
- Average Hair: 3 packs and a closure or 1 bundle
- Thick Hair: 3-4 packs and a closure or 1 bundle
If you’re buying unprocessed hair extensions over 20 inches we recommend adding 1 more pack to the above numbers.
Unprocessed Hair Fitting
It’s super important to know who will be fitting your hair extensions for you. Unprocessed hair extensions are a professional product are require skill and expertise to guarantee they are fitted correctly. We recommend word of mouth here, talk to someone who has had hair extensions fitted and see who they recommend.
Unprocessed Hair Care
So you’ve bought some unprocessed hair extensions, you’ve had them fitted. Now you need to take good care of them, this is the easy part. Largely you can treat them just like your own hair.
- Shampoo your hair as normal.
- Only condition the middle and ends of your extensions.
- Use a treatment like argon oil to return moisture to your extensions.
- Use a hair extension hair brush.
- Don’t pull on your extensions when brushing.
- Brush you hair before bed.
- Brush you hair every morning.
- Always make sure your hair is dry before going to sleep.
- Secured your hair in a ponytail before bed.
Unprocessed Hair Life
The life of your hair extensions will depend on how you care for them. All Sahar Hair extensions will last for 2 years if well cared for. You will also need to attend regular hair extension maintenance appointments, we recommend booking these for every 4-6 weeks because as your natural hair grows the extensions will move down your head and become loose. These maintenance appointments will make sure this doesn’t happen.
