Sure wigs can be worn to cover headband wig hair loss, but there are also lots of people who wear wigs as fashion to change their look the same way they change their clothes. And then again, some women who are transitioning from permed hair to natural wear wigs as a protective hairstyle, while others wear them as part of religious observance. Whatever the reason, real human hair wigs offer the most natural look and feel and afford more ease in styling than synthetic wigs, thus for many people, they are the preferred choice of wig.
Even though real human hair wigs are of course all made with human hair, that is usually where the similarity ends. There are many hair features that effect to the quality of the wig you get and the price you pay.
Virgin or Processed
Unless the hair is labeled ‘virgin’, you can assume that it has undergone a variety of processing. The majority of hair human used for wig making comes from China, India, and Indonesia. Often it has had most of its natural pigment removed and then is dyed to produce an array of hair colors that can suit a variety of consumers.
Often it has also had the cuticle of the hair removed to help cut down on tangling. Without the cuticle, however, it is weakened, so it then has a synthetic finish applied to strengthen it. Finally, it is sometimes permed to achieve the look of different hair textures.
Even given this amount of processing, the hair still offers the natural look and feel of human hair. It can be cut and for the most part styled as you like. And best of all to consumers, it’s available at an affordable price. Hair that is completely unprocessed, that is ‘virgin’, is of course in its natural state, but it also leaves fewer options as far as color and texture.
Remy
Remy hair is hair that has been collected so that the direction of the hair’s natural growth is preserved. In other words, all the hairs in a collection are lying in the same direction so that the individual hair’s shingle-like cuticles don’t get caught up in one another. This results in less tangling. Remy hair is also very durable and shiny. You can expect to pay a higher price for remy hair, but you may find it to be very well worth it.
Yaki
The term ‘yaki’ identifies varieties of hair that have undergone texturizing so that it looks like different curl patterns most often associated with African-American hair. The texturizing can be subtle so that it looks like the hair that has been relaxed, or the texturizing can be more defined so that the curl pattern that results is anywhere from waves to tight coils. Yaki processing makes it so that women with any natural curl pattern have the option of wearing wigs made with human hair that looks very similar to their own.
European
Within the wig making industry, the term ‘European hair’ (also known as ‘Caucasian’) is hair whose donor is of European origin. In general, less processing is required to achieve different colors with European hair than it takes with Asian hair, therefore, it remains closer to its original state. There is much less European hair available on the market than Asian, so it’s priced at a premium. Nevertheless, the silky feel and durability of European hair is so desirable to many wig wearers that they are willing to pay the much higher price to have it.
A Good Thing
Wig wearers reap real benefits from the fact that human hair used for wigs is not all alike. It means that more people can find wigs that suit their individual taste and are as close to “the real thing” as possible.