What Is a Hair Weave Made Of?
Hair weaves are a quick (though expensive) way to get thicker, longer hair. The new hair, be it human, synthetic or animal, is sewn together in a strip called a "weft." These wefts are then attached to the scalp hair in a variety of ways, including braiding or glue bonding. There are many different weaves available, ranging from human hair that can be curled, straightened and dyed, to cheap synthetic hair that will not last as long. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Virgin Remy Hair
-
"Remy" means that the cuticles of the hair are all facing the same direction. That is, all the roots are at one end of the weft, and all the tips are at the other. This is very important for keeping the hair weave smooth, natural-looking and untangled. Virgin hair is the best and most expensive type of hair, because it has not been processed in any way. This means the has has not undergone any perms, coloring or anything chemical.
Non-Virgin or Non-Remy Hair
-
Non-Virgin hair has been chemically treated, usually by changing the color. In order to get the perfect color for hair weaves, the hair is often stripped down to white, then re-dyed. Non-Remy hair means that the roots and tips are not pointing the same direction. The cuticles are not aligned, which puts the hair at a greater risk for tangling.
-
Single-Drawn Remy Hair
-
A weft that is made up of single-drawn Remy hair has hairs of all different lengths. The hair is attached to the weft exactly as it was taken from the human head, and the variations in lengths made this type of weave look natural.
Double-Drawn Remy Hair
-
In a double-drawn weft, all the hairs are the same length. These pieces are much more expensive, because of the time and effort necessary to sort all the hairs.
Most Popular Types
-
The most popular hair for weaves is from India. Indian hair is especially popular with African-American women, because the texture matches well and looks natural. It is easy to style and the color can be matched to many different types of people. Brazilian hair is also popular, as is European hair, although there are a lot of imitation European weaves on the market. There are even suppliers who claim to sell virgin Remy hair from Russia. Make sure that the hair weave you buy is legitimate. For instance, if you want European hair, get paper confirmation to make sure you are not just getting Indian hair that has been dyed blond. Always make sure that your weave is attached and removed by a professional.
Synthetic
-
Synthetic hair weaves are usually made of plastic. Because of this, they are inexpensive, but the hair frizzes easily and does not look natural when worn down. Synthetic hair is best saved for braids, twists, or clip-in extensions.
Animal
-
Sometimes, yak, boar or horsetail hairs are mixed in with human or synthetic hair to create a cheaper extension. People can have allergic reactions to animal hair, though, especially yak. So check on this before getting your weave done.
-
References
- Photo Credit flickr.com
