eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.

How To

How to Test Hair Pieces to See If They Are Human Hair or Not

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(1 Ratings)

Human hair wigs are softer, longer-lasting and more comfortable than synthetic wigs. They are also considerably more expensive, which might lead an unscrupulous wig-maker or wig seller to mix human and synthetic hair in a wig. Before buying a wig or hairpiece, you should test the hair to see what a wig is made of. Finding out if a wig is made of human or synthetic hair is easy and the test can be completed in a matter of seconds.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Scissors
  • Strands of wig hair
  • Tweezers
  • Lighter
  1. Step 1

    Snip a couple strands of hair from different parts of the wig or hairpiece. If synthetic and human hairs have been mixed, testing one part isn't enough.

  2. Step 2

    Hold a strand of hair in the tweezers. Put a lighter flame to the end of the hair to ignite it and then pull the flame away.

  3. Step 3

    Pay attention to the smell and the way the hair burns. Human hair has a distinctive sulfuric odor. When it is lit, the flame will flicker out quickly unless you continue burning it and the ash will be powdery.

  4. Step 4

    Watch how synthetic hairs burn. Synthetic fibers will continue to burn up quickly after you've taken the flame away. Polyester hair burns and melts at the same time, has a slightly sweet smell and leaves sticky beads on your fingers. Nylon hair smells like cooked vegetables and will burn up quickly with a sparkling flame, leaving hard beads behind.

Subscribe

Post a Comment

Post a Comment

Related Ads

  • Have you done this? Click here to let us know.
I Did This
Get Free Fashion, Style & Personal Care Newsletters

Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.   en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

eHow Fashion, Style and Personal Care
eHow_eHow Fashion, Style and Personal Care