Types of Wigs

It can be overwhelming to make a selection when you are faced with the different types of wigs on the market.

This is especially true when you are not clued up on the many terms floating around like Remy, Cambodian and Malaysian hair. 

To make your wig selection easier, NaHaZo breaks down all the different types of wigs, so that your next wig purchase is a confident click away.

Read on for a breakdown of:-

*Pssst, check out our flagship article on How to choose a Wig. 

1. Different types of Hair

Hair is primarily classified based on the material which it is made of.

When making wigs, the hair is either made out of natural human hair or man-made / synthetic hair. 

While synthetic hair is quite straight-forward, human hair has four main types of hair and these are:-

🌺Raw Hair;

🌺Virgin Hair

🌺Remy Hair; and 

🌺Non-Remy Hair. 

1.1 How is Human Hair classified?

Human hair is classified based on the following two main factors:-

1.1 The way in which the cuticle is preserved; and
1.2 How the hair is sourced.

1.2 What is a hair cuticle and how is it preserved?

The hair cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair shaft.

It is made of dead overlapping cells that form a protective scale -like layer around the hair.

In layman’s terms, it can be considered the shield of hair.

The direction in which the hair cuticle faces is away from the scalp.

If you run your fingers down a strand of hair, it will be smooth as you run it away from your scalp, and rough as you run it towards your scalp. That is how a hair cuticle behaves in its natural state.

1.3 How is human hair sourced?

Human hair can be sourced in the following 3 ways:-

1. Hair is cut directly from the donor; 
2. Discarded hair is collected, wefted and then processed; and 
3. Manufactured artificially using man-made materials to mimic hair. 

With this in mind, we will dive straight into discussing the details of each type / category of hair. 

2. Raw Human Hair

Raw human hair is the most expensive hair on the market.

2.1 How is Raw Hair Sourced?

This hair is sourced by placing hair into a ponytail (secured with a rubber band) and then the hair is cut at edge of the band.

This process of harvesting the hair keeps all the cuticles facing in the same direction.

2.2 Where is Raw Hair Sourced from?

Raw Hair is mainly sourced from Asia.

India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Mongolia and China are some of the countries where raw hair is sourced.

This hair is mostly collected from the temples in India, where the hair is donated to the temple for religious purposes. This hair is then resold to manufacturers to make bundles for wigs, weaves and extensions.

Because of how it is sourced, raw hair is the most expensive hair as the supply of this hair is difficult to source and it is not readily available.

2.3 What are the qualities of Raw Hair?

Raw Hair has the following qualities:-

🌺This hair has not undergone any chemical or steam processing;

🌺Raw hair cuticles are in their natural state;

🌺The intact hair cuticles makes it less likely to tangle;

🌺This hair is usually collected from one donor;

🌺Raw hair lasts longer and can be re-used many times, and also has many styling options;

🌺 Raw hair can be coloured from dark to honey and bleach blonde;

🌺This hair can hold a curl pattern;

🌺 Can last a long time with proper care;

🌺You pay more, but get a product that lasts longer;

🌺This hair is the most versatile and can withstand the most manipulation; and

🌺As it is the most expensive hair, it is mostly shipped to high to medium income economies such as North America and Europe.

Based on the last point, there is a need to be cautious when you are being promised raw hair. Make sure that you are indeed being given raw hair, and not some variant of virgin hair – which we get into below.

3. Virgin Human Hair

Virgin hair is the most common human hair sold on the market.

This hair is more cost effective than raw hair and also responds well to styling, curling and heat, making it the preferred choice for naturals on a budget.

3.1 How is Virgin Hair sourced?

Virgin hair is mostly sourced from India, but it is also gotten from Burma and Mongolia.

This is then sold for processing and manufacturing to Chinese companies.

3.2 When does Virgin Hair become Remy Hair?

Because Virgin hair, sometimes referred to as ‘fallen hair’ comprises many different donors, the hair cuticles are not aligned, which makes it tangle prone.

To fix this, a machine is used to align the cuticles so they all face in same direction, reducing the likelihood of the hair tangling.

Once the hair cuticles are manipulated so that they align in the same direction, then this is known as Remy Hair. 

NaHaZo Tip: When you see Virgin hair being sold as Virgin Remy Hair, this simply means that it is virgin hair that has had its cuticles aligned to face in the same direction, making it Virgin Remy Hair. 

3.3 What are the consequences of aligning hair cuticles?

The process of aligning hair cuticles has its pros and cons.

Pros: The advantage of aligning the cuticles is that it makes the virgin Remy hair smoother to the touch and less likely to tangle.

Cons: Manipulating the hair cuticles causes some of the cuticles to be lost / stripped, making it harder for it to hold a curl pattern.

This also means that it will NOT respond as well as raw hair to bleaching / dyeing.

3.4 What are the qualities of virgin hair?

Virgin hair has the following qualities:-

🌺The cuticles of virgin hair have been aligned;

🌺While raw hair has been collected from a single donor, virgin hair is usually sourced from multiple donors;

🌺The hair strands are very strong, hardly tangle and are easy to style and manipulate; and

🌺Virgin hair can be dyed from brown tones to a medium blonde.

Now that we understand the nuances of Virgin hair, we can discuss Remy hair. 

4. Remy Human Hair?

Remy hair is simply hair that:-

• Still has its cuticles intact; and
• These cuticles are facing in the same direction.

4.1 What are the different types of Remy Human Hair

The different types of Remy Hair are:-

1. Brazilian Remy hair;
2. Malaysian Remy hair;
3. Peruvian Remy hair; 
4. Cambodian Remy hair and
5. Indian Remy hair.

These names are used as a grading system for the quality of the Remy hair sold.

But these names beg the question, where is Remy Hair sourced from?

4.2 Where is Remy Human Hair sourced from?

You will be forgiven for thinking that the names relate to the places where the hair is sourced from.

This could not be further from the truth. 

Majority of Remy hair is sourced from Asia, and hardly any of the hair is sourced from Brazil! The names are purely for marketing purposes. 

4.3 What are the qualities of Remy Human hair?

Remy hair has the following positive qualities:-

🌺It is less prone to tangling, as the cuticles have been manipulated to face the same direction;

🌺It does not have standardised quality and the hair quality improves as the grading progresses from 3A to 9A and onwards. 

🌺It has a shiny, silky smooth appearance because the cuticles are still intact, protecting the hair strands in the middle; and

🌺It can hold a style and can be dyed to medium blonde.

4.4 How is Remy Hair Graded?

Remy Hair is graded in two ways:-

🌺 based on brand name; and

🌺on an A grading. 

Remy Hair grading based on the brand name

As discussed earlier, Remy hair is graded based on its brand name, i.e Brazilian or Peruvian hair.

In terms of the naming system, Brazilian hair is considered higher quality and responds much better to styling and manipulation. It is denser, less likely to frizz and can hold a curl pattern for longer. For this reason, it is the priciest Remy hair. 

Peruvian hair is a prefered option if you want a silky or straight look. It is coarser in texture and can blend in well with flat-ironed or chemically treated afro-textured hair. 

Indian hair is fine, silky and straight, while Malaysian hair typically is much denser and hold a curl longer than Indian hair. In terms of pricing Malaysian hair is the cheaper option of these Remy hair types. 

Remy hair graded on the A grading

There is no conventionally, approved grading for hair, and the current system being used is the A grading system. 

You will notice this letter branded on the wigs and the extensions that you purchase. 

Previously, 5A used to be the highest grading and was considered the best quality Remy hair, however currently the grading goes up to 13 A. 

In essence, the higher the grading, the higher the quality of hair. 

NaHaZo tip: When buying a wig bear in mind that the numbers are purely used for marketing purposes.

Essentially the 13 A currently in the market was once the 5A – and this is used as a ploy by the different hair competitors to sell their products. 

You just need to know that the lower the number, the lower the quality and the higher the number, the higher the quality. You should also consider the weight of the hair, as well as the number of long versus short hairs to make the final human hair decision. 

In a nutshell, knowing that Remy simply means ‘hair facing in one direction’ will help make your wig choice that easier.

Flowing from this, you can make your hair selection based on the brand name, A grading, desired style and your budget (of course). 

5. Non- Remy Human Hair

Non-Remy hair is human hair that has been chemically processed.

5.1 How is non-Remy hair sourced?

Non-Remy hair is discarded human hair that has been collected and wefted together. 

Since this hair is the cheapest virgin hair and is from multiple donors, it has its cuticles facing in different directions. We have established that when cuticles face in different directions, they are prone to matting and tangling. 

To prevent this, non-Remy hair is chemically treated and then dipped in silicone. This is a temporary solution to prevent tangling and to give the appearance of smooth, silky human hair. 

This is also done to make up for the cuticles that are stripped / lost in the chemical processing. 

How long does the coating on non-Remy hair last?

The silicone coating that they place on non-Remy hair usually lasts 5 – 6 weeks. 

When you buy non-Remy hair, you will notice that this hair begins to tangle and matt after the silicone washes off. 

5.2 What are the qualities of non-Remy hair?

Non-Remy hair has the following qualities;

🌺It is processed with chemicals;

🌺This hair type is weak & fragile, making it prone to breaking, shedding, and tangling;

🌺Non-Remy hair is sourced from multiple sources;

🌺Once washed, this hair begins to detoriate; and

🌺It is the cheapest human hair in the market.

For this reason, this hair is not a preferred NaHaZo choice and has a very short lifespan.

However, as long as you as the buyer are aware of what you are buying, then this hair can serve its purpose. 

5.3 How to tell the difference between Remy and Non-Remy hair

In order to tell the difference between Remy and non- Remy hair, do the following-

1. Dip your hand in water to wet it and then run it over a strand of hair.
2. If it is Remy hair, then it will feel smooth when you rub it in a downwards motions, and rough to the touch when you smooth it upwards;
3. If it is non-Remy hair, it will feel smooth to the touch when you rub it both downwards and upwards.

Note that if it feels smooth in both directions that means that the cuticle has been removed. The human hair should feel rough when you smooth it in an upwards direction.

6. Synthetic hair

Synthetic hair is hair that is made from man-made fibres.

This hair is:-

1. Made of artificial plastic fibres such as nylon, polyester, acrylic and polyvinyl;
2. Chemically treated to mimic human hair in style, colour, appearance and texture;
3. Prone to tangling as the cuticles face different directions;
4. Has a short lifespan, and with proper care, can last anywhere from 3 – 6 months before it needs replacing;
5. Difficult to dye as this may change its texture and appearance; and
6. A cheaper extension option, with varying quality to fit different budgets. 

Synthetic hair is preferred by naturals on a budget, and with the right care and maintenance, you can get 6 – 8 months out of your wig. 

Check out our Handy Hacks on How to Care for a Synthetic Wig. 

7. Conclusion

Ultimately, making the right choice on the hair to buy boils down to understanding the different types of wigs on the market. 

While some sellers can help shed light on this, some may use your lack of knowledge to sell you hair not suited for your styling needs. Or worse still, you can end up buying ‘raw’ or ‘virgin hair’ that matts and tangles after a few washes. 

Read up, share and save this post so you and our natural hair community can be better informed. An informed community is a stronger one.

What has your experience buying hair been? What is your brand preference and how long have you had your hair for?  Sound off in the comments and let us know.

Until the next time, happy shopping and naturaling ladies!