Learn The Difference Between Virgin Hair, Remy and Raw Hair

We realize that understanding the different terms that are used to try and explain hair quality is complicated and we want to try and simplify things for our amazing clients so that you can better understand exactly what hair quality you are buying.

Virgin hair vs remy hair, remy hair vs non-remy hair, hair grades 10A,11A,12A etc, brazilian and peruvian hair - what does it all mean? Don't worry we are sure that if you take the time to read this article that you will have a much better understanding and will be able to make an informed decision as to what the best hair choice is for you! 

There are 4 main categories of human hair that largely determine hair quality which we will explain below. These categories are: 1. Raw Hair, 2. Virgin Hair, 3. Remy Hair and 4. Non-Remy Hair.

Once we have explained these categories we will discuss the different hair grades and where words such as brazilian and peruvian hair fit in and will also speak about the importance of understanding Hair Density! 

Please note that two most popular collections of hair that Korkscrew Kurls sells is: Virgin Hair and Raw Remy Hair. We also sell Donor Cut Raw Hair that clients can specifically order based on their requirements.

1. Raw Hair

This refers to human hair that has not undergone any form of processing of treatments, whether it be chemical or steam processing. Raw hair is collected directly from an individual donors and all the hair strands are aligned in the same direction and the hair cuticles are in tact and aligned in the same direction which prevents tangling. Generally, raw hair can dye to any colour including bleach blonde (colour 613).

Raw hair is extremely expensive (18" bundles for example could cost anywhere between R2000 and R4000 per bundle) and the vast majority of raw hair is purchased by European and American markets due to it being so expensive. Hardly any raw hair is sold in South Africa and if you will likely be paying in the region of R12 000 – R15000 for a wig. In our opinion, the benefit of raw hair vs the cost is not worth it for most clients but if budget is not an issue then this is of course fantastic quality hair to consider.

2. Virgin Hair

Please see our Virgin Hair collection.

Virgin hair refers to human hair that has not been processed or chemically treated in any way. The hair cuticles are in tact and are aligned in the same direction which prevents tangling and shedding. Virgin hair is generally more consistent in terms of length and texture compared to raw hair but has not necessarily been collected from a single donor and because of this the price of virgin hair is considerably less than raw hair. This hair should be able to colour well and you should be able to dye the hair to a colour 27 (which is a medium blonde). Only raw hair is usually gauranteed to be able to dye to a colour 613 (which is a bleach blonde). It is important however for clients to bear in mind that any time you colour hair that the hair does get slightly damaged, so if you prefer light blonde styles we would recommend to rather buy a style that has been professionally pre-dyed rather than spending a significant amount of budget on a very high-quality wig and then risk it being damaged when you try to dye it to a light blondes.  

3. Remy Hair

Remy hair refers to quality human hair that has hair cuticles intact and that are aligned in the same direction to ensure a natural look and feel. Remy hair may have undergone slight processing whether it be dying or perming the hair or slight chemical processing.

In essence all virgin hair is remy hair, but not all remy hair is virgin. 

The vast majority of remy hair that is available in South Africa has undergone some form of processing and because of this it is usually much cheaper than Virgin hair. Remy hair should be able to take colour but usually can only dye to brown shades and not to blondes.

In terms of value for money vs hair quality, Remy hair is a great option and it is the hair quality that most women who have purchased human hair globally would likely have purchased.

4. Non-Remy Hair

As mentioned above we do not sell Non-Remy hair but that does not mean that this quality should not be considered especially for clients who have a strict budget.

Non-Remy hair is human hair that has had the cuticles removed using chemicals or has cuticles that are intact but they are not aligned in the same direction and therefore there is a higher risk of tangling and the hair has a less natural appearance. The chemical process to remove the cuticles usually results in hair that has lower moisture. Be aware of brands that use a lot of silicone to mask this because as soon as the hair is washed and the silicone removed the hair could be very dry and tangle easily. We do not recommend dying non-remy hair.

Non-Remy hair is much cheaper than Remy and Virgin hair and therefore from a budget perspective may be the best option for some clients. There is nothing wrong with non-remy hair as long as clients are aware of what they are purchasing and realise that non-remy hair will not last as long as remy or virgin hair.

Hair Grades

So now that we have a better understanding of the different qualities of hair where do hair grades (10A, 12A, etc) and words such as Brazilian and Peruvian fit in?

Historically hair grades have been a way for brands to differentiate between the hair qualities we listed above. So in that sense, it does offer clients some information about the differences in hair quality of one specific brand but you should never think for example that one company's 14A grade is better than another company's 12A. Nothing stops a company from saying they sell 15A or even 100A :) You need to understand what quality you are buying. See our Summary table below 

Brazilian and Peruvian hair

Similar to how brands try to differentiate their hair quality using grades, historically within the hair industry brazilian and peruvian hair has been a way to differentiate between hair quality.

In South Africa for example if a brand sells more than one type of quality they will most likely call their higher quality "Peruvian" and their next best quality "Brazilian".

In order to increase the ease of shopping for our clients and because terminology such as "Brazilian" and "Peruvian" is so generally used by clients globally we have taken the decision to label our different qualities as follows:

Virgin Hair - Virgin Burmese Curly

The importance of Hair Density

The volume or density of hair used in making wigs has a huge impact on the ultimate look and feel of your wig. Just because two brands say they are both selling virgin hair does not mean that they are the same quality because one brand may use great density hair and the other a much lower density and hence the final look could be completely different.

At Korkscrew Kurls for all of our extensions and wigs we only use highest quality hair and we always ensure that the density and volume of our wigs is the best possible. So you can be assured that any hair or wig that you purchase from us will have fantastic density

We really hope that this has helped your understanding of the differences in hair qualities and the difference between virgin and remy hair as well as the difference between brazilian and peruvian hair and the different hair grades. Please get in touch with us if there is anything you need assistance with before your first or next Korkscrew Kurls Hair purchase!