Hair extensions have developed into a beauty solution and a means of achieving thick, gorgeous hair to enhance one's appearance. Due to the rise in demand for good quality hair extensions, many businesses have started to claim they use the highest quality hair when in reality their hair extensions are made from animal hair or synthetic hair.

Are you interested in purchasing hair extensions but concerned that they won't be of high quality? At The Lauren Ashtyn Collection, we want to help you distinguish good quality versus low-quality hair. Here are a few ways to tell if your hair extensions are good quality.

The Origin of Your Hair Extensions 

The best indicator of high-quality hair extensions is their origin. You must first determine whether the hair extensions you have are made of real human hair or synthetic hair. These hair types have various origins and make-ups, which affects their quality and cost.

In comparison to synthetic hair extensions, human hair extensions will always look more natural, silky, and smooth. Synthetic hair extensions contain no human hair at all and are created from a variety of synthetic materials like plastic, acrylic, or nylon – which can make your hairpiece stiff and noticeable.

Although there are various grades of human hair depending on how the hair was gathered, handled, and sorted, Remy human hair is the best quality hair extension because the cuticle has been preserved, not stripped, and aligned in one direction.

How Can You Tell if the Hair is Synthetic or Human?

Appearance 

Synthetic hair is frequently silicone-coated to give it an excessively shiny finish that can be washed off quickly and is then left with an unnaturally dull color. The opposite is true for human hair, which always remains shiny, silky, and smooth. 

Touch

Synthetic hair feels rough, frizzy, and dry to the touch. Even brushing it or running your fingers through it is challenging. On the other hand, human hair is smooth from top to bottom, making it very easy to brush and style. 

Heat

Synthetic hair can't handle the heat from hot styling tools like a straightener, curling iron, or blow dryer. The heat can significantly damage the hair, and the numerous treatments the hair has undergone may leave behind a chemical or unpleasant smell.

Human hair extensions offer the most versatility because they are not dyed or treated with any chemicals, allowing you to style them just like your natural hair. But as with your natural hair, always remember to use a heat protectant.

How Can You Tell if Your Hair Extensions are Processed or Unprocessed?

Another way to tell if hair extensions are good quality is by identifying whether or not the hair extensions have been processed. Processed hair, also known as non-remy hair, refers to mixed donor human hair that has been gathered from various locations. This hair is frequently of low quality and requires heating or chemical treatment. Unprocessed hair, including virgin and remy hair, still has its cuticle intact and has not undergone any chemical processing.

Here are two ways you can tell if your hair extensions have been processed or not: 

By appearance 

Human hair extensions that have not been processed will be flawless and have a natural shine from root to tip. Contrarily, chemically processed hair will look frizzy and tangle excessively after washing. If your fingers get tangled and there is a lot of shedding, this is a sign the hair is processed and of poor quality.

The cuticle test

By examining the cuticles, you can determine whether or not your hair extensions have been processed. Real virgin hair is defined as having cuticles that run in the same direction from root to tip. If the cuticles run in different directions, it's non-Remy hair and of much lower quality.

You can test this by picking up a few hair strands and running them through your fingers. The resistance should be greater going up than down. If there is no resistance, the hair is either synthetic or has undergone chemical processing.

Additionally, unprocessed hair has white scales, whereas hair that has undergone chemical or dye processing has a brown or black hue.

Where to Buy High-Quality Hair Extensions

If you want gorgeous, silky, long-lasting hair extensions, never opt for low-quality hair. When you’re searching for the best quality hair extensions, look for a reputable retailer with excellent client testimonials, such as The Lauren Ashtyn Collection.

We only sell wigs and hair extensions made from the finest, 100% human European Remy hair. We make sure that every one of our hairpieces will provide our customers with years of beautiful, stunning wear.

Are you ready to invest in the highest-quality hair extensions? Shop our extensions today!