Choosing the Right Type of Hair

It’s important to understand how you choose between the various types of hair extensions. Ultimately you want to purchase high-quality hair. Here are some things you may want to ask or consider when choosing the right type of hair for the extension:

• Consider how well the hair holds up to styling. Often, that will depend on if you’re using virgin hair extensions or unprocessed hair extensions.
• What is the maintenance suggested for the hair. Should it be washed regularly, should it be brushed with a certain type of brush (i.e., boar or bristle brush), should the weft be sealed, or is their a recommended shampoo and conditioner to use on the hair?
• Can the hair be coloured or lightened? This very important if you want to provide custom extensions or need to match with client hair. If the hair is truly virgin hair extensions or unprocessed hair extensions it should take color or highlighting well. You can also tone the hair to remove unwanted tones. Some hair companies will say its virgin so be sure to test the hair multiple times with different textures and types they offer.
• Also understanding the different textures can help you choose the best type of hair for your client.
  • Indian Hair: One of the most common types of hair used for hair extensions is Indian hair. This is because many Indian women donate their hair for religious purposes. Indian hair is similar to European hair, as it relates to the texture and thickness of the hair strands. Indian hair is very easy to style and blends well with other hair types, including many African American hair types. Indian hair is usually silky feeling, bouncy, and relatively lightweight.In many cases, wholesale Indian Remy hair is fairly inexpensive, although some of the best Indian hair brands can be quite expensive.
  • Chinese hair is another hair type that is often used for extensions. This type of hair has a thicker follicle than most European hair and has hardly any curl. This type of hair is sleek and very manageable. It generally does not look frizzy or become wavy in high humidity.
  • Brazilian hair is not sourced from Brazil. It is most often sourced from either India or other manufacturing giants of the world, like China and certain countries in Asia. The names, Brazilian, Malaysian, Peruvian Hair etc., is most likely hair that is merely branded to satisfy consumer demand for a certain curl pattern, texture, durability, softness, luster and/or heat resistance. “Brazilian hair” is characterized by a soft feel, medium luster and thickness with a natural durability that holds well under various temperatures and conditions. 
  • True Russian hair is very expensive. Many companies offer “Russian” hair at cheap prices. Do NOT be fooled, this is usually Indian hair that they class as Russian standard. Russian hair cannot be purchased for cheap prices.

To decide on the most suitable hair attachment system to use, you must identify the following:

• Your client’s requirements – do they know what they would like? Do they want short or long-term hair extensions? How long do they want or need the hair extensions to last for? Do they want to add length, color, and/or body to their own hair?
• How much time does your client have to commit to hair extensions and can they afford the time to maintain them?
• How much money can your client afford to pay – human hair extensions are an expensive service, so is your client aware of the costs involved?
• Length of hair – is the client’s hair long enough for hair extensions
• Critical influencing factors – is your client’s hair and skin suitable for the service? Have you carried out skin tests?