Brazilian, Indian, Peruvian, Malaysian, and many more: Spotting the real from the fakes

At the moment the market is flooded with so many different hair extensions from different countries, Brazilian, Indian, Peruvian, Chinese, and so many more it’s hard to know which is which.  These hair extensions are known as virgin hair.  A lot of my clients have been coming to me with these so called virgin ‘Brazilian hair’ or virgin ‘Indian hair’, but as a hair stylist it’s clear to see the fakes from the genuine.  Below are two pictures of clients with hair extensions, which one is wearing 'Virgin Brazilian hair'?  Find out if you were right at the end of this post.

Client 1

Client 2

So in response to this I have put together a guide in order for you as buyers to spot the real virgin hair extensions from the fake virgin hair extensions before you part with your hard earned cash.   I have also broken down the main types of virgin hair extensions that you can buy on the market.

So ... what is virgin hair?

Virgin hair is hair that is free from being processed with all the cuticles intact.  Virgin hair is free from the following processes; chemical treatment, perming, dying, bleaching or colouring in any way.  The hair is usually single drawn, meaning that there are different lengths within the weft.  Virgin hair is the next level up from Remy hair, apart from being cuticle correct it has all the features stated above.

Where does virgin hair come from?

Virgin hair comes from a single donor (i.e. one person).  The hair is tied back into a ponytail and then the pony tail is then cut.  Each virgin hair ponytail should come from one person (i.e. one single donor).  The reason for the ponytail cutting in this way is to keep the hair cuticles in one direction (Remy) preventing tangling and shedding. 

What happens to the virgin hair after it has been cut?

The virgin hair after it has been cut is washed and disinfected and prepared into single drawn or double drawn wefts.

What is the difference between hand tied and machine wefted hair?

Hand tied wefts – are hair extensions that are wefted by hand.  The advantage is that the hair lies flat and gives more of a natural look.  The disadvantage of this is that the hair sheds and it is harder to sew the tracks onto the hair, aswell as needing a lot more than machine wefted hair.

Machine wefted – is hair extensions that are wefted by machine.  The advantage is that the hair is reinforced multiple times by stitching for durability.  The disadvantage of this is that it is difficult to cut the hair as it can cause shedding.

How much should come in a ponytail of virgin hair?

In a ponytail of virgin hair should be approximately 100g – 115g, some suppliers may give you more but be wary, as it may have fillers, synthetic fibres or other animal hair mixed in with it.

200g – 300g of virgin hair is needed to complete a full head weave.

300g – 400g of virgin hair is needed to make the weave look full and bouncy

400g – 500g of virgin hair is needed if you are going for lengths longer than 18 – 20 inches of hair to make the hair look full and not scanty.

So how do I tell whether the hair is real or fake virgin hair?

·         Ask what colour the hair comes in?

A way to find out whether the hair is real virgin hair is to ask the seller the colours that the hair is available in.  If the supplier lists to you a range of colours this is NOT virgin hair.  Virgin hair should come in a natural colour of that country of origin, unless you have specifically asked the supplier to custom dye the hair for you.

·         Ask for the origin of the hair (where it comes from)?

If you are buying for example, Peruvian hair and the supplier states that the hair is manufactured in China.  Be very careful and wary.   If your supplier tells you that the virgin hair is not from the country that relates to the hair, ask for the certificate of authencity (see below).

·         Ask for a ‘Certificate of authencity’?

A certificate of authencity should come with every single bundle of virgin hair that you purchase and supplier should be able to supply one at request.  This proves the origin of the hair, for example, Brazilian hair origin should be traced back to Brazil not made in China.  This certificate means that the hair is traceable, through a reference numbers and has undergone rigorous inspection.  This means you are buying the genuine article.  A certificate of authencity also should state the company's name as well as its contact information for it to be genuine.

Are there any other points to take into consideration when buying virgin hair?

There are a few other factors that you can take into consideration when buying virgin hair to tell the genuine from the fake.  These are as follows:

PRICE – Beware of cheaply priced virgin hair.  Virgin hair can cost into the £100’s just for a 12 inch bundle of 100g.  If the virgin hair is priced too cheaply it is NOT virgin hair or the genuine article.  Virgin hair is very time consuming and tiring process to harvest which is why it is reflected in the high prices that it sells for.

CHINESE PRODUCED ‘VIRIGN’ HAIR – Beware of Chinese produced so called ‘virgin hair’.  This tends to be Chinese hair or other cheap ethnic hair that has been mixed with fibres and fillers to make the ponytail full.  The hair is then treated in an acid bath and silicon is added to make the hair shine.  These hairs tend not to be Remy, aswell as tangle and lose their shine after a couple of weeks. 

DYED HAIR – You can usually tell the ethnicity of the virgin hair by the colour of the hair.  An example is Brazilian hair is usually brown in colour.  A lot of fake virgin hair will dye the extensions to the colour of the ethnic group and pass it off to you as virgin hair.  So be careful!!!

EUROPEAN – European hair does not necessarily have to come from a country within Europe.  It can come from a country with an Anglo or European descent.

DEAD PEOPLE – It is important to obtain a certificate of authencity for your hair, as a lot of virgin hair on the market is not ethically sourced.  Some of hair is cut from the hair of corpses (i.e. dead people) meaning that the hair can leave you the buyer with incurable head infections and diseases.  So always ask the origin, and the way the hair has been treated, most virgin hair needs to undergo a disinfection and rigorous washing treatment before it can be sold.

So now you have some background into the Virgin Hair, I am going to describe the differences between all the difference types of virgin hair on the market.

Brazilian Hair

LOCATION:- Brazil is located in the South America.

ORIGIN:- Brazilian hair is collected from small rural places within Brazil, where the donors are paid for the effort in growing strong and healthy hair.  Brazilians are of European, African and Indian heritage

FEATURES:- The features of Brazilian hair are determined by the region and genetics of the hair.  Brazil is very genetically diverse, so they are less consistent in features.  These diversities are categorised into 3 classes (grades) for Brazilian hair:

Grade A – this is the area of Brazil that is mostly of Anglo or European descent.  The texture of the hair is very fine, silky and is straight in nature.  This type of hair is good for making lace wigs and lace frontals.

Grade B – this is the most popular form of Brazilian hair seen on the market.  The hair is thicker than the grade A version, and slightly wavy in version.  In can come in a range of colours from dark brown to light copper, this hair is highly resistant to the sun.

Grade C – this hair comes from the Afro – Caribbean population of the Brazil.  This hair is commonly known as Muttalo or Molado (i.e. curly).  The hair is coarse, thick and curly.  The hair usually comes in colours of black to light brown and can either be in body wave or tight curls.

VERDICT: - Brazilian hair is the most sought after hair on the market, it is coarse in texture and heavy in density.  It comes in styles of naturally straight, wavy or curly.  The colours are usually in black or off black to rich brown.  Brazilian hair is good if you want thick, bouncy hair.  The hair is good for blending in with Afro-Caribbean and this is why a lot of Afro-Caribbean women go for this hair, not only that it comes in a variety of styles and is very versatile.  A point to note anything lighter than colour 2 or 4 at maximum in Brazilian hair is likely not to be Brazilian hair.

Indian Hair

LOCATION: - Located in Southern Asia.  It borders Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bangladesh.

ORIGIN: - Indian hair originates from the Tirupatu temples, where the women shave their hair as an offering to the gods.

FEATURES:- There are two forms of Indian hair that you can get.  The Indian Remy which has been lightly processed to modify the hair and textures.  The other is the Indian virgin hair which is unprocessed and comes in a natural form.  Indian hair is thick and straight.  The hair dries wavy.  Indian hair comes in very dark colours so be wary of lighter colours of Indian hair.

VERDICT:-  Indian hair is good if you want shiny, straight hair.  It is very easy to straighten Indian hair.  The hair is thick and coarse.  The virgin Indian hair comes in dark colours and can have extremely long lengths.  Indian hair is good if you want to do straight, sleek and shiny hair styles.  Do not use this hair if you want body or bounce.

Peruvian Hair

LOCATION:- Peru is located the West side of South America

ORIGIN: - Peruvian hair is collected from remote villages of Peru, where there are not a lot of donors.  The population of Peru is a mix of Indian and Spanish immigrant heritage.

FEATURES: - Peruvian hair is coarser and thicker than Brazilian hair.  It grows naturally straight, wavy or very curly.  But when washed becomes more curly in texture.  It comes in natural colours of dark or light brown, and sometimes in the less occurring slightly blonde shades.

VERDICT:- Peruvian hair is very difficult to source this is why it is more expensive than other hair on the market.  If you like extremely thick hair and lighter brown colours, then Peruvian hair is the hair for you.  It will provide you with the strength, body of Brazilian hair with the smoothness of European hair.  Be careful to not buy too many packs of Peruvian hair, as it will look overfull and square.  The hair lays thick so you will need less bundles to give the desire effect.

Burmese Hair

LOCATION:- Burma is located in south-east Asia.  It borders China, Bangladesh, Thailand and India

ORIGIN:-   Burmese hair is sourced from three of the Hindu temples within Burma, aswell as local Burmese women, who donate their hair.  Local Burmese women will sacrifice their hair in donation to the temple or to acquire money to pay for school or medical bills.  A lot of the hair from Burma is sent to China, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand or India, for it to be packaged.

FEATURES: - Burmese hair is a cross between Chinese hair and Indian hair.  The hair is extremely healthy and resilient and takes heat extremely well compared to other hair extensions.  The hair is naturally straight with a slight curl at the end of the virgin hair.  The hair comes in dark colours of jet black to dark browns.

VERDICT: - If you like naturally straight hair this is the hair to go for.  It is extremely hard wearing and lasts for a long time compared to other hair.  The only down side is that it only comes straight with a slight curl and can sometimes be quite resilient to curling the hair, when it is curled the curls do not hold for very long.

Malaysian Hair

LOCATION:-  Malaysia is located in South-East Asia and shares a border with Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines

ORIGIN:-   This is from women of a Malaysian descent that have donated their hair at Malaysian temples in order to help themselves financially or as offering to the gods.

FEATURES:-   Malaysian hair comes in colours of darkest brown to near black.  The hair comes in styles of wavy, slight bends to loose body waves.  The hair is heavier, thicker and more, dense than Indian hair, aswell as being softer and silkier than Indian hair.  The hair dries straight with a slight wave.  Compared to Chinese hair the hair is thinner and softer.  The hair is extremely shiny and silky.

VERDICT:- Malaysian hair is good for relaxed Afro-Caribbean hair and blends in well.  If you like naturally wavy or curly hair, this is one to go for.  The only downfall is that is only available in the darker colours, but on saying that the hair is extremely soft and shiny.  The Malaysian hair is relatively new on the virgin hair market and is priced a bit more expensive than Chinese and Indian hair.

Mongolian Hair

LOCATION:- Mongolia is located East-central Asia.  It borders Russia, China and Kazakhstan.

ORIGIN:-  Mongolian hair comes from the poor Mongolian women, who sell their hair for a profit.   Mongolian hair is extremely rare due to a population of 2.6 million people in the country.

FEATURES:-  Mongolian hair is a cross between Chinese and Malaysian hair.  The hair is thinner than and not as coarse as Chinese hair, but not as soft as the Malaysian hair.  The hair is soft and shiny and comes in a range of different colours beyond the browns to the light blonde’s aswell as different styles, straight and wavy.

VERDICT:-   Mongolian hair is good if you like lighter colours than brown, due to its diversity.  The range of styles such as straight and wavy make the hair extremely versatile.  The hair is very expensive due to its rarity compared to other virgin hair extensions.  This is a good alternative to Indian or Chinese hair, if you can’t get hold of it.  The hair is relatively fine, so won’t give you the body that Brazilian or Peruvian hair will give you, but is slightly coarse and blends in well with Afro-Caribbean hair.  This hair is good if you like to interchange between straight and curly hair.

Chinese Hair

LOCATION:-  China is located in East Asia

ORIGIN: - Chinese hair is usually sold by Chinese women for a profit who need to support families financially.  China is such a diverse country, with a big divide between rich and more.  Meaning poorer Chinese families need to make ends meet and a way of doing this is by selling their hair.

FEATURES: - Chinese hair is naturally straight.  Very coarse and very shiny.  The hair comes in very dark colours.  If anyone offers you a colour light than colour 2, this is not virgin Chinese hair, it will usually come in jet black.  The hair is extremely hard to curl, but will curl after excessive heat.  The hair is extremely silky, smooth and glossy. 

VERDICT: - I would not recommend Chinese hair to customers to buy; it is usually the cheapest virgin hair on the market.  Most of the time Chinese hair is treated due to its coarseness to reduce the thickness and make it more manageable.  But on saying that virgin Chinese hair that has been well taken of can be very good for straight shiny hair styles.  The hair does not curl easily, so the hair is not as versatile as other virgin hair on the market.  Because China is the main manufacturer of  hair extensions, most virgin hair is actually Chinese hair that has been dyed to be made to look like Brazilian, Peruvian, etc hair.

Russian Hair

LOCATION: - Russia is located in the North – East of Europe.  It borders with many European countries aswell as China and Mongolia.

ORIGIN:- Russian hair comes from small rural communities of Russia, where they are sold by women for a profit.  The communities in which the hair comes from have a diet which is simple, high in nutrients and vitamins, and low in sugar, salt and processed animal fat. 

FEATURES:- The good diet greatly influences the growth and quality of the hair.  Russian hair is the purest and silkiest of all the virgin hair.  The hair is of European (Caucasian descent) it is thinnest and finest of virgin hair on the market.  The colours in which Russian hair comes in are a light blonde to a medium brown.  They tend not to go darker than brown.  The hair is extremely versatile and come in straight aswell as a deep or light body wave.

VERDICT:-  Russian hair is the Gold standard of virgin human hair extensions and is the rarest and hardest to find.  The hair is not widely known amongst Afro-Caribbean hair market because of its thin, fine texture that does not always blend well with Afro-Caribbean hair textures.  The hair lasts much longer than other hair on the market, and is extremely hard to source; this is why it is the most expensive on the market.

I hope this guide has been informative in allowing you to choose the virgin hair of your choice.  Depending on what texture or price range you want will depend on the virgin hair you will buy.  Remember to ask a lot of questions to your supplier before parting with your money, if a supplier can’t answer any simple question then the likelihood is what they are selling you is NOT the real deal and is just someone trying to sell you ‘Premium hair extensions’ at a high price.  Remember don’t be attracted by price, if the price is too cheap, you are not buying virgin hair.  So which client pictured earlier was wearing the 'Virgin Brazilian hair' at the beginning of the blog?  The answer is neither of the pictures show clients wearing 'Virgin Brazilian Hair'.  Client 1 was wearing 'Dream Girl' and Client 2 was wearing 'Premium Now'.  With both these clients this is their second time using the same weave, and it has been curled  from being straight using curling tongs.  This clearly illustrates how easy it is to get fooled into spending loads of money on virgin hair and what you may think is Brazilian hair, Indian hair or all these so called hair on the market.  Following this guide will make sure you never get cheated and conned out of your money again when buying virgin hair extensions.

Love

Kolours

xxx