Real Human Hair Extensions

Hair extensions come in two basic flavours: human hair extensions, also known as real hair extensions, and artificial, or synthetic, hair extensions. There is a whole world of difference between the two. Apart from the actual difference of the two materials, they quite simply look different – sometimes a lot different.

Human hair extensions are a natural choice. For a start, the hair is real. Hair extensions of this type can match a person’s hair exactly and to all appearances be completely natural. Artificial or synthetic hair, no matter how expertly created, can never quite match the natural silky shine and lustre of the real thing.

Real hair extensions are by far the more expensive option. This is to be expected as you are paying for quality hair that is as real as your own. Artificial, or synthetic, hair is much cheaper, but can certainly be a worthwhile investment for some.

Real hair extensions and artificial hair extensions are both attached in the same way. Several different methods are employed. They can be weaved, or sewn, in. This involves weaving the human hair extensions into the person’s existing natural hair. This makes a good, strong attachment that will not blow off with the wind, or come unstuck in any way.

It is important that the person who attaches the human hair extensions is properly trained. If the weaving is done too tightly, it can pull on the existing hair and even pull it out, especially if the existing hair is thinning. Weaving that isn’t performed properly can also damage the natural hair follicles.

Human hair extensions can be glued or bonded on to existing natural hair. Keratin hot melt glue sticks in various shade and colours, and special bonding glues are used to attach real hair extensions. There are also pre-bonded hair extensions that offer a somewhat less messy experience. These procedures all require a trained assistant.

If your real hair extensions are glued or bonded, you must adhere to the recommended after care procedures. Failure to properly look after glued or bonded real hair extensions is often the reason why damage occurs.

An increasingly popular way of attaching human hair extensions is through clip on hair extensions. Human hair extensions are attached to an unobtrusive, yet sturdy clip. Clipping the real hair extensions to existing hair is easy and quick to do. Anyone can learn to do it, making it arguably the most convenient method of all.

Clip on human hair extensions have a flexibility and convenience that the other ways of attaching human hair extensions do not. They don’t have to be worn for days or weeks before needing to be replaced. Their very clip on nature means that the wearer can unclip them before going to bed. Then in the morning the real hair extensions can be clipped back in place in a matter of minutes.

Real hair extensions are an easy and natural way to add thickness and volume to a head that has thinning natural hair. Unlike a wig or hair piece that can often be easily detected, natural human hair extensions, if properly applied, are indistinguishable from existing hair.

Human hair extensions are graded according to their quality. While there can be variations, the grading is usually from grade A through to grade D. Real hair extensions classed as grade A is the best quality, offering a totally natural look and feel. This classification has the hair follicles still in place. The real hair extensions are arranged so that the follicles all point in the same direction, mimicking nature.

Human hair extensions that are grade A are of course the most expensive to buy. However, with grade A real hair extensions you can also expect the best results, and few people if any will even suspect you are wearing a hair extension. Grade B human hair extensions are also extremely good, though they do not always have the follicles still attached.

If your real hair extensions are grade C or even grade D, then they will not have the silky, smooth, tangle-free quality of the higher grades. They will not look quite as natural, though not exactly unnatural either. Real hair extensions of the lower grades are of course cheaper to buy.

Grade A European Remi, or Remy, is often thought of as the best graded human hair extensions you can get. These are likely to have the root and cuticle ends directionally aligned to help prevent the hair tangling. The hair will be of European origin, rather than Indian or Asian origin. This means that it is likely to more closely match the existing hair of a European wearer.

Real hair extensions come from live donors; they do not come from the deceased, despite the occasional suggestion to the contrary. Every day there are people who willingly donate their hair for use as real human hair extensions. The hair used for this purpose is healthy and undamaged.