Do you know the difference between Raw Hair & Virgin Hair? With all of the options available on the market, if you are unfamiliar with the human hair industry, it can be absolutely confusing and overwhelming. Not to mention the oversaturated hair marketing tactics, which help add to the confusion. Your best option for a worry-free human hair, shopping experience, is to become knowledgeable when dealing with human hair. Familiarize yourself with the pros, the cons, and what to expect from the different types of human hair.

Luckily you don’t have to search far. After years of traveling throughout Asia, working with and researching different types of human hair, I’d consider myself pretty much a connoisseur on human hair. In this article, I’m going to discuss the truth about human hair and the beneficial information you need to know when selecting human hair for yourself or your clients. By now, you have probably heard of virgin hair and raw hair. Both have different features and both offer beautiful results. It truly depends on the look you want to achieve and which type is best suited for you and your lifestyle. So let’s get into it!

Before we explore the advantages and disadvantages of virgin hair and raw hair, let’s discuss where said here comes from. Raw and Virgin human hair can be sourced from literally anywhere in the world but is typically sourced from Southeast Asian countries, such as India, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma. The most popular raw hair textures on the market come from Cambodia (the coarsest raw hair), Vietnam, Indonesia, Burma, and India.

WHAT IS VIRGIN HAIR?

The true meaning of virgin hair is 100% human hair that hasn’t been altered or processed in any manner. However, in the human hair industry, there has been a false narrative promoted with virgin hair. Virgin hair is hair that has been manipulated to achieve a particular uniformed pattern, texture, and/or color. For example; deep wave, body wave hair, etc. Virgin hair usually has a medium to high luster and a silky feel, in comparison to raw hair. Most virgin hair on the market is derived from more than one donor.

A lot of manufacturers incorrectly label their hair, as a marketing ploy to sell to uneducated and unsuspecting customers. Raw hair used to be referred to as ‘virgin hair’, before there was an abundance of hair manufacturers on the market. In an attempt to distinguish virgin hair from raw hair, the term ‘virgin hair’ has taken on a different meaning. In today’s hair market, virgin hair basically means, all hair that is not raw hair. All virgin hair is not the same, by far.

The quality of virgin hair a company has to offer depends on the quality of raw hair that was used during the ‘virgin hair’ process. For example, steaming the hair to create different patterns, like kinky curly, body wave, and deep wave.

A strategy hair vendors and/or manufacturers use to market their virgin hair, is naming textures after exotic ethnicities. The most popular marketed textures are Brazilian hair, Peruvian hair, Mongolian hair, etc. These fabricated textures are processed into many different wave patterns. Keep in mind, those origins of hair are extremely rare and even more difficult to source. Due to the multiple donors and processing of virgin hair, it has a lower lifespan than raw hair.

Low-quality virgin hair only lasts a few months because the hair has many donors, upwards of 50! Sometimes even synthetic fibers are mixed in as “filler”. Whereas the higher quality virgin hair can last up to 2+ years because it only has a couple of donors or one donor. The hair also has not been chemically treated. The average lifespan of virgin hair is 1 year to a year and a half, depending on care and maintenance.

Let us briefly get into hair “grades” because you will definitely come across this marketing term. Unfortunately, the hair industry is not regulated, therefore many manufacturers and vendors market their hair using a grading system, such as Grade 3A, 5A, 10A, etc. This is not the same as discussing curl patterns. The grading system is used to figure out the percentage of human hair used, as well as the integrity of the hair cuticles. When you see virgin hair being advertised in graded form, that should raise a major red flag. I would suggest bypassing “graded hair” if you’re seeking luxury virgin hair.

When hair companies use the grading system to market their hair, the hair is usually “scrap hair” and it is exactly what it sounds like. Left-over hair from many different donors has been mixed with fillers and chemically treated. 100% virgin hair and raw hair should never be graded because the hair is not derived from scraps and mixed with fillers. If you desire longevity from your hair, avoid graded hair. It will definitely be a waste of your time and money.

A great advantage to virgin hair is the variety of textures and uniform patterns available, as well as the variety of vast colors. Do keep in mind, coloring and/or bleaching hair lifts the cuticle. Seeing as how most virgin hair has already been processed in some way, adding chemicals just further lifts the cuticles of the hair. Your virgin hair can still look beautiful after coloring and/or bleaching, however, it does shorten the lifespan of virgin hair.

Beware that some virgin hair may have an odor, in comparison to raw hair. Low-quality virgin hair can have a tangy/funky odor, similar to corn chips. Yes, I said corn chips! Avoid hair that has any sort of funk. It’s usually an indication the hair has been chemically treated. Not to mention, the quality is pretty much trash, because it has been mixed with synthetic fibers. This type of virgin hair will not last long. The higher quality virgin hair doesn’t have a funk to it, but it does have a different smell in comparison to raw hair, which usually has a natural, clean scent.

At MUSE Beauty Bar, Inc. we make our wigs with ethically sourced 100% raw hair as well as the highest quality virgin hair. Our virgin hair is derived from raw human hair and then steamed and processed, to develop different uniformed patterns and textures. We offer virgin hair wigs to provide our customers with more styles and textures, that raw hair simply cannot provide, such as kinky curly, deep wave, deep curl, etc.

WHAT IS RAW HAIR?

At MUSE Beauty Bar, Inc. we make our wigs with ethically sourced 100% raw hair as well as the highest quality virgin hair. Our virgin hair is derived from raw human hair and then steamed and processed, to develop different uniformed patterns and textures. We offer virgin hair wigs to provide our customers with more styles and textures, that raw hair simply cannot provide, such as kinky curly, deep wave, deep curl, etc.

Unlike virgin hair, raw hair is available in limited colors, such as black, brown, gray, and red (rare). Raw blonde hair is available but it has been bleached to achieve an overall blonde shade. Raw hair is also limited in patterns and textures such as straight, curly, and wavy, as it was acquired from a single donor. Raw hair texture remains in its natural state, as it was removed from the donor's head. Whereas virgin hair has undergone some sort of processing to achieve a particular uniformed pattern and texture as previously mentioned.

With raw hair, there is a sorting process that takes place, where the shorter hairs are removed by hand instead of a machine. Therefore ensuring the hair has a full density from top to bottom. This process is what makes raw hair double-drawn hair. Virgin hair is single-drawn, usually made of shorter strands towards the top, making the ends of the hair visibly thinner.

Raw hair differs in texture from virgin hair, it has a coarse texture and a low/medium luster. In comparison to virgin hair’s silky texture and medium/high luster. This is due to raw hair being derived from one single donor and never being altered. Along with offering a long lifespan, raw hair offers the benefits of holding a curl pattern longer than virgin hair. Raw hair can hold curls for days, even weeks, without having to re-curl the hair. Unlike virgin hair, which usually holds a curl for a matter of hours and a maximum of 2/3 days.

Be cautious and avoid raw hair that has a very silky texture. More than likely it isn’t 100% raw hair. A factor to consider when wearing raw hair, although absolutely luxurious, it requires more maintenance than virgin hair. Raw hair is affected by natural elements such as humidity, wet weather, dry climates, etc. The products used to maintain raw hair should be luxury shampoos, conditioners, and even masks when required. You should care for and maintain raw hair in the same manner you would your natural hair.

One of the best benefits of purchasing raw hair is the overall longevity. Raw hair can last up to 5 years depending upon proper care and maintenance and how often the hair is worn. In comparison to virgin hair, has a maximum life span of 2-3 years. Raw hair has become a popular favorite amongst consumers due to the aforementioned benefits. Although it is more expensive than virgin hair, raw hair offers more long-term benefits.

Now that you are more informed about the two, which one are you? Team raw hair or team virgin hair or both? There isn’t a right/wrong or a good/bad choice when selecting between the two types. Like myself, you can be a lover of both virgin hair and raw hair. I love virgin hair for the different patterns it offers, and the silky appearance. Sometimes I want a more dense, more textured look, that raw hair provides. Once you try raw hair, you will understand what the hype is all about. Raw hair feels and looks luxurious and behaves just like natural hair.

The best way to decide which is your favorite is to try both and some of the different textures each has to offer. I highly suggest you make sure you’re purchasing hair from a luxury hair company, that provides high-quality virgin hair and raw hair. They should also be able to offer their expertise. Have fun exploring all the styles & textures!

With the information provided, you should be able to distinguish between raw hair and human hair and determine the level of quality, before making a final decision. You can’t go wrong with either, it really is a matter of personal preference.
If you’re still uncertain which type of hair is best suited for you and your lifestyle, MUSE Beauty Bar, Inc. offers wig consultations, where we answer all of your questions and concerns to help you make an informed decision before purchasing your luxury wig.