Wig Data
More information on the differences between wig fibre types.
There are several types of fibres used for wigs and hair pieces. The two overall categories are synthetic fibres and human hair fibres.
Synthetic hair comprises very fine plastic filaments. The structure is quite different from human hair. Synthetics are easier to handle, due to their ability to hold the basic curl after washing. Depending on the simplicity of the style, some of them require very little styling at all. The life of a good synthetic wig is about 1 year, but can easily last longer with proper care.
As a general rule, human hair is heavier in weight than synthetic fibre, but human hair has the best wearing properties of all fibres. However, there are different qualities of human hair, depending on where it comes from and how much it has been treated (processed).
Today, wig hair is made of many materials. In addition to human hair, advanced synthetic fibres or a combination of human hair and synthetic fibres are used. Naturally, any of these fibres can be of superior, good, or poor quality. The following paragraphs describe the differences between the various kinds of hair fibres.
Human Hair
Human Hair wigs should normally be fashioned from the finest human hair available. Generally speaking, the finest texture in wigs continues to be human hair. The major advantage is that you can usually style them the way you want and change that style often and very easily. They are like your own hair in responding to complete styling changes, accepting perms, or even changing the colour. The down side is, especially if you don't like taking good care of your wigs, just like your own hair, all human hair wigs require some styling after they are washed - it goes straight when wet. You can blow-dry it and use hot rollers or a curling iron, or you may wet-set it and dry it under a hairdryer. If you want something easier to take care of, we recommend a 50/50 human-synthetic blend. It gives you the best of both worlds - the look, feel, and longevity of human hair along with the synthetic's ability to hold its shape after washing. Human hair wigs will give you 3-4 years of wear with proper care, provided they are of good quality.
(Caution: some human hair wigs can be made from human hair with poor texture or quality. Just because the label says "Human Hair" does not mean it is "good quality" hair).
The usual categories of human hair are: Chinese, Indian/Indonesian and European. The various qualities of Asian human hair are the most popular because they are the least expensive. Chinese hair is the most common of all but it is usually very coarse and is often damaged by over processing. Indonesian and Indian hair are finer to start with and do not need to be processed quite as much. Both are versatile in styling but will require colouring by a professional stylist every once in a while.
European Human Hair is the finest hair available for wigs.
Virgin European hair has not been processed, only sanitized and blended. Therefore, it is strong and natural in appearance. (A simple test to determine if it is Virgin European hair is this - rub 10-20 strands of hair between your thumb and forefinger. If the hair bunches up, it is virgin. If the hairs slide over each other it it may well be European hair but has had the cuticles removed and is processed so it is no longer virgin hair). Virgin human hair wigs are the most natural looking and the most comfortable but, just like your own hair they tend to tangle. This is a good choice if you want the finest wig, and a poor choice if you don't like taking care of your wig.
Human Hair Blends
Human hair and synthetics blends offer the easy care of synthetics with exceptional flexibility and styling versatility. Like human hair, these blends can be permed for extra body wave, or curl. A high percentage of human hair creates rich tonal dimensions of colour play most like natural hair, particularly in colours with natural highlights. Blends like this will give you 2 -3 years of wear depending on proper maintenance and the basic quality.
Synthetic Wigs
Synthetic wigs are more natural looking than ever before. Synthetics can be shampooed and dried naturally with minimal care. Less costly than human hair wigs, they retain their style very well but are less responsive to major styling changes than Human Hair or Human Hair / Synthetic blends. Synthetics will not accept a perm nor can they be coloured properly. Remember, synthetic wigs were designed to stay and look the way you originally bought them. Trying to change or restyle them can cause poor or even drastic results. Synthetic wigs will give you 1 year or more wear depending on care and quality. Synthetic wigs are sold by most retailers.
Differences in texture between synthetic and human hair.
Synthetic hair is simply very fine plastic filaments. The structure is different from human hair. Synthetics are easier to handle, due to their ability to hold the basic curl after washing. Depending on the simplicity of the style, some of them require very little styling. The life of a good synthetic wig is about 1 year, but can last longer with proper care.
As a rule, human hair is heavier in weight than synthetic fibre, but human hair is the longest wearing of all fibre. However, there are different qualities of human hair, depending on where it comes from. Some European hair is the best hair in the world because of its strength and texture. This type of hair is the rarest of all, and is very expensive. Wigs made from this hair can easily run into the thousands of pounds. Lower quality is basic Asian hair, which is not as fine in texture as European, and even can be very coarse. These wigs sell cheaply, and if you think you're saving money by purchasing one of these, you'll probably wish you hadn't later.
Some higher qualities of Asian hair are available and these have been used in the manufacture of quality wigs for many years; this type can be chemically treated to resemble the texture of European hair. High quality Asian hair is often used to make relatively high quality wigs; they look very nice and are relatively inexpensive for the quality. This type of hair is soft and fine in texture almost like good European, and is the hair of choice for most hair replacement companies today. This type of hair is more expensive than basic Asian, but if one if one is wearing a partial piece, it will blend very well with finer textured hair.
If you require any further information please enquire at info@hairdzign.co.uk or telephone Hair D'zign Salon on 020 7286 9395 or visit us at the salon at 117 Shirland Road, Maida Vale, London, W9 2EW. Web address is www.hairdzign.co.uk. We are always happy to give you a free and discreet personal assessment and consultation with no obligation to purchase from us. Please make contact to book an appointment.
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