Everything About Remy Hair Wigs

Did you know that the hair on your head could be worth $1,500 to a buyer who will later turn it into an elaborate wig? If this amount is too low, Audrey Quinn of MarketPlace.org has some ideas on how you can sell yours for $4,000.

The amounts above show that the human hair business is lucrative. This observation is supported by statistics showing that the industry was worth $3.71 billion in 2021.

However, not all hair is created equal when it comes to hair extensions and wigs. When you ask savvy and discerning hairdressers and clients, they’ll tell you that extensions and wigs made from Virgin hair are the best hair ever, while Remy hair are the best money can buy.

But what is Remy hair? How does Remy hair differ from non-Remy hair? Is it the same as virgin hair, and what makes it so expensive? If you are interested in the answers to these questions, let your hair down, relax, and read this article to the end.

We also have a bonus: some dirty little hair extension industry secrets about how people sell fake hair under the guise of Remy hair.

What is Remy Hair?

The phrase Remy hair (sometimes known as Remi Hair) describes the features of a specific hair wig/extension and the way it is manufactured. Remi hair wigs and extensions are made from 100% human hair.

Remy hair signifies wigs and hair extensions whose cuticles are intact and face one direction. This is why the hair is sometimes called “cuticle hair extensions.” This feature makes the hair to be of the highest value to money.

Keswigs produces A+ grade Remy hair wig at a very affordable price, simply check them out!

The quality aspect is enhanced by the fact that all the hair cuticles follow the same direction, hence users can be assured that there will be no matting or knotting.

An important aspect in defining Remy hair is the idea of cuticles. If you don’t know what cuticles are, you are not alone – we also had to check in with the experts:

In a paper published by the PeerJ journal, Fei-Chi Yang and others focus on the structure of people’s hair. They define cuticles as “a layer of dead, overlapping cells forming a protective layer around the hair.”

Another journal published in 2022, suggested that “The cuticle is demonstrated not only to possess a hidden rod-matrix structure, that supports its protective nature, but also to play specific roles in the fibre’s response to moisture, and in fibre mechanical behaviour.”

Here is a photo showing the how the cuticles are protecting the cortex and medulla of the hair, and how it helps to retain moisture and nutrients in the hair.

With the hair cuticles are intact and face the same direction, Remy hair performs great at retaining moisture in the hair

General Characteristics of Remy Hair

Here are some general characteristics that define Remy hair:

Since the hair cuticles are intact and face the same direction, the hair does not tangle even after washing.
A Remy hair extension continues to look natural for a long time because its intact cuticles allow it to hold moisture.
The cuticles also permit the hair to move or flow naturally.

The quality of Remy hair is better than non-Remy hair but cannot compare with Virgin hair.

Remy Hair and Non-Remy Hair?

Remy hair and non-Remy hair are hairs collected from multiple donors, combs, hair brushes, or when they shave in temples and hairdressers who gather the hair they cut from clients.

Remy and non- Remy hair would have cuticles facing different directions because such hair is often not collected from the same person. Hence, the cuticles will easily be opened up and damaged, causing the hair to matt or tangle.

To prevent this, the hair manufacturer will treat the collected hair with chemicals, removing all the cuticles on the hair. In such a case, although the hair will look very nice and smooth when you purchase it, once the protective layer is washed out, your non-Remy hair wigs or extensions will dry out and tangle.

In the case of Remy hair, the hair will be treated with a ‘Remy machine’. This machine will align the hair cuticles in the same direction, minimizing the damage caused by the chemicals.

You may expect the price and hair quality of Remy hair is higher than non-Remy hair.

Is Remy Hair The Same as Virgin Hair?

We have written a detailed article talking about the differences and similaries between Remy hair and virgin hair.

In short, Virgin hair has never been processed, bleached, or colored. It should also have been harvested from one donor, therefore, the hair cuticles are retained to the maximum degree and they are all facing the same direction.

Remy hair are collected from different donors, and has gone through both physical and chemical processing to keep the hair cuticles following the same direction, however, part of the cuticles has been removed and damaged.

Virgin hair needs no processing to align the hair cuticles, and they have be retained to the maximum extent, just like natural hair.

Virgin hair is way better than Remy hair, hairpieces made with virgin hair will last longer and can be bleached and colored as you want. Remy hair wigs can only be colored to a darken color because they can tolerate less damages.

Another main difference between Remy hair and virgin hair is length. Most Remy hair wigs are below 26 inches because the hair is less healthy, only Virgin hair wigs can exist in super long form.

Made with tip-top level virgin hair, Keswigs can even produce wigs in different colors and extra long wigs up to 100 inches.

The Difference between Remy Hair and Synthetic Hair

The primary difference between Remy and synthetic hair is that the former is natural human hair, and the latter is hair manufactured in a laboratory.

Another more obvious difference is the price. But why is Remy hair more expensive than synthetic hair?

Remy hair extensions are in high demand, and the forces of demand and supply detect that when more people want to buy a particular product, that item’s value increases.
Remy hair is in short supply because it must be grown naturally in someone’s head.
Processing of Remy hair involves more workforce than synthetic hair.
Apart from blending well with natural hair, Remy hair is known for lasting longer than synthetic and non remy hair extensions.
Remy hair is easier to manage.

Where Does Remy Hair Come From?

Most Remy hair used for making wigs and extensions comes from countries like India, China, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Women grow their hair as a renewable commodity and accept payment for it.

The highest grade of hair is collected from one single donor, their hair will be cut in a ponytail when it is cut, and this is Virgin hair.

Remy hair, on the other hand, is collected from different donors. Hair merchants often go door-to-door collecting hair strands women gather from their combs, hair brushes, or clips for a small fee.

Once gathered, hair factory workers will straighten these hair strands and treat them with a Remy machine, followed by chemical processing as mentioned above.

Some Dirty Little Secrets

As would be the case in any other industry, the wig and hair extension industry is also filled with some unscrupulous suppliers who make false claims.

In an article published by Forbes.com, Lela London says, “Some brands even throw clumps of synthetic hair in with silicone-coated collected hair to increase their profit margin, still claiming the product is human hair.”

If you don’t believe that some suppliers use the Remy hair label to attract unsuspecting buyers, you possibly haven’t seen some of the scary stories clients of hair salons and hair extension shops tell.

The UK-based tabloid, TheSun.co.uk, reports about a “… mum [who] was left fuming after splashing a huge £425 [$510] and what she thought was real human hair, only to end up with a dry, itchy scalp and bald spots.”

According to TheSun.co.uk, the mum, Lacy Price, discovered that she had been sold a dummy when the wig started falling apart, making her head itch only after two washes. Price says the salon refused to reimburse her, telling her there was nothing wrong with the wig.

In an article published by BBC.com, Sam Piranty says that while traveling in China, he saw firsthand how women sell their hair to merchants who drive around the villages. Piranty reports that everything looked proper until he started getting concerned about “the number of shaven goats wandering the streets.”

Piranty’s article suggests that people wanting to make more money in the village may be mixing their own hair with that of animals. So, it’s possible that the seller promising 100% Remy (Ram-y?) hair is not deliberately misleading, even though the hair they sell is not 100% human hair.

How to Ensure you’re Buying Real Remy Hair

The predicament faced by Price, as reported above, is an indication that not all hair sold under the label of Remy hair is indeed Remy hair. So, it’s important to ensure that you know what to look for when buying your hair extensions:

If the hair looks too shiny, it’s synthetic because human hair tends to be a bit dull.
When you shake Remy hair, it should have fluid movement, but fake hair is stiff.
If the price is too low, there is no way the wigs or extensions are made from Remy hair. You can expect to pay between $200 and $400 for a wig made from quality human hair.
Human hair burns instantly when exposed to heat; synthetic hair melts.
When real human hair burns, it smells like burning hair, while fake hair smells like plastic or rubber.
Remy hair curls when wet and fake hair doesn’t.
If you are buying your hair extension online, check the reviews from those who have already purchased products from the company you intend to buy from.

How Long Does Remy Hair Last?

Your Remy hair wig and extension can last between one and two years, if you are looking for a wig that can last longer, go for Virgin hair wigs.

At Keswigs, most of our wigs can last for up to a few years, check here out for what our clients say about us!

However, the secret is to ensure that your wig is appropriately cared for. Just like your own natural hair, the luster (or lack of) will depend on the chemicals you use and how diligent you are at ensuring that your hair looks great.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) suggests ways to ensure that your Remy hair wig is always in its best shape, including washing the wig and extension less frequently if it has been chemically treated and ensuring that it is protected from the elements.