The Truth: Raw Hair vs Virgin Hair

By iqueenla hair May 17th, 2024 293 views

We see the labels “Raw” and “Virgin” used in selling hair extensions, and you would think they would be the same thing, right? But no.

In this post, we will get brutally honest and explain the difference between the two. This information will arm you with the knowledge you need to make the best decision for yourself and get the best hair that satisfies your needs.

Below is a comparison table of Raw vs Virgin hair based on longevity, pricing, maintenance, quality and available hair textures.

Raw Hair

Raw hair is unprocessed, 100% human hair. Unprocessed means it has not undergone any chemical or steam processing.

The procedure is as follows; Hair is taken from a single donor, cleaned and wefted. Check out the diagram for a visual representation of Raw Hair Manufacturing.

What is Raw Hair ?

Raw Hair is unprocessed, 100% human hair. Unprocessed means it has not undergone any chemical or steam processing.

Characteristics of Raw Hair

Every bundle is unique in appearance. Not one donor has the exact same hair type (e.g. colour, texture, density etc).
Available hair textures are limited to natural wave, straight and curly (raw curly hair is very rare and expensive!). Tip: To see all hair textures available, check out the women from South Asian countries who are donating their hair to view their natural hair texture.
It can last you 5+ years.
It is the purest form of human hair extensions on the market.
Raw hair is high maintenance. For Raw hair to look nice and last long, you need to look after it like it’s your own! Regular washing and deep conditioning is required to enhance the beauty of raw hair, if you are not prepared to handle the upkeep you will be disappointed!

Other Tips before buying Raw Hair

If you want to try out raw hair but you are worried about the maintenance, opt for a straight hair texture. It requires less maintenance
For raw hair first timers, we would advise you to avoid hair types like Cambodian curly hair. Such hair does not do well in humidity and is very high maintenance!

Virgin Hair

Brace yourself, virgin hair production is more complicated than raw hair production! It is important to have some knowledge on what sellers call “virgin hair” to avoid wasting your money.

In short, on the current market, virgin hair is processed hair.

Hair is provided by the donor, processed and then wefted. Check out the diagram below for a visual representation of virgin hair manufacturing.

So, why is Hair Processed?

Similar to why someone may want to relax their hair. Hair is processed to make it feel and look good, and/or manipulate the hair texture.

What is Virgin Hair ?

In the current market, virgin hair is processed human hair. Processed means it has undergone chemical or steam processing.

Types of Processing Methods
There are two main types of processing methods, Chemical and Steam Processing.

Chemical processing includes colour treatments, moisture treatments and bleaching. Steam processing includes manipulating the hair texture through the use of high temperatures.

Please note that not all processing leads to “bad hair”.

Processing gets an unfair bad rap than it actually deserves, there is the good and bad types of hair processing.

Good processing means 100% human hair is processed with the purpose of making the hair more beautiful and easier to manage whilst keeping the cuticles intact.

Bad chemical processing is stripping the hair of it’s cuticles to turn perhaps floor hair into something that it’s just not. Floor hair is left over hair from the temples or sites where hair is donated, perhaps collected from the floor.

What are the Hair Grades about?

On the market, virgin hair comes in different levels of quality. You may see hair grades such as 8A, 9A, 10A. This is a way companies, on an individual basis try to separate different quality of hair. The higher the grade, the better quality and the more expensive the bundles will be.

There is no industry standard for the “grading system”. The standards may vary from company to company. i.e. Company A may sell Grade 10A, and it is equivalent to the quality of Company B’s Grade 8A.

The grades are mainly there for the purpose of marketing or allowing the customer the option to buy cheaper or lower quality hair.

So, in the case of virgin hair, within the same company, what could be the difference between Grade 8A and Grade 10A (Grade 10A being of higher quality). There are two main factors used to determine the grades:

– The percentage of actual human hair, some fillers may be added to “fill out the bundles”

– Cuticle alignment. Cuticles are what makes the hair strong and stops it from tangling. Cuticles could get damaged by; aggressive chemical processing or excessive steam processing.

Please note, at HairLink shop, our bundles are all 100% human hair with all cuticles intact.

Characteristics of Virgin Hair

In a single weft, hair is taken from several donors. This is not a hair texture issue because hair is processed to perfect uniformity.
Bundles look the same as the hair is processed to have a uniform look.
Has either undergone steam or chemical processing
Comes in various grades to distinguish between hair that has lots of fillers or lack of cuticles.
Can last you 2 + Years, it depends on your upkeep!
Virgin, 100% human hair with all cuticles intact is very low maintenance and beautiful.

So, which one should you buy, Raw or Virgin hair?

In today’s hair market, raw hair is unprocessed hair from one donor and virgin hair is processed hair that comes in various grades.

At Iqueenla Shop we offer the best quality virgin hair you will find and raw hair is available on request.

Which one you should choose? It depends on your preferences! If you want hair that lasts more than 5 years, and you don’t mind the high price point, and you like catering to and styling hair, Raw hair would be a great fit for you.

But if you want already beautiful low maintenance, more affordable hair you may decide to opt for virgin hair. Do be careful when investing in virgin hair, make sure that you trust the seller and ask questions if you need to.

We hope we have answered your questions! If you have any more questions, please feel free to DM us or email us at [email protected]. We are happy to answer all your questions, no query is too small, plus we can yap on about hair all day.