Smart Hair Buys: Clarifying Frequently Used Hair Terms

In part 1 of this post, we aim to clarify confusion about 2 common place terms used in the hair market: virgin and remy. 

Virgin Hair

Virgin hair refers to hair that has been strictly unprocessed, either from the time the hair was still attached to the donor's head or when the hair was cut and manufactured into bundled wefts, clips-ins, u-tips...etc. Based on this strict definition of virgin hair, however, the majority of hair extensions sold today cannot be described as truly virgin. This is because manufacturers frequently employ chemical or steam processing to create in demand textures such as body wave, loose wave, deep wave or even kinky curl. These popular textures mentioned above rarely occur naturally in hair stock piles. Thus, manufacturers have to manipulate and process available hair types to create these different textures. 

Consequently, many manufacturers have relaxed their definition of virgin hair. In our experience, most suppliers now define virgin hair as hair that has not been chemically manipulated whether by the donor or in the manufacturing process. This relaxed definition provides a loop-hole which allows steam processed hair to be considered virgin. Hence, the reason why you will hear of 'virgin loose wave' or 'virgin body wave'. As a final note, please also be aware that any hair that has been dyed or bleached is strictly not considered virgin. Similarly, any hair bundles that contain synthetics or animal hair is not virgin.

Remy Hair

Is this the same as Virgin hair? Is this hair from the pack like Goddess or Milky Way? Does this mean hair has been chemically processed? Not quite, no, and no. Remy or Remi simply refers to the manufacturing process in which the hair strands are aligned in corresponding directions. That is, in any remy hair bundle, hair strands will all have their 'roots' towards one end and hair tips towards the other. The remy process acts as a counter to tangling. Any kind of quality hair, such as Virgin Human Hair, uses the remy process in assembling bundles.

Speaking with some of our clients, however, we realize that remy now unfortunately carries a slightly negative connotation as remy has been associated with tangle-prone 'pack-hair'. The root cause of this has been tricky marketing from 'pack-hair' suppliers—which incorrectly characterized Remy as a type of hair (such as Brazilian, Malaysian) OR as a synonym for Yaki. 

Next week, in part 2 of this post will discuss in detail the grade classification system ( 6A, 3A, 5A) often used in the hair industry. We originally intended to include that discussion within this post but we realized it was too long and complex not to have its own separate post.

Smart Hair Buys: Top 5 Products for Virgin Extensions

#Extensions are a handy convenience for busy hairnistas. However, they can become a downright nuisance if they are not managed with the right products. Bad hair day culprits such as matted hair, tangling, frizz, and limp hair can all be avoided or corrected by choosing the right products for your extensions. Below are the top 5 products which we suggest.








1. John Freida Root Awakening Shampoo & Conditioner
A peppermint based combo which is very effective for removing grease and reinvigorating hair strands. We recommend this for straighter hair varieties, especially those from the Orient (Cambodian, Indonesian, Indian) which are more susceptible to grease. Suffering from oily bangs or an oily fringe? Just cleanse with the Root Awakening shampoo, skip the conditioner, and dry to bring your bangs and fringes back to life.

2. Garnier Fructis Anti-Humidity Spray 
Cayman's humidity can (and will) kill your hairstyle in less than 5 minutes. Garnier’s anti-humidity spray works amazingly to counter the effects of this harsh weather.This spray will help your style to last longer throughout the day and settle frizz—WITHOUT making your extensions stiff and 'crunchy'

3.Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo & Conditioner
This is a popular product combo which you will find touted by many stylists and bloggers. Made with coconut extracts, this #HerbalEssences combo is highly recommend for nourishing worn out, heat, or color damaged extensions.

4.Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner
With the nourishing and smoothing benefits of Moroccan Argan Oil, this#Organix product combo is perfect for hair extensions in need of desperate repair ; the combo is also recommended for curly/wavy textures that require heavier conditioning.

5. Pantene Curl Perfection Shampoo & Conditioner 
This product combo is heaven sent for 'deep' textures such as deep wave or kinky curly. After shampooing and conditioning with Pantene Curl Perfection , your curls will be beautifully defined and long-lasting. This formula will also minimize any matting that may occur during the drying process.

How to Restore Your Thinning Edges

Thin edges are a common problem among hairnistas whether they wear braids, hair pieces, wigs or weaves. The root causes are excessive tension on the edges (from tight canerows, fine braids, wig combs, wig clips) and/or excessive dryness along the edges. If ignored, thinning edges could lead to more serious scalp problems such as a receding hairline or bald spots along the hairline.

How, should thin edges be treated?

We've personally encountered two contrasting treatment methods: 
(a) Putting your edges in protective canerows    &
(b) Leaving your edges out and avoiding putting any braid tension on them. 

Each method however, has its cons. For method (a), if the tension on your edges from the protective canerows is excessive then the thinness along your edges will become worse not better. For method (b), the risk is that environmental factors (for e.g. friction & dryness) might promote further hair breakage and thinning.

Therefore, given that both remedies are potentially risky, which of the two is the better choice?

• If you notice more breakage (broken, jagged, stringy hair edges) than balding (spots without hair) then this suggests that your edges are most likely struggling due to environmental issues. In this scenario, try putting your edges into a protective cocoon of braids. Tell your stylist to put as little tension as possible on your edges. If you feel any pulling or discomfort, don't be afraid to speak up and tell your stylist to stop.

•  If the opposite is the case—where you notice more balding than breakage—then it's best to leave your edges out. Please be sure to check with your dermatologist to evaluate whether or not this might be a serious case of alopecia.

Complementary Products & Practices

Whether you are trying method (a) or (b), it is important to include/exclude certain products & practices in order promote the growth and restoration of your edges.

1. Daily apply to the problem areas restorative oils such as Batana Oil, Black Castor Oil, and a Mixture of Jojoba and Peppermint Oil. These oils are known for stimulating the scalp and moisturizing hair strands.

2. If you need to 'lay your edges', then use edge control pomades with NO ALCOHOL (alcohol dries out hair). We recommend ORS Edge Control and Creme of Nature Perfect Edges. Lay the pomade with your fingers or a soft bristled toothbrush. Do not use hard bristled boar brushes which will tear up your edges.

3. Tie your edges down when at home with a satin/silk wrap to prevent your edges from being snapped off because of friction from sheets, carpets, upholstery..etc.

In conclusion, although we've laid out some simple steps to aid in restoring thin edges, continual dedication to remedying thin edges will be the critical key to a successful treatment. Improvements in the state of edges might take as little as 3 weeks or as much as 6 months. Either way, willingness to put in the effort on a daily basis will be a surefire way to see improvements.

(*Products listed can be purchased locally at major beauty supply outlets. **Batana Oil can be purchased from Naddy's Salon on Godfrey Nixon Way, C: 946-1152)

Smart Hair Buys: Fixes for Flat, Lifeless Extensions

If you've worn a sew-in, you've had to contend with limp, dead extensions. There are several causes which can account for frustratingly lifeless extensions but, fortunately, there are easy solutions. 

Dry Extensions 

When your extensions lack moisture, they can become lifeless—especially when your extensions have been re-used multiple times. Extensions affected by dryness are characterized by perpetual frizz and will feel akin to 'dry trash'. The fix for this is to condition your extensions 1-2 times per week and to apply a small amount of light oil (such as Argan Oil or Monoi Oil) onto the ends of the extensions daily.

Greasy Extensions

When greasy, your hair extensions become weighed down and, thus, your extensions will appear limp and lifeless. Extensions suffering from a build up of grease can be identified by stringy, oily looking hair. This grease build up comes about due to hair strands touching your skin and/or from the application of oil to your hair tracks beneath the sew-in (or alternately to the hair extensions themselves). The solution is to wash your extensions at least once a week using a clarifying/volumizing conditioner (try Generic brands such Garnier Fructis and VO8) or use shampoos that contain tea tree oil—which is a natural cleanser. Neutralizing shampoos will also do a decent job.

Over Conditioning

Over conditioned hair extensions can also account for hair limpness. Extensions suffering from over conditioning will typically feel soft and smooth but will hang limply—even when curled. One possible fix is to use a lighter conditioner for your extensions. (Lighter conditioners are usually tagged as 'volumizing', 'clarifying', 'for oily hair', or 'for fine hair'.) Another fix is to reduce the amount of conditioner applied to your hair extensions and, if needs be, only applying conditioner to the ends of your extensions. The rule of thumb to abide by here is that the straighter your hair extensions, the lighter the conditioning needed.

Type of Hair

The origin and texture of your hair extensions also affect the speed with which your extensions go flat. Finer hair originating from the orient(Indian, Filipino, Cambodian) typically loses body more quickly than coarser hair varieties while straighter hair textures tend to go limp more quickly than wavier/curlier textures. One workable fix is to opt for textures such as body wave and natural wave instead of straight hair—especially when purchasing fine oriental hair. The reason is that body wave and natural wave carry a lot of body and these textures can be worn straight with minimum fuss. A second workable fix is to install more hair bundles as this will provide your sew-in with longer lasting body.