Hair Extensions Terminology: The 6 Technical Terms You Need to Know

Double drawn, human hair, Remy hair… have you ever been confused with some of the hair extension technical words? Not knowing what they mean or what the difference between them really is? Well, today we break down the confusing hair extensions jargon to help you make the best choice for your hair.

What are human hair extensions?

As the name suggests, human hair extensions are hair extensions made using only human hair. There are a lot of other types of extensions available in the market, including synthetic, horse, human hair etc. Some sellers may do a mix of extensions, so it’s important to be careful when buying hair extensions and making sure the hair you are receiving is 100% human hair.

How do I know if it is human hair or synthetic hair?

There are many differences between the two, visually you can tell both apart, as synthetic hair has an unnatural sheen. If not, you can judge by touch, as synthetic will feel like plastic. Synthetic hair also cannot take heat and cannot be dyed using a regular hair dye.

However, some of the synthetic hair being produced now looks very close to, or just like human hair, and it can take some heat as well. Now, to judge this type, you can use two simple methods; one is burning the hair and the second is dying it.

When synthetic hair is burned, it turns to hard plastic-like balls and gets stuck together as it is melted into each other, however human hair will burn and contract and once you touch, it will be all ash and not like hard plastic. If you dye a strip of hair and it does not dye at all, it is not human hair.

What is Remy hair?

Remy hair is hair that is collected from a human donor and has undergone minimal processing to keep the hair soft and silky. The Remy hair is supposed to have its cuticles in one direction ensuring the hair does not tangle more than any normal human hair would.
Contrary to popular belief, Remy hair can also be stripped off from cuticles, and still be classified as Remy hair, if its high-quality hair raw material and does not tangle.

What are hair cuticles?

Cuticles are scales that go all along the lengths of the hair, kind of like pores on the skin. These cuticles protect the hair from damage and make them last longer. Cuticles also effect the porosity of the hair. However, hair with cuticles can be porous or non-porous

What is porosity?

The porosity of hair means the absorption power of the hair. Highly porous hair will absorb anything fast and easy, may it be dyes, conditioners, masks, or water. Porous hair is often frizzy due to the absorption of too much water. Non-porous hair will not absorb anything and any product applied will simply remain on the surface, making it almost impossible to nourish this type of hair. The best kind of hair is medium porosity level hair, which has the property to absorb but not too much.

What double drawn mean?

Double drawn or one ratio means the hair is the same thickness from top to bottom. This is not a natural look, as when our natural hair grows, it gets thinner at the bottom tips. So double drawn hair extensions are more expensive as these are made by combining all the hair of the same length together, as all hair is not the same on the donors head, a double drawn look is achieved by hand to give the customers the top to bottom thick look.