The hair industry is like the wild west

The hair industry is like the wild west — there are no rules and no oversight.

That means hair sellers can call their hair anything they want — and no one checks if it’s true.

New Labels, Same Hair

If you've stayed in the hair industry long enough, I believe you have noticed something strange:

Every few years, new terminologies poped up.

  • First it was remy hair
  • Then came virgin hair
  • Then single donor hair
  • Now it’s raw hair

But think about it — did people suddenly discover a new type of hair?

Of course not. Human hair is a natural product.
It’s not like phones or computers — it doesn’t get updated every few years.

These new terms are created purely for marketing. The hair stays the same — only the labels change.

Nowadays, many hair consumers believe that “raw hair” represents the highest quality available. In reality, raw hair is simply another marketing term—created to replace “virgin hair” after that term became heavily abused and overused.

This pattern isn’t new. Virgin hair itself once replaced remy hair after "remy" became so widely misused that customers stopped trusting it as a quality standard. Each time a term loses credibility, a new one appears.

Many buyers believe that the less processing hair receives, the better it must be. The word "raw" fits that belief perfectly, reinforcing the idea of the “purest” hair possible.

But logically, an important question remains:

Can raw hair material truly be made into bundles or wigs and sold directly to consumers without any processing at all?

The answer is no.

Even if no cosmetic processing is done, basic sanitation can never be skipped. Raw hair material often contains bacteria, lice, or lice eggs, making sterilization absolutely necessary for consumer safety.

That’s why steam processing has been an essential step in hair production for decades. Steam processing not only helps create stable, long-lasting curl patterns, more importantly, it is the most economical, safest, and healthiest way to eliminate bacteria and lice. It is a physical—not chemical—process, and it does not damage or diminish hair quality.

In recent years, however, many sellers claim their hair is so raw it hasn’t even undergone steam processing. As a result, some consumers mistakenly assume that steam-processed hair is lower quality.

That assumption is incorrect. Steam processing does not alter hair structure or reduce quality—it exists purely for hygiene and safety.

The same logic applies to claims like “single donor hair.” If every each bundle truly came from a single donor, achieving identical weight, length, and fullness across bundles would be statistically unrealistic.

High-quality hair absolutely exists. But quality should never be judged by buzzwords alone. True quality comes from transparent sourcing, responsible processing, and honest standards—not constantly changing terminology.

Online Sellers Only Care About Clicks

Most hair sellers today sell online, so they focus on one thing only: search traffic.

If “remy hair” is trending, they put it in the product title.
If “virgin hair” gets popular, they switch to "virgin hair".
If “raw hair” or “single donor hair” becomes a hot keyword, they swith again.

As for whether their hair is truly remy, virgin, raw, or single donor — they couldn’t care less.

Even terms like:

  • Brazilian hair
  • Malaysian hair
  • Peruvian hair

These are mostly made-up. They don’t reflect real origin or quality — they’re just labels to attract clicks.

The same thing happens with Grading System & Density System too:

  • Hair grading systems
  • Lace piece/wig density system

If you’ve been buying human hair for a while, you’ve probably seen this:

  • A Grade 6A bundle from one seller is better than a so-called Grade 10A from another.
  • A lace closure or wig marked 180% density is thinner than someone else’s 120%.

Why? Because there’s no industry standard. Sellers can write whatever they want — and no one will stop them.

How to Protect Yourself as a Buyer

Here’s the truth:
Anyone can say anything.
So you’ve got to be extra cautious when buying human hair.

— 1 —
Don’t fall for fancy words like “remy,” “virgin,” or “raw”

Instead, trust the brand — and check how long they’ve been around.

Some dishonest sellers change their name frequently just to erase the bad reputation.

If it’s a brand-new store with no track record, be extra cautious.

— 2 —
Don’t trust every review

Many reviews on seller websites — or from influencers — are sponsored.

Instead, look for real, unpaid reviews from actual customers on independent platforms.

— 3 —
Check if the seller stands behind their hair

Do they offer a real guarantee?

Do they have a policy that protects you if the hair sheds or tangles after use?

Watch out for these red flags:

  • “All sales are final”
  • “Returns only if unused and in original condition”

“Returns only if unused and in original condition” sounds fair — but it mostly protects the seller, not you.

Why? Because most customers can’t judge the real quality just by looking or touching — you need to wear it for several washes to find out.

So many dishonest sellers take advantage of that.
They send you low-quality hair, and when it starts tangling or shedding after a few wears, they fall back on the "returns only if unused" policy as an excuse.
Some even blame you, saying you didn't take care of the hair properly.

We've also seen plenty of hair sellers use this line:
"Hair is a hygienic product. Federal law prohibits returns if used."
That’s ridiculous — they’re just using it to dodge responsibility.

Bottom Line: Trust Actions, Not Words

Don’t fall for the label games.

Pay attention to what the seller actually offers.

A good seller won’t hide behind excuses — they’ll stand behind their product, even after it’s been used.