What's Ponytail Hair & Machine-Aligned Hair?
In sales, especially when targeting end customers, terms like "virgin hair," "raw hair," "single donor hair," "Brazilian hair," "Peruvian hair," or "grade 10A hair" are widely used.
However, in China, insiders in the human hair industry don't use these terms to classify or label hair products.
Because everyone experienced in the Chinese hair business knows that those fancy words are purely for marketing purposes. They sound impressive, but they don't reflect how the hair is actually classified in the Chinese supply chain.
In China, human hair is typically divided into three main categories based on the quality and characteristics of the hair material:
- Ponytail Hair (辫发)
- Machine-Aligned Hair (倒顺发)
- Acid-Washed Hair/Silicone-Coated Hair (泡发)
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Ponytail Hair
As the name suggests, Ponytail Hair refers to hair collected directly from women’s ponytails—the hair is tied into a ponytail and then cut.
This is the highest quality hair material on the market—just like the hair grows from our own heads. It can be made into hair products directly after basic washing and disinfection, without any harsh processing.
Because the cuticles remain completely intact and undamaged, the Ponytail Hair retains its natural quality to the fullest. It takes color and heat very well, and has an impressive lifespan.
What’s more, Ponytail Hair guarantees that every strand runs in the same direction—from root to tip—just like how it grows from the scalp. This 100% natural alignment makes tangling almost impossible.
▲ A customer comment on Instagram saying her ponytail hair from us still looks and feels great after 5 years.
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Machine-Aligned Hair
While Ponytail Hair is the best, it is relatively rare and expensive. Most of the hair material on the market comes from strands collected from various sources, where the roots and tips are mixed up—instead of being 100% naturally aligned in the same direction like in Ponytail Hair. This type of hair is more widely available and costs much less compared to Ponytail Hair.
To make it usable, we use a Machine-Aligned process, in which the strands are re-aligned by professional equipment so that the roots are aligned on one side and the tips on the other—mimicking the natural alignment of ponytail hair.
However, no matter how many rounds the hair undergoes in re-alignment, about 2%-4% of the strands in Machine-Aligned Hair still have cuticles facing the wrong direction. This slight misalignment can cause tangling.
To address this, we apply a Cuticle-Close Process to the hair. This process uses a softening agent to relax the cuticles, followed by oil steaming to make them lie flat, reducing the risk of tangling.
After going through the realignment and Cuticle-Close Process, Machine-Aligned Hair also perform very well—no tangling, no shedding. With proper care, it lasts a long time too.#1
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#1 Like our Ponytail Hair, our Machine-Aligned Hair is also covered by our Installed Hair Guarantee. |
However, due to the Cuticle-Close Process, Machine-Aligned Hair doesn’t take color as well as Ponytail Hair. So if you plan to bleach or dye the hair, we recommend choosing Ponytail Hair instead.
Overall, Machine-Aligned Hair offers excellent value for the price and is one of the best-selling types of hair on the market.#2
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#2 It’s worth noting that a large portion of the Machine-Aligned Hair on the market is sold under labels like “virgin hair,” “raw hair,” or “single donor hair.” In theory, customers who search for terms like “virgin hair,” “raw hair,” or “single donor hair” are actually looking for the highest-quality product—Ponytail Hair. But because most consumers do not have the ability to tell the difference between Ponytail Hair and Machine-Aligned Hair just by looking and touching—and because Machine-Aligned Hair still perform fairly well—many dishonest hair sellers take advantage of this. They label their Machine-Aligned Hair with these fancy terms to either compete on price or charge premium prices for lower-quality products. |
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Acid-Washed Hair/Silicone-Coated Hair
Some hair materials are so severely tangled upon collection that they can only be untangled through an acid bath.#3
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#3 Hair cuticles are like tiny scales. When they face different directions, they lock together and cause severe tangling. An acid bath could stripe away the cuticles completely, allowing the hair strands to separate from each other. |
While the acid bath helps untangle the hair, it comes at a significant cost:
- Moisture Loss: Without cuticles, the hair can no longer retain moisture, leaving it dry and brittle.
- Dull Appearance: Cuticle-free strands can’t reflect light properly, making the hair look dull and lifeless.
- Weakened Structure: The hair becomes thinner and weaker, leading to increased breakage and shedding—approximately 300g of weight is lost for every 1kg of hair processed.
- No Directional Alignment: Without cuticles, the strands can no longer be aligned like Machine-Aligned Hair. As a result, when made into wefts, about 50% of the strands are sewn in with the tips at the weft, further increasing shedding.
The only real advantage of this type of hair is its super low price. That’s why you’ll often see extremely cheap hair products in TikTok live streams—such as a 30” bundle for just $30, or a full 30” wig for under $100.#4
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#4 Acid-Washed Hair is typically sold on platforms like Temu or TikTok Live, which focus on low-cost products. Ironically, even though it’s Acid-Washed Hair, it’s often marketed under labels like “virgin hair,” “raw hair,” or “single donor hair.” Many hair comsumers have unfortunately fallen for these misleading tactics. |
But you might wonder—if Acid-Washed Hair is supposed to be brittle and dull, why does it look so shiny and silky in live streams?
That’s because after the acid bath, this hair is coated with silicone.
The silicone coating makes the hair appear smooth, shiny, and soft to the touch. When straightened and paired with good lighting, it can look as glossy and radiant as the hair of a model in a shampoo commercial.
However, the effect is temporary. After just a few washes, the silicone coating wears off—and the truth is revealed. The hair becomes brittle, dry, and extremely prone to tangling and shedding.
The lifespan of silicone-coated hair is very short—usually no more than 3 weeks.
⚠️ Silicone-Coated Hair does not meet our Installed Hair Guarantee standards. We do not sell it.
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Summary
In China, the hair industry categorizes products more transparently. Ponytail Hair is top-tier, and Machine-Aligned Hair is a cost-effective alternative with reliable performance. Acid-Washed Hair/Silicone-Coated Hair is low in quality and durability.
We hope this clears up the differences between these hair types and helps you make a more informed choice for your purchase.