As you know, wigs can be made with natural hair or synthetic fibers. Real hair wigs of course look much more natural than fiber wigs. Real hair has its own texture and luminosity, its own color (which is never homogeneous but always full of nuances), and a particular movement. It is also softer and finer than fiber hair and you can comb it however you like.
The wigs manufacturer term hair movement refers to the direction it goes, the way it waves and falls down the face and shoulders. The movement of natural hair depends a lot on its length and thickness: as a rule, longer, thinner hair has more movement. But what affects the movement of the hair the most is their state of health. Porous hair is dull and opaque. As for chemically treated hair, it can become dry and “glassy”
The condition and health of the hair are also very important in the manufacture of wigs. A natural wig is only successful if the hair used is healthy and well knotted in a way that creates a natural fall and movement capable of reproducing the effect of real hair. The type of hair used is therefore a fundamental element distinguishing quality wigs from others. The more the characteristics of natural hair are kept during the manufacture of the wig, the more it will look like real hair. There are a huge number of wigs on the market – both natural and synthetic – but even if they are made from natural hair, not all of them are created equal!
Hair: structure and characteristics
Before taking a look at the different stages in the production of wigs, let’s take a moment to look at the structure and the main characteristics of natural hair. The three layers of the stem.
The hair is made up of three concentric layers:
- The marrow (or medulla) – composed of the cells at the origin of hair growth, this is the inner layer
- The cortex – made up of cells containing melanin, this is the middle layer
- The cuticle – composed of flat cells, the function of which is to protect the hair shaft against external agents, this is the outer layer.
Cuticles
The cuticle is the outer layer of the hair. the part exposed to sight and touch. The health of the hair depends on the condition of the cuticle. The hair is only healthy if the cuticle is healthy.
This layer is made up of fat cells, in the form of scales, superimposed on each other just like the tiles on a roof.
The cells that make up the cuticle (often called cuticles) are therefore all facing the same direction, the free side towards the tip. The hair owes its shine to this special arrangement, which also allows it to glide over each other without knotting or tangling.
When the cuticle is healthy and intact (that is, when the scales are smooth, regular, and adherent to the shaft), the hair is shiny, soft and elastic.
On the other hand, when the scales are detached or damaged, the hair is opaque, dull, dry, and stiff. Discolorations, perms, other chemical treatments as well as excess heat or the use of aggressive products can lift the scales and consequently damage the cuticle.
The manufacture of natural hair wigs
Making high-end real human hair wigs is very complex. Precise quality criteria must be respected during all stages of the manufacturing wigs wholesale process, from finding the raw material and working the hair to the final packaging of the product.
Research and selection of raw materials
It is essential to use top-of-the-range raw materials. It is therefore necessary to find strong and healthy hair that has never been chemically treated (that is to say that has never been colored / bleached or premed). This Fayuan Hair must be Remy hair with intact cuticles all having the same root/tip direction.
STYLING:Most natural wigs have the hair in a knot in the cup. It is possible in this procedure to give meaning to the hair to create a particular hairstyle. As this is natural hair, it can then be styled to create the movement or look you want.
HAIR TYPE:The choice of the type of hair needed to make a wig model depends primarily on the length of the cut. For models with long hair, we use hair with intact or partially removed cuticles. For models with short hair, we prefer hair with partially or fully removed cuticles. These choices are explained in the recent paragraphs.