Raw or processed Vietnamese hair: a wig maker’s guide
Both are real human hair. The difference shows when your client colours, curls or washes her unit.
"Raw" is one of the most used words in the Ghanaian hair market, and one of the most misused. Here is what it should mean, and how to check.
What raw means
Raw hair is cut from one donor, washed and sorted. Nothing else. The cuticle is intact and all strands face the same way. It can be bleached and coloured like natural hair.
What processed means
Processed hair has been steamed into a pattern, coloured, or treated to remove the cuticle. Good processed hair is still beautiful, but it will not take colour as well and it tangles sooner if the cuticle was stripped.
Three quick checks
- Wash a sample in plain shampoo: raw hair keeps its shine without silicone.
- Look at the colour near the weft: raw hair varies slightly; processed hair is perfectly even.
- Ask the factory for a batch video in daylight before shipping.
