We live in a society that sometimes seems boundless! Anything that you want you can have, especially when it comes to the world of hair!

Long, short, curly, straight, purple, green, in all honesty the sky is the limit. But let’s be honest most of us don’t want to take our natural hair to extremes! That is, if we want to keep it on our head and healthy!

Well before we decide which of these options is the best, it’s important to know the difference between the two.

As the world of hair extensions continues to evolve, we as consumers like to know more about the options that are available and work best for us. We are not only looking at price but also quality, maintenance, and style.

So for our topic today we chose to look at Virgin hair vs Raw hair and choose which one is the best!

Let The Battle Begin

In this corner we have RAW hair!

“What do you mean raw?” As the name suggest, raw hair is unprocessed human hair.

During  production most hair undergoes a chemical, heat, or steaming process of some sort that alters the hair in some way. For example, those perfect wave or curl patterns that you see when you look at some bundles, believe me that donor did not wake up like that!

However, raw hair will have a more natural appearance. It usually comes in only 3 textures, straight, wavy, and curly.

It is the purest form of hair that you can purchase, and will last the longest because of its high quality.

If we are speaking about quality, behind that closely follows the subject of cost. You know what they say, “you have to pay to play.”

Raw hair is usually sourced from donors from the eastern side of the world. These include countries like India, Cambodia, and Vietnam, just to name a few.

The hair itself can come in a variety of textures from silky to coarse and shades from dark brown to light brown.

One thing that stands out to me about raw hair is the natural movement you get when the hair is installed. The body and bounce is absolutely amazing! It’s one of those things you wouldn’t even understand unless you seen with your on eyes. 

Now for you ladies that like to get a little kinky/coily, with raw hair that might be a problem. Donors of raw hair usually have a straighter/wavier texture.

Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that when it comes to raw hair, no two donors are the same, so that means no two bundles are the same. When you think about it, a lot of us may have natural hair that is two different textures, so for me personally, I like the fact that this adds to the naturalness of the look! If you want a more uniform look, raw hair may not be the way to go.

An advantage of raw hair is that it will lighten a lot easier than virgin hair. This is where the purity comes into play. Nothing has been done to the hair, from a chemical standpoint, so its a lot easier to lighten. 

One thing that is a downside is the fact that because it is human hair and hasn’t been chemically processed, I have experienced raw hair that can get frizzy when it is humid outside. 

In the Opposing Corner We Have VIRGIN Hair!

When you are shopping for hair, you may see hair marketed as “virgin hair”, which gives you the impression that it to is unprocessed.

Brazilian hair, for example, is actually a type of virgin hair. There are others as well that you may be familiar with like, Peruvian and Malaysian.

When we talk about virgin hair this would be hair that is free from chemical processing. It has not been chemically altered with bleaches, perms, relaxer, or dyes. So technically raw hair is virgin hair as well, but virgin hair isn’t raw.

“What you talking bout Willis?”

Okay, okay, okay……remember raw hair is pure, no chemicals no steaming, etc…. Virgin hair on the other hand that is Brazilian hair etc, does undergo some type of processing before it is sold.

For example, think about those bundle we mentioned earlier with those amazing wave and curl patterns, those are created by a steaming process.

And what’s more unlike raw hair that is harvested from a single donor virgin hair may not be. 

When it comes comes to sourcing virgin hair, unlike raw hair that comes from the country that the hair is referred to for example Indian hair being from India. Brazilian, Mongolian, Peruvian, and some other origins of hair are mostly from, China. 

Virgin hair is lighter, shinier and silkier than raw hair as a rule.

Also, with virgin hair you are able to get identical bundles which are good if your looking for a more uniformed look.

Because the hair has been treated, virgin hair is less likely to react to the moisture in the air.

Virgin hair, being processed, it does not have the longevity of raw hair and is a more affordable option.

In my experience, I have come across some virgin hair that didn’t have the best smell, and I’ve had some raw hair that smelled so good you just literally wanted to walk around sniffing it. Literally!

So Who’s The Winner 

Between the two of the options I think each of them have there place in the world of hair.

I think the best choice depends on the individual and their reason for wearing the extensions. 

If hair extensions are apart of your lifestyle, meaning that’s what you where most often, then I would definitely encourage you to invest in the quality and longevity of raw hair. 

If you are a newbie to hair extensions, virgin hair is sufficient for a special occasion, or if your just wanting to try something new. It’s a nice way to get your feet wet so to speak. This option being more affordable makes its less of a financial commitment.

Regardless of which one you choose each of them have pros and cons…..things that you may love about them and things that you may not like so much. As said before it all just depends on the person and their needs.

We just scratched the surface here but if there are any specifics you would like to know more about or that we didn’t cover please drop a line below.

With all things considered, which one do you prefer?