Hey Beauties and Rauhyalties! It's been a while since I've had a chance to drop a line. Did you miss me? It's been crazy busy over here, and as important as this Blog is, it just had to take a back seat for a minute. Things have been hectic (Thank GOD) and my creative juices don't quite flow too great when i'm not in my Zen mode..haha.... Anywho, I just wanted to drop a line or 2 on 'Is Raw Hair for Everybody?' It's definitely a question worth asking and the answer might just surprise you.
Before we delve into the ins and outs of this question, let's clearly define the difference between Raw Hair, and what the industry lovingly coined Virgin hair, ok. Raw hair is human hair with the cuticle fully intact and all running in the same direction hence no chemical processing is required to wear these hair extensions. Virgin hair is also human hair, but the cuticles are misaligned and so it's chemically processed to become cohesive. Got It? OK! Now that you have a good grasp of the 2, let's get right back into it.....
Your first thought should absolutely be YES, everyone should LOVE Raw Hair!!! but the reality is that this is just not the case. Me personally I say, 'who wouldn't want the best quality?' and 'who wouldn't want to make a great investment into a product that would last a very long time?' but life is never just that simple, is it? And so now I have come to the conclusion that Raw hair just isn't for everyone.
First off, Raw hair requires more maintenance as it needs to be handled with the love and attention that you would give to your own natural hair, and a few of us out there just ain't feelin that... Some ladies are either too busy or simply don't want to dedicate any time to caring for hair extensions. I completely get it, life is already demanding as is, a few extra steps in caring for hair extensions might just not be in the cards for some of you ladies out there. And that's absolutely ok!
Secondly, If you prefer that extra silk, (some might say slippery) feel to the hair, then virgin hair might be best. Raw hair by nature has much more texture and body because the cuticles are still on the hair shaft and haven't been stripped since they are aligned correctly. With processed virgin hair chemicals are used to re-create the hair's natural silk and generally makes the strands more slippery than a natural cuticle strand, but that seems to work best for some extensionistas, so it actually becomes a plus for virgin hair.
And lastly, there is that pesky matter of price. Hands down Raw hair is more expensive than 'virgin hair' and the main reason behind that would be the way that the hair is collected. Raw hair has to be meticulously cut from each donor's head and kept in the same direction all the way through wefting, bonding, etc. There really is no meticulous cutting of Virgin hair and it can be collected in various ways, and from various places (a few of them being just unacceptable in my book). Don't get me wrong, processed (Virgin) hair can make some very nice extensions but the hair always has to be processed so that immediately compromises the quality/longevity of the extension. They do however provide a cheaper and vastly better alternative over going straight synthetic, so that makes them A-ok in my book. And of course, being available at a lower price point makes it more easily affordable to ladies of all different financial means, and that I will ALWAYS understand!
At the end of the day, and on the grand hierarchy of hair extensions, Raw Hair is still Number One! But there is such a thing as the best for the individual based on the dynamic of that one person's life, and sometimes it doesn't leave much room for Raw Hair.....If that's you, own it! there's plenty of Virgin Hair out there, it's pretty easy to get, but I will say be smart with your purchase and never forget the words of the wise, 'You Get What You Pay For'....Until Next Time, much Love.....
