What's the difference between raw and virgin hair?

Within the industry there are many opinions on what is raw and virgin hair. This can make it hard for people to shop, understand what to look for and how to ensure they are buying the correct hair quality. At NOVUS Hair, we offer both raw and virgin hair and both are of the highest standard. Here, we aim to help you understand the difference so you can make an educated decision on which is best for you.

Raw hair in the hair extension industry refers to completely untreated, natural hair sourced directly from single donors. It retains its original texture and quality without any chemical processing. The emphasise with raw hair is that it should be in its complete original state with no manipulation. Each natural curly or wavy bundle may differ in colour or curl as they are from single donors - no two people have identical hair curls or waves. Any hair marketed as 'raw' with uniform curls, kinks or 'bone' straight are not raw and have likely been chemically or steamed processed. This does not necessarily mean the hair is of low quality, it just is not truly raw hair.

On the other hand, virgin hair usually undergoes some minimal treatments like steaming (these treatments can also be chemical) to achieve the desired look for the hair. This can be different curl textures, bone straight hair, kinky curly ect. - these textures are man made. Virgin hair unlike raw hair, is a collection of hair from multiple donors, this can range from 2-5 donors.

If you have any more questions, feel free to get in contact with us at contact@novushair.co.uk.