When buying hair extensions there are so many factors to consider. Type, cost, heat friendly, ease of use, etc. For me, the cost was a big factor. Which is why I decided on synthetic hair. But is synthetic hair made from real human hair?
Synthetic hair or wigs are NOT made from real human hair. Synthetic hair is made from polymer plastic fibers using specialized machines. That said, synthetic hair comes extremely close to looking like real hair and there are “blended hair” options which are synthetic hair mixed with real hair.
Now that you know that synthetic hair is not real. You’re probably wondering what exactly it’s made of. I know I did!
What is Synthetic Hair Made From?
It sounds cheap, doesn’t it? Well not entirely. There’s a lot more that goes into it than just a bunch of plastic.
Synthetic hair is made from polymer plastics such as Low-grade acrylic, nylon, vinyl chloride, modacrylic, polyester, and Modacrylic fibers.
They have gotten so good at making it, that it’s very hard to distinguish the difference between synthetic hair, and real hair.
How they do it? Well, the process can sound quite complex but I’ll simplify it for you as much as possible. Here’s how fake synthetic hair extensions are made:
- First, low-grade acrylic is heated and stretched into strands. At this point, the “hair” fibers look smooth and like plastic. Exactly like doll hair.
- Second, to give the hair more texture. One or more fibers of nylon, vinyl chloride, modacrylic, and polyester are spun to create the hair fibers.
- Modacrylic fibers are also sometimes used to make the hair strong, and flame resistant.
- And there we have it. Generally, that’s the process and materials to make up synthetic hair.
Because the hair is manufactured into a very specific hairstyle, it can be difficult or sometimes even impossible to restyle the hair. If this is something that’s on your mind, make sure you read the next paragraph.
I’ll be discussing if synthetic hair extensions can be restyled, and another option of hair that can give you the best of both worlds—hair that holds a specific style, and that can be restyled if you wish.
Can Synthetic Hair or Wigs Be Restyled?
Synthetic hair can be trimmed but can’t be colored or heat styled. Unlike human hair extensions, synthetic hair is made from plastic which is extremely sensitive to the heat from styling tools and the chemicals in hair dye.
That said, only heat-friendly can be colored and restyled with heat.
Synthetic hair extensions are generally pre-styled and colored because the manufacturer is aware of their limitations. They are manufactured to hold a specific hairstyle. While this can save you time, it could also work against you if you want to restyle the hair.
Synthetic hair is manufactured to hold a curl, be wavy, or even be straight. So if you do try to restyle them, you’re trying to force them to do what they’re not designed to do.
That said there is a way to get the best of both worlds.
If you would like the ease of “style retention,” with the flexibility or styling your hair if you feel like it, then rather buy heat-friendly synthetic hair.
Heat-Friendly Synthetic Hair VS Normal Synthetic Hair
As always there are pros and cons to every decision you make. Before selecting Heat-friendly synthetic hair wigs over normal synthetic hair, make sure you go through these pros and cons first.
Heat-friendly synthetic hair extensions are great for those that prefer to style the hair, however, heat-friendly options are more expensive. Normal synthetic hair extensions usually come pre-styled which will save time, and they are cheaper when compared to the heat-friendly option.
Here are some more pros and cons between heat friendly and normal synthetic hair extensions.
Styling:
- They are both quick and easy to maintain the manufactured set hair-style. If you do style your heat-friendly hair, and it becomes wet, naturally it will return to the last heat-styled look.
- However, over-styling can give your hair that nappy look quicker. And, styling is often a lot more challenging when compared to normal hair.
Cost:
- Because more goes into the manufacturing process when creating heat-friendly synthetic hair, naturally it’s going to be more expensive.
Natural-looking:
- Heat-friendly synthetic hair looks less shiny and a lot more natural-looking than normal synthetic hair.
Colouring:
- It’s highly recommended that you don’t color heat-friendly synthetic hair. Colouring standard synthetic hair is common and can be done without any problems.
How to Restyle Synthetic Hair That’s NOT Heat-Resistant
If you already have synthetic hair that’s not heat-resistant, and you still want to go ahead and try to restyle it, then keep reading!
The best way to restyle synthetic hair extensions that’s not heat resistant is by using a blow dryer with the setting set to low heat. Anything warmer than the low setting may damage the synthetic hair.
Just a word of caution. This hair is not designed to be restyled, so you may end up damaging or even destroying the hair.
With that said, here’s the video that fully explains how to restyle synthetic hair that’s NOT heat resistant.
5 Steps to style long synthetic hair extensions:
- Pin the hair to a fake wig head. This gives you a proper view of what the styling looks like. Make sure you don’t poke through the material that’s on the inside of the wig.
- Spray the synthetic hair with water. Allows versatility with styling.
- Comb the part in the hair at the desired location.
- Use a blow dryer with an air concentrator on low heat. Dry the roots towards the back of the wig. Warning; temperature setting higher than low may burn the synthetic hair.
- Brush out the lengths with a wide-tooth comb. Then you’re ready to go.
This whole process will make your synthetic wig look a lot more natural-looking. And will also make any scrunched areas disappear.
There are different steps for shorter hair wigs. So make sure you watch the video above for more details.
How Long Does Synthetic Hair Last?
By now you’re probably considering using synthetic hair over real hair extensions. Before you do, it’s important to know how long they last for.
Synthetic hair lasts for 8-12 weeks and costs between $5 to $50 a pack. To compare, real hair lasts for up to 1 full year with proper care but will cost more at around $20 to $500 a pack.
Most people choose synthetic hair over real hair mostly to save money. That said, it is worth it. Synthetic hair is not only easier to style, but it’s also 10 times cheaper.
Is Synthetic Hair Bad For The Environment?
Anything that you end up throwing away can be bad for the environment. So let’s take a deeper look into how exactly your use of hair extensions can affect the environment.
Synthetic hair is bad for the environment because the hair is made up of plastics which will take 500 years to decompose. If you cycle through synthetic hair extensions for a lifetime, and each wig contains about 2 pounds of plastic, you’ll throw away 176 pounds of plastic, which equals 3,500 plastic bottles.
Now if that bothers you, there are ways that you can expose the synthetic hair in an ethical way. Unfortunately, this is considered as a hard-to-recycle plastic, however, you do have a few options.
- Use companies that specialize in recycling hard-to-recycle plastics. Here’s one I found.
- People have been creating “Hair Jewelry” and ever apparel. Try to create something with it.
- Stop using them. For some, this might be an option — for example, if you struggle with alopecia or any other disorders. However, if your hair grows out just fine, and this is an issue that bothers you, then simply try and stop using synthetic hair extensions.
Conclusion:
Synthetic hair can be a great alternative to natural hair extensions. They offer a quicker and easier means of keeping your hair styled. They’re more affordable, and thanks to technology, they’re looking more and more natural by the day. With that being said, they aren’t made from real hair. But if real hair is too expensive for you, synthetic hair is definitely the ‘next best thing’.