There are many reasons why women choose to wear hair extensions from adding length and volume to hair to looking glamorous, changing style and even camouflaging thinning hair or hair loss. Regardless the reason, natural human hair extensions are the best option. Compared to synthetic extensions, remy ones last longer, are more qualitative, easier to manage, style and maintain. In fact, one of the main advantages human hair extensions have is the fact that they can be curled, straighten, blow dried and colored to match woman’s own hair. The synthetic hair extensions, on the other hand, cannot be treated with any styling gadgets that involve heat such as curling and flat irons.

To be sure the hair extensions you purchase are in fact made from real human hair, buy them from a trusted and reputable hair salon. Hairdressers and stylists use certain methods to check if the extensions are human or synthetic. One of the most common methods used are a microscopic test to check chemical components of hair extensions and dye test. Also popular is the fiber burn test which even you can conduct and ensure your extensions are made out of real human hair.

Microscopic Test – Real remy hair extensions are very expensive and to ensure they are getting the product they’re paying for, hair salons conduct microscopic test. This is the most reliable way of checking whether hair is human or synthetic because stylists are able to see the hair cuticles and if they’ve been processed. If cuticles look smooth, then hair extensions are not remy.

Dye Test – This is a very simple test. Real human hair with intact cuticles will change the color when dyed. If extensions do not change the color completely, then they are either not made out of human hair or have been combined with synthetic or low-quality remy hair extensions.

Burn Test – The fiber burn test is very simple and it is highly recommended to conduct one after purchasing hair extensions (if not bought from a trustful;l source). This is the most commonly used method by all hair salons. Few strands of hair extensions are taken and then lit with a lighter. The odor and flame will show if extensions are human or synthetic. For example, human hair will burn quickly with flickering orange flame and will turn into powder when smashed. The odor of burning human hair resembles the smell of burning flesh or feathers.

Synthetic hair extensions, polyester or nylon, burn differently. Nylon hair extensions will burn quickly with blue (at the base) and orange (at the tips) flame and melt leaving an odor similar to boiled green vegetables. Polyester hair extensions also burn and melts very quickly with an orange flame with black smoke and sweet odor.

These are the three most commonly and foolproof methods hair salons use to determine if the hair is human or synthetic. If you bought your hair extensions for the first time or from a new supplier, conduct a fire burn test or ask your hairdresser to conduct microscopic test for you (not many of us have microscopes at home neither know how unaltered hair cuticles look like).