Guide to Hair Bundle Grades

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When shopping for hair bundles, you've likely noticed terms like "remy", "virgin", "indian", "malaysian" and more being used to describe the hair quality. But what do these grades actually mean and which is best suited for your needs? This comprehensive guide will help explain the different hair bundle grades, their attributes and best applications.

Remy Hair
Remy hair is considered one of the highest grades available. For hair to qualify as remy, it must maintain the hair's cuticle layers intact and facing in the same direction from root to tip. This is important because hair cuticles lie flat like shingles on a roof, and when facing the same way, result in smoother, shinier hair that mimics natural follicles.

Remy hair comes from countries where strict harvesting and sorting methods keep the cuticles aligned. It is more expensive due to the labor involved but offers superior smoothness and prevents tangling. Remy hair also takes color, treatments, and styling better due to intact cuticles which don't fray or break down over time like lower grades. For these reasons, Remy's hair retains its quality longer and maintains a plush texture resembling natural Asian or European hair types. If quality is a top priority, Remy is the best choice.

Virgin Hair Grades
Virgin hair refers to unprocessed bundles directly from hair donors, and generally the closer it is to donors, the higher quality it is. Virgin Indian and Malaysian hair are two common remy sub-grades:

Indian Virgin Hair: Cuticles are usually intact but may have some damage from local harvesting. Color-treated or chemically altered hair is carefully avoided. More affordable. Works great for all styles.
Malaysian Virgin Hair: Considered one of the finest virgin grades. Hair is rarely dyed or damaged before export. Extremely soft, silky texture perfect for balayage highlights and natural styles. A luxury option.
Other virgin grades include Yaki (Japanese), Mongolian and Russian which are also great quality but availability may be more limited. Overall, virgin grades make excellent bundles that last through many washes and retain style well.

Brazilian Hair Grades
Originating from Brazil's diverse ethnic groups, several Brazilian subgrades exist:
Premium Brazilian: Near-remy grade with intact cuticles, this is the cream of the Brazilian crop. Often compared to Malaysian or Indian virgins. Luxurious shine and fullness. Hard to distinguish from natural hair.
Brazilian Virgin: Not as pristine as Premium but still high-quality Remy hair. Clean and soft texture great for all looks. Very affordable top option.
Brazilian Deep Wave: Known for ringlets and consistency. Takes color beautifully and holds embellished styles with conditioners.
Brazilian Body Wave: Loose waves that can be trained tighter. Versatile. Popular relaxed style. Great for length.
Brazilian Straight: Silky straight strands perfect for blending or bold highlights. Takes heat tools like a champ.
Of Brazilian types, virgin grades are best since locally harvested hair may have damage, but deep wave and body wave provide unique textures too. Bold colors and styles hold strong.

Peruvian and European Hair
Rarer textures for a unique aesthetic include:
Peruvian Hair: Extremely soft strands with a natural emphasis on ringlets and curl patterns. Needs minimal styling. Low maintenance elegance.
European Hair (Russian, Polish, etc.): Versatile loosely waved lengths that take color brilliantly and hold styles for weeks. Adds subtle dimension and volume.
Both offer more specialized textures perfect for specific desired looks, much like the way some prefer Brazilian curly or wavy varieties. High quality with excellent tracking records from suppliers.

Synthetic and Yaki Grades
For those who want lower maintenance options or braiding hair, synthetic and Yaki come into play:
Yaki Hair: Harvested in Japan, its cuticles lie flat but texture is coarser than remy grades. Works very well for braids and stand-alone styles where shine isn't main priority. More durable than remy.
Fiber/Kanekalon: Lowest grade. Made of inexpensive synthetic material. Best for quick braids, weaves and short-term styles only since it tangles, mats and loses texture easily with washes. Doesn't match natural hair well.
These resemble natural hair to some degree when installed but don't fare as well over time or for blending. Best used sparingly for accents in a blend of higher bundles grades.