Synthetic Hair VS Human Hair: Which Should You Choose?

Synthetic Hair VS Human Hair: Which Should You Choose?

If you've ever worn a wig, you'll know that there's a difference between one made of natural human hair and one made of synthetic fibers.

There's certainly a major price difference. You could easily spend thousands of dollars on the best human hair wigs available, yet many synthetic wigs can be purchased on even the most modest of budgets.

But what are the actual differences between synthetic hair vs human hair? Before picking one over the other, there are a few things you should know about each. Let's take a look at what makes these different types of wigs unique so that you can decide which is the best kind of wig for you.

Synthetic Hair VS Human Hair: Which Should You Choose

What kind of hairpiece will complement your physical features? When choosing a wig for yourself, it's important to know what your options are and which one will work best for you personally. Here's your guide to synthetic hair VS human hair.

Human Hair

Wigs made of natural human hair are literally created by harvesting hair from someone's head, typically in a hair salon. Many people naturally assume that human hair is better, and thus have a bias toward it regardless of price, though this bias is generally uniformed.

Believe it or not, human hair is very big business. Every year beauty salons report hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of human hair stolen, these thieves valuing the hair even more than the cash in the registers or other high-priced items in the salon. Good hair has truly become a booming commodity around the world.

Advantages

When discussing the pros and cons, by far the best thing about a wig that is made from human hair is that it feels like natural hair. Because, well, it is. There is simply no way to fully and completely replicate the weight, the feel, and the texture of natural hair using synthetic fibers.

This is why people with beautiful healthy hair can sell it for serious money. Long, gorgeous hair is a premium product that people are willing to pay a small fortune for. This is because, along with the overall feel and texture of human hair, it is generally far easier to style and is less likely to tangle.

Human hair has a natural shine and a remarkable softness, as well as being very versatile and durable. In fact, if properly cared for, a good human hair wig can often last for at least a year.

Disadvantages

The biggest drawback of a high-quality human hair wig is price. Anyone who has ever shopped for one will know that they are far from inexpensive. Beautiful, healthy hair is highly valued, and thus demand for it far outweighs the supply. So if you are on a tight budget, natural hair might not be the most realistic option for you.

Another factor with human hair is that it requires greater care. You must style a natural hair wig each time you wear it, just as you would your own natural hair. This is because natural human hair simply doesn't hold in the same way that a wig made of synthetic hair will.

Also, natural human hair will react to outdoor conditions such as rain and wind exactly the way you might expect, going flat or frizzing based on humidity, as well as being blown out of shape on a windy day. These are all factors you need to be prepared for if you have your heart set on a wig made of human hair.

Synthetic Hair

Synthetic wigs are made from man-made fibers. This is done using specialized technology that produces a product that is remarkably authentic in both the overall feel and appearance to the real thing.

Advantages

Wigs made out of synthetic hair today are far better than those that were produced in past decades. This is due to a number of factors including advances in technology, and better craftsmanship.

Another factor in the improvement of synthetic hair is to compete with the popularity of natural human hair wigs. Thus the closer to human hair quality a synthetic wig can be, at a significantly lower price, the better it will fair on the wig market.

These days a good synthetic wig is pretty indistinguishable from the real thing. This is true in both appearance and feel. This is a major advantage to consumers who don't have the financial resources to indulge in a natural wig yet still want to look and feel great.

A synthetic wig can typically be worn straight out of the box with minimal styling and tends to hold its style longer regardless of weather conditions.

Disadvantages

The single most obvious disadvantage of wearing a synthetic wig is the fact that it doesn't have the same versatility of natural human hair. Typically the style is already set, and you can't really change it.

This can also be seen as a significant advantage. Just imagine how much time you could save each day by not having to style you hair! And given that the price is so much more affordable, you could easily afford several synthetic wigs, and choose a different style for a wide variety of situations.

Other disadvantages include difficulty in styling because the synthetic fibers are generally resistant to change.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, the choice between synthetic hair vs human hair comes down to a matter or preference and price range. Good human hair is beautiful but expensive. And good synthetic wigs are almost as good as the real thing and much cheaper.

Both options have their pros and cons. Many people love synthetic wigs strictly for the convenience of not having to waste time styling their hair each day. And many love being able to own a variety of wigs to pick from depending on mood.

Natural hair is a premium product, and a good human hair wig is truly a luxury. After all, there's a reason they cost so much.

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