How to Test Raw Hair

There are four ways to test your Raw Hair Extensions. 

• Clarifying/ Neutralizing Shampoo test

Fill a container up with lukewarm water. Dip the bundle into the water so that the entire bundle is wet. Pour your preferred clarifying or neutralizing shampoo onto the bundle and massage it into the bundle in a downward motion. Starting at the end of the bundle, use a detangling brush to brush the hair in a downward motion and brush through the entire bundle. Be sure that you apply enough product so that you see suds when brushing. Let the bundle soak for 5-10 minutes. If the water is clear and has white suds, the hair has passed the test and is unprocessed. If the water is dark brown, yellow, or orange and has pink suds, the hair has either been processed or colored. The clarifying/neutralizing shampoo will reveal if the hair has any chemicals on it and strip the hair of it. 

• Bleach test

The bleach test is one of the best ways to test the quality of Raw Hair. Bleach a strand of the bundle with 30 developer for about 45-60 minutes, while checking on the hair every 30 minutes. The hair should lighten to a nice 613 blonde color. There should also be NO darker strands of hair, this can indicate that there are fillers or synthetic strands of hair in the bundle. After bleaching, washing, and conditioning the hair, the extensions should remain smooth and soft.

 

• Burn test

The burn test is a quick way to test raw hair. Simply burn a piece of the hair with a lighter. Then feel the burnt hair. If it is human hair, it will shrivel up and turn to ash. If it is synthetic hair, it will shrivel up and melt. 

• Cuticle test

Another quick way to test if the hair extensions are processed or unprocessed is through the cuticle test. Before washing the hair, take a pair of scissors and scrape the hair bundle. If you see a white residue the hair is unprocessed. The white residue is simply just the outer layer of the hair strand. If you see a brown residue, the hair has been processed.