By\nEdward Tony Lloneau\n\nAbout 60% of sales in most Korean Beauty Supply stores are for commercial hair and related products to care and groom this hair.  Afro Americans are about 12% of the population in America, patient cialis yet they are responsible for over 80% of hair sales.  This may account for the reason that a vast majority of Korean Beauty Supply stores are located in predominantly Afro neighborhoods.  Add this to the fact that afro Americans also account for over 30% of hair care grooming aids and professional services in America.\n\nThere are many sources that account for the availability of hair for cosmetic and prosthesis purposes.  All human hair is not created equally.  French refined hair and European Natural (or any variation of that theme) is considered to be from a Caucasian source.  Most human hair is Asian, because that is where most human hair is processed due to the fact that many Asians grow their hair as a crop to be harvested for the market.  Much of the hair also comes from India because of a ancient relishes custom of growing the hair to waist length, then cutting and shaving the head clean and discarding the hair in a huge pile where it is gathered and sold to  purveyors and processors of the growing hair market demand.  Most of this hair is sold to China because that country cannot meet the demand for domestically grown hair.\n\n\nFrench, European and Italian hair is considered to be the best grade because it is not as course as Asian and India hair, therefore is easier to process and maintain.  It is also the most expensive because it is harder to come by because this hair is not grown as a crop or for relishes reasons.  Much of this hair is obtained after the death of its source.\nAnother popular and more expensive type of hair is called CUTICLE Hair.  Cuticle hair is hair that has been carefully scrutinized to insure that every strand is turned the same way.\n\nEXPANATION: Human hair has scales reminiscent of scales on a fish.  (Hence the term cuticle scales) the scales lay close against the hair shaft and grow upwards away from the scalp.  When hair is “back combed” meaning combed from ends to scalp, the cuticle is lifted and many of them are striped away, the rest are forced away from the shaft causing the hair to tangle and mat.  That’s because the cuticles are interlocking with the cuticles on the neighboring hair.  Cuticle hair is regular ordinary hair that has been arranged in such a way so that the cuticle is in the same direction on each strand.  This procedure prevents tangles, snarls and matting when combed, brushed and styled.\n\nThroughout this article you have seen the word “processing”, this generally means that the hair has been chemically treated to eliminate much of the cuticle structure and to force the cuticles to all face the same way in order to prevent tangling and matting during shipping.  This is the main reason why you do not use hot water when cleaning commercial hair.  Hot water will cause the cuticle to lift and swell resulting in less chemical processing and less chance of matting.  Matting is caused by the cuticle scales interlocking.\n\nSynthetic hair is not hair at all; it is for the most part man made hair from nylon fibers.  This is why most such hair is identified by some variation of the word Nylon.  This hair type is a much lesser quality than any form of human hair because it is less versatile to style and has a shinny plastic like appearance.  It also cost a lot less.\n\nYak hair.  A Yak is an animal native to Thailand; it is a member of the goat family.  Its hair is long, usually touching the ground.  Yak hair most resembles human hair and grows long enough to be harvested.  The tail of the Yak is most desirable for commercial use because it is longer and more manageable.  The Yak was originally used as a beast of burden because of its sure footing in rough terrain and ability to carry heavy loads.  But now it is mostly raised for its hair.\n\nThere is a grade of hair called Yaky or Yaki or Yakie, this hair is described as a type that most closely resembles natural Afro hair that has been relaxed.  It is also known by such names as Afro Yaky, Perm Yaki, Curly or Geri Curl Yaky etc.  This is hair that has been specially chemically processed then flat ironed to take on the look and feel of various grades and styles of Afro hair from kinky to perm straight.  REMI HAIR is a high quality human hair that is usually silky straight and smooth mostly from a Caucasian and/or European source.  Most hair for weaving, extensions and wigs, is chemically treated in order to remove some of the cuticles so that the hair will not mat or tangle during shipping and use.  Remi Hair is considered to be VIRGIN hair because it is not processed with chemicals, so the hair texture is unaltered.  This hair also has the same quality as Cuticle hair as described earlier in this article.\n\nIt is important to stress here that there is animal hair being used in the production of commercial hair.  Animals such as the Yak, in addition to various breeds of dogs and the tails of horses, mules and donkeys.  However we are hard pressed to find any labels that identify an animal source for this hair.  This is important because some people suffer from sever allergic reactions from animal hair.\n\nOne easy way that the consumer can identify the type of hair is to simply put a lighted match to a small amount. Synthetic hair will melt and leave a hard plastic like residue.  Animal Hair will have a smell that is very different from that of human hair.  Human hair will singe and leave a powdery white ash.  Unlike human hair that grows primarily on the head only, animal hair is mostly on the body.  Its purpose is to keep the animal warm and to protect it from harmful elements and predators.  Animals grow almost twice as much hair per square inch on its body and are more wool like in texture than human hair.  By processing it, the hair is refined to more closely resemble human hair.\n\nIn regards to human hair, even though it is human hair, it is not growing from a human scalp.  Therefore it does not get the benefits of natural scalp oils to enhance its appearance and maintain its health, so it must be cared for as per the distributor’s instructions.  Natural Afro human hair requires more oils in grooming then straight hair, but commercial added hair does not.  In my next article I will discuss why Afro Americans are such a disproportionate large consumer of commercial hair.\n\n