can you tell the difference between human hair and synthetic?

[bellezanegra826]

I got some hair from a lacefront vendor not too long ago that felt synthetic to the touch so I put it to the flame and sure enough it melted. Well I told her about it and she offered to remake my order because she agreed that it was synthetic. Well I just got the replacement hair and it felt synthetic as well, so I fire tested it. Well it "melted" like the last hair that I sent back. I was so crestfallen that I tested some other hair that I had lying around that I was sure was human. Well I put it to flame and it "melted" too. I was so sure it was human and was super surprised that it melted the way that it did. The only thing that I had left to do was test some hair that I knew for sure was human. I combed my hair to collect some shed hair and put it to flame and it "melted" too! I thought human hair was just flammable and would catch on fire, but not necessarily roll up and look melted like human hair. I am currently conditioning the hair that I just got to see if that will make it feel less fake. What I want to know is how do I know what is human hair and what is not? I know that some synthetic hair can be flat ironed. Is there a temp that is too hot for synthetic hair? Ie if I flat iron the hair at 450 and it doesn't melt does that mean that it's human or very high grade synthetic?

 

[Nonie]

Wait...your own hair melted? Really? What products do you use on it?

I've never heard of human hair melting, and that's always been my test. BTW, the melting isn't the only test. Human hair also smells like burning protein, kinda like hair used to smell when you used a hot pressing comb and grease...or like it still does if you don't use a protectant and risk heat damage.

Maybe your definition of "melting" is different from mine. When I think "melted", I think of the hair turning to a liquid which then solidifies in the new shape the liquid took. Human hair burns away. It may look like it's melting but if you kept it in the fire, it'd just disappear and not form a lump of goo that hardens.

ETA: Where are you buying your hair from? How much are you paying for it, coz I do believe you get what you pay for.

 

[bellezanegra826]

anybody out there?

 

[MekyakaKinkerbelle]

Agree with Nonie 100%.

Is there a "bulb" left at the end where it caught on fire? Yes + synthetic.

How did it smell?

And the biggest question, how much did you pay?

 

[glamazon386]

There are some synthetic blends that can be curled up to a certain temperature but human hair should not melt. It will burn and we all know what burnt hair smells like. I'm guessing they could have given you "human hair" like they sell at the BSS. It contains a small percentage of human hair even though the package says 100%. The rest is synthetic fillers and animal fibers.

 

[bellezanegra826]

Wait...your own hair melted? Really? What products do you use on it?

I've never heard of human hair melting, and that's always been my test. BTW, the melting isn't the only test. Human hair also smells like burning protein, kinda like hair used to smell when you used a hot pressing comb and grease...or like it still does if you don't use a protectant and risk heat damage.

Maybe your definition of "melting" is different from mine. When I think "melted", I think of the hair turning to a liquid which then solidifies in the new shape the liquid took. Human hair burns away. It may look like it's melting but if you kept it in the fire, it'd just disappear and not form a lump of goo that hardens.

ETA: Where are you buying your hair from? How much are you paying for it, coz I do believe you get what you pay for.

well i say my hair melted but what it did was shrivel up and curl up. it did pop right when i put it in the flame and then it started shriveling up. all of the hair made this pop and crackle sound when it was burned. None of the hair turned into a liquid or anything like that. See I haven't been flat ironing or using heat on my hair for a long time, so I don't have much practice with singeing my own hair. The fact that my hair curled up just like the fusion hair did makes me think that its all human hair. I just feel bad b/c I sent that woman some nasty emails about it being synthetic hair when it might have been human hair all along. I think what may have contributed to the plasticy feeling is that it was processed to kinky straight texture and dyed to 4b. I just feel back b/c I may have sent back human hair the first time. I'll see how the hair feels after I finish conditioning it.

 

[bellezanegra826]

Agree with Nonie 100%.

Is there a "bulb" left at the end where it caught on fire? Yes + synthetic.

How did it smell?

And the biggest question, how much did you pay?

I only burned three strands of my hair and a few strands of the fusion hair so there was no smell. Perhaps if I had sampled a lock of hair it would have given off more of a smell. I have been able to flat iron the hair on my FHI at 450 and it did not melt. As far as what I paid, I didn't get a discount. I paid human hair prices.

 

[Nonie]

OK, OP, what you're calling "melting" is shriveling up as most organic things do when they burn. If you burn a twig, it'll seem to shrink up and then change color and then crumbles or go up in smoke. As for the smell, you can't smell a few hairs unless you hold them up to your nose. Or rub the part you just burned between fingers and smell your fingers. So yes, you probably had human hair. And yes, the burned hair will have the same smell as your own when you hold them to your nose.

 

[Rain20]

Try using a heated curling/flat iron instead of a flame. It's a better test. The hair will usually melt onto the appliance if it's synthetic. It does not have to super hot either.

 

[Ms Kain]

Wait...your own hair melted? Really? What products do you use on it?

Girl you are silly as hell!!! (You ----> )
You just ain't right! LOL!!!!!