The Untold Dangers of Synthetic Hair Extensions & Wigs (2024)

Everyone who has bought or is planning to buy extensions or a wig was confronted with the choice between synthetic and real human hair. Many articles debate which one is better by weighing out the pros and cons of each one.

Real human hair is always a better choice for several different reasons. First, it simply looks a hundred times better. Not to mention it lasts significantly longer, can be dyed and styled, is soft to the touch, easy to maintain, blends perfectly, and is safer.

Synthetic extensions or wigs look unnatural, plastic, and often just weird. You can’t dye, straighten, curl, or even blend them properly. Their lifespan is laughable if you compare them to real human hair. Likewise, the only advantage many like to mention is the low price. This is also debatable, because Remy extensions have gotten significantly cheaper over the years, and you can now buy them for a very reasonable price.

But even all the disadvantages of synthetic hair would still be okay. That’s it if you are ready to deal with the potential dangers of synthetic hair strands. Sadly, companies don’t like to discuss the dangers of fake hair. It should be considered if you plan to buy synthetic wigs or hair extensions. So, don’t let hair stores trick you with low prices! First, tell yourself what negative effects synthetic extensions or hair wigs can have on your natural strands and scalp.

The first problem when purchasing synthetic extensions or wigs is that it’s practically impossible to determine how the hair was manufactured and its quality. The only thing to go by is the price. However, that is very misleading and usually doesn’t reflect quality. What you’re buying is very apparent when it comes to real human hair.

There are different types of human hair and you know the quality of each one. For example, Remy’s hair has stringent rules for manufacturing. In the end, you know exactly what kind of hair has been used, how it has been processed, and what the quality is. Such standards don’t apply when synthetic hair sellers try to manipulate the price and descriptions.

If you pay more for your product, hair quality will be better. Right? Wrong! In the end, you get mass-produced, cheap hair that looks horrific. So, it’s a lottery because you never know what you’ll get. Also, that’s not a good way to do business.

Synthetic hair consists of plastic fibers that are made to resemble real strands. How good that resemblance is is another topic! Now, what’s more interesting is the materials that manufacturers use to make these hairs in the first place used to make it. You can never know what’s inside them. However, the usual ones are monofilament fibers, acrylic, and polyester. All those materials can be lower or higher in quality, but the real danger is that low-grade materials can have very harmful effects.

For example, there are many studies that link acrylic materials to cancer. Also, polyester is known to be of very low quality and can irritate your skin. Some girls may not experience any negative effects while wearing synthetic wigs or extensions. On the other hand, those who have very sensitive skin could. Wigs and extensions are in constant contact with your scalp and skin! They are on your face and neck. I don’t think having such low-grade materials around these or any areas is healthy, even though some synthetic hair was found to be toxic!

One of the main issues with synthetic fibers is that they’re highly flammable and non-resistant to heat. This can be very dangerous, considering that most girls want to use hot tools on their extensions or a wig. When low-quality synthetic hair comes in contact with heat, it can burn and melt.

So, imagine what can happen if your synthetic extensions (that are mixed in with your natural hair) melt away! You could lose all your hair or have to cut it to remove that burnt mess. There were multiple reports about women burning their scalp skin and other horror stories.

The latest line of synthetic hair fibers (mostly from 2019) can come with heat-resistant properties. However, it’s not a guarantee! Still, one should never use hot tools to style plastic hair.

The skin on the scalp is a susceptible area! Why? Because hair covers it completely and is not exposed to outside stimuli, unlike other areas of the body. Many girls get rashes and irritation simply from strong shampoo, so imagine what poor-quality artificial materials can do.

If your scalp is susceptible, you should avoid any type of synthetic extensions or wigs.

Synthetic extensions, and especially wigs, do not allow the skin on the scalp to breathe, which is very unhealthy. The scalp will eventually get very warm and moist. What you get is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. This can happen very quickly with synthetic wigs because they cover the entirety of your head. Not to mention all the dirt that builds up from all the sweat.

I believe that dolls should be the only ones with synthetic hair! Real people deserve natural hair only.

Synthetic hair deteriorates in quality very quickly. Just a couple of washes is enough to become a huge tangled mess, no matter how much you brush it. This might not seem like a big danger because you can simply take the damaged extensions off, and the problem is solved. However, that’s not exactly true.

It’s not easy to take out ruined synthetic hair extensions if they blend with your hair. If your natural strands tangle up with the synthetic ones, the only way out might be to cut the hair. That’s not something anybody wants to experience. So, to avoid all of the dangers that synthetic hair poses, buy quality human hair extensions or wigs and be kind to your precious locks.

Conclusion

In the end, it all comes down to your price range and beliefs. Not everyone can afford real hair extensions. On the other hand, not everyone should use them either.

If you aren’t worried about the potential negative effects of synthetic hairs, go ahead and get a weft or two. Now, where do you buy hair extensions? Unless it’s Remy’s hair, this is not something we can comment on.