Raw Hair Buying Guide
Everything you need to decide what to order: what raw hair is, which origin suits your hair, how many bundles to buy, and what it costs. If you already know what you want, go straight to the raw hair collection.
Raw, virgin and Remy are not the same thing
These three words get used as though they mean the same thing. They do not, and the difference is what you are paying for.
- Remy describes cuticle direction only. The strands face the same way, so it tangles less than non-Remy hair. It can still be collected from several donors and it can still be processed.
- Virgin means not coloured and not permed. It may still have been steam-processed to force a uniform curl into it.
- Raw means no chemical processing at all. No steam, no perm, no acid wash. The wave or curl is what grew out of one person's head.
The practical test is what happens after you wash it. Steam-processed hair loses its pattern and goes limp, because the pattern was never really its own. Raw hair's texture comes back wet, every time.
Raw is also why our bundles start around $146 rather than $60. There is no way to make raw single-donor hair cheap.
Single donor, and why tangling starts at the nape
One head of hair per bundle. Density and texture stay consistent from the top of the bundle to the bottom, and it blends with itself instead of fighting.
When hair is collected from many heads and mixed, the cuticles run in every direction. Those opposing cuticles catch on each other, and it shows up first as matting at the nape of your neck, usually two or three weeks in. No amount of conditioner fixes it, because it is a structural problem rather than a moisture problem.
Choose your origin
Origin determines the natural texture and the coarseness of the individual strand. We carry four.
| Origin | Natural texture | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cambodian | Wavy, some curly | Our largest collection. A medium strand that suits most people, and the safest first order. |
| Burmese | Our tightest natural curl | Blending with naturally curly hair without daily heat. |
| Raw Indian | Wavy through straight | Sleeker looks, and the most versatile if you switch between straight and wavy. |
| Lao | Soft wave | A slightly coarser strand, which holds a curl set longer. |
The rule that matters: match the extension texture to your own hair as it looks unstraightened. If your leave-out needs flat-ironing every morning to blend, you chose the wrong texture, and daily heat is what kills extensions early.
Or choose by texture instead
If you would rather shop the look than the origin: wavy is our deepest selection, then curly, straight, blow-out, and blonde and #613.
Pick the format
| Format | Starts at | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Wefts and bundles | $146 | The standard sew-in. What most installs are built from. |
| Closures | $154 | A parting space so no leave-out is needed. We stock 2" by 6", 5" by 5" and 7" by 7". |
| Frontals | $286 | A full hairline you can part anywhere. 13" by 4" and 13" by 6". |
| Clip-ins | $270 | In and out the same day. No stylist, no commitment. |
| Bulk for braiding | $134 | No weft attached. For braiders and locs. |
| Tape-ins | $194 | Flat against the head, no braiding or sewing. |
Want it already built? Our wigs use the same raw hair — see the wig buying guide.
Length, and what it does to the price
We stock 10 to 34 inches. Price rises with length because longer hair means fewer usable donors, and it rises fairly gently:
| Length | Raw Indian Wave weft | Raw Cambodian Natural Wavy |
|---|---|---|
| 10" | $146 | — |
| 16" | $167 | $178 |
| 20" | $189 | $200 |
| 24" | $211 | $221 |
| 28" | $232 | $243 |
| 32" | $254 | $265 |
Two things worth knowing about length. Curly and wavy hair shrinks — a 20 inch curly bundle wears shorter than a 20 inch straight one, so size up an inch or two if you are matching a target look. And longer hair naturally tapers toward the ends, so 24 inches and above needs more weight to avoid looking thin at the bottom.
How many bundles
- Two bundles — enough at 10 to 18 inches, or for a partial install adding volume rather than length.
- Three bundles — the standard answer, and right for most installs from 18 to 24 inches.
- Four bundles — for 26 inches and above, or if you want noticeably thick ends.
A closure or frontal is counted on top of that, not instead of a bundle.
Buying all three from the same product and the same length group matters more than the number does. Mixing origins across one install is the most common reason a finished head does not blend.
Making it last
Raw hair is bought to be reused across several installs. Whether yours gets there is almost entirely about care, not origin.
- Seal the wefts before installing. This is the single biggest predictor of whether a bundle survives its second install.
- Co-wash, do not shampoo hard. There is no scalp feeding these strands any oil.
- Wash downward in one direction rather than scrubbing in circles, which is how tangling starts.
- Air-dry where you can. Heat is what ages extensions, and daily flat-ironing is the fastest way to turn 24 months of hair into 4.
- Store it braided or on a hanger between installs. Not balled up in a drawer.
Start with one bundle
Our sales are final, so we would genuinely rather you tested us than trusted us. Buy one bundle, wash it, and see whether the texture comes back. Then order the rest of your install once you know. That is a real test, and it costs you $146 to run instead of $600.
Ask before you order
Tell us your install plan, the length you want and your budget, and we will tell you exactly what to order — including when the answer is fewer bundles than you were about to buy.
Email support@truebeautyhairinc.com · Call 929-354-7579
TRUEBEAUTYHAIR INC, 1178 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001
More questions? Read the FAQs. Want to hear when a length or texture is back? Get restock alerts by text.
