There are six ways to see if the hair you purchased is virgin:

1)There must be split ends. If the hair does not have split ends, this means the hair has been acid-washed and the cuticles have been stripped.

2)You can feel the cuticles. Hold a strand of hair near the top between your thumb and index finger, and slide your fingers down the entire length of the hair. The hair should feel smooth. If you reverse the motion and slide your fingers up the strand, the hair should have ridges—these are the cuticles. If the hair is smooth both ways, the cuticles were stripped by an acid wash and you’ve purchased fake virgin hair.

3)The ends of the hair will generally be lighter than the roots. This is more prominent in Indian Remy virgin hair because many women work outside in India. This won’t be as common in hair from Southeast Asia and China, where the sun is not as strong.

4)The moustache/beard at the weft is short. The moustache/beard is the hair that has been stitched to the track and reversed so the hair does not shed. In virgin hair, the moustache/beard must be very short to avoid tangling. If the moustache or beard is long, the cuticles will catch on the long flowing hair.

5)The hair is not coated with silicone. If the hair has a shiny residue on it, then it is silicone-coated Non-Remy hair. Remy virgin hair doesn’t have this coating.

6)The hair does not smell like corn chips. Authentic virgin hair will not contain chemical residue, and it hasn’t been overly processed.