Hair Extension Dictionary

Hair extensions can be hard. Here are some descriptions to the most common terms and products you'll see on our site and in the market.

General Vocabulary

Virgin – Raw, unprocessed, chemical free, single sourced, 100% human hair. 

Remy – 100% Human hair with the cuticle intact and aligned. This term can refer to a change in color or texture or both. 

Weave – Hair that is sewn, glued, clipped in, or fused to the natural hair for added length and volume, to cover thinning or balding hair, or for pleasure. 

Weft – Hair that is sewn and/or fabricated as a continuous track of hair.

Track – The manufactured part of the weft that is the typical point of attachment.

Protective Style – This is a style, usually braids or locs, which is worn to help promote the growth and restoration of natural hair. A weave is usually worn over the protective style.

Unit – An objective term for a hairpiece, weave or toupee etc.

Beaded weft – This is a weft that has micro loop beads attached to the track.

Fusion – This refers to the type of extension, which is attached with a keratin fusion bond.

Product Definitions

I-Tips – Type of keratin fusion bond with the hair pre-tipped at one end with high quality Italian keratin. Tip shaped like a capital ‘I’. Designed for cold fusion method. 

U-tips –Type of keratin fusion bond with the hair pre-tipped at one end with high quality Italian keratin. Tip shaped like a capital ‘U’. Designed for hot fusion method.

Tape Hair – Type of extension that does not have a track and is taped into the hair using a double-sided adhesive.

Skin weft – This is a 15” long track made of a polyurethane mono mesh material designed to mimic the look of skin. Can be glued or taped into the hair.

Swiss Lace Closure – This is a closure piece that has a base made of Swiss lace. It is delicate but durable with an ability to provide a rather natural looking scalp. The hair is hand tied onto the lace and the knots are unbleached.

Skin Based Closure – This is a closure piece that has a base made of polyurethane material made to mimic the look of skin. This is recommended for glue in installation.

V-Part Closure – This is a lace based closure piece that is pre-formed into a V-shape so that a defined invisible part can be achieved.

Clip-on Closure – This is a silk-based closure piece that offers versatility in parting and wearing, as it is removable. We also have silk-based closures without clips for a sew in option. 

Lace Frontal – This is a Swiss lace based closure that goes from ear to ear allowing maximum coverage. 

Weave – As a product, this is a continuous weft of hair that can have a machine made or hand tied track. This can be sewn in or used in a variety of ways to make custom units such as clip on sets and wigs.