Where hair for toppers comes from and how it's prepared

There’s a lot of confusion around quality, terminology and pricing when it comes to hair for toppers and extensions, and it’s easy to feel unsure about what you’re actually getting.

Understanding where hair comes from, and how it’s collected and prepared, can give you confidence that your topper will look and feel natural, stay tangle-free, give you value for money and last a long time. Working with a skilled specialist who uses reputable suppliers ensures the hair meets strict standards, so you so you get a topper that blends seamlessly, feels natural, and lasts as long as it should.

We’re going to take a proper look at where human hair actually comes from, how it’s collected and what happens to it before it becomes a finished piece.

Global hair sourcing

Most human hair used for toppers and extensions comes from Asia – China, Myanmar, India and Bangladesh are the main sources. In these regions, selling or donating hair is part of everyday life and provides income for many families.

The dominance of these countries is due to several factors:

• Large population size providing a steady supply of donors

• Established collection systems

• Specialist factories with skilled technicians

• Reliable supply chain infrastructure

Without this scale and organisation, the global topper and wig industry would not be able to function.

While most hair comes from Asia (more than 80% in fact), a small portion originates in Eastern Europe, including Russia and surrounding countries.

Russian/Slavic hair

True Russian or Slavic hair has a naturally fine texture, is often lighter in natural shades, and grows more slowly. The supply is extremely limited because far fewer people sell their hair, and the population pool is much smaller.

For this reason, genuine Russian/Slavic hair:

• is rare

• costs significantly more

• is usually sold in small batches rather than mass-produced

Much of the hair marketed online as 'Russian' is actually high-quality Asian hair that has been refined to mimic the fine texture. This doesn’t make it 'bad' hair, it simply means the label doesn’t tell the full story.

While genuine Russian or Slavic hair is rare and expensive, a skilled specialist can select the best available hair and match it to your natural texture and colour. More reasonably priced high-quality Asian hair can also give a beautifully natural result when handled correctly.

How the hair is collected

Hair is cut as a ponytail from the donor in its natural state. This means the hair has never been dyed, bleached, toned, permed, relaxed or chemically treated in any way.

The ponytail is kept intact so the cuticle layer runs in the same direction. This alignment is very important – it helps the hair resist tangling and ensures it behaves naturally when worn. At this stage, the hair is considered ‘raw’.

Raw hair, virgin hair and processed hair

Raw hair: This is hair at the point of collection. It has been cut from the donor and kept intact, with cuticles aligned, but nothing has been done to it yet. It hasn’t been processed, coloured, or chemically treated, but it’s not necessarily ready to be used in a topper in the way people expect.

Virgin hair is hair that comes from a single donor and has never been chemically treated — no dyeing, bleaching, toning, perming, or relaxing. Because it comes from one person, it maintains a consistent texture and natural colour from root to tip.

When shopping for 'virgin' hair, look out for claims of multi-dimensional shades, platinum blondes, or ash tones – these are almost always the result of colouring, which means the hair is no longer virgin. True virgin hair keeps its natural colour and texture intact.

Processed hair: Raw hair rarely matches the colours or tones people want to wear – natural ponytails typically come in dark shades, with variations in texture and density, so to create consistent, wearable hair, manufacturers refine and colour raw ponytails in controlled stages. This is standard across the industry and results in what's called 'processed hair'.

Even if hair has been processed to create wearable shades, it’s still 100% human hair. The careful preparation ensures it’s hygienic, soft, and behaves naturally, so you won’t get surprises like excessive tangling or uneven thickness.

Hair processing steps

Before hair is made into a topper, it goes through several processes. Each stage – from cuticle alignment to colour and quality checks – ensures the hair behaves naturally, feels soft, and looks consistent once worn.

Remy preparation: The cuticles are kept aligned in one direction, reducing tangling and helping the hair behave naturally.

Double drawing: Shorter hairs are removed to create a bundle where most strands are the same length. The result is consistent thickness from root to tip.

Colour and refinement: The hair is lightened, toned or coloured to create the range of shades and blends people choose every day. This step is done carefully to keep the structure of the hair intact.

Quality control: The hair is inspected for strength, uniformity, colour accuracy and cleanliness before it is made into toppers.

Processed hair does not mean lower quality

There’s a common misconception that processed hair is automatically inferior. In reality, careful processing is what allows for modern, wearable shades and predictable results. High-quality processed hair is soft, smooth and long-lasting when prepared well. Processing doesn’t reduce quality when it’s done properly. The right hair, prepared by trusted suppliers and fitted by an experienced specialist, gives a topper that feels and looks like your own hair.

This is where a Hair Replacement Specialist really makes a difference too – knowing how to handle, blend and style the hair means your topper sits well, looks natural, and lasts longer.

A note on re-colouring: Once hair has been processed, it generally cannot be lightened or bleached further without risking damage, breakage, or uneven results. This is because the structure of the hair has already been altered to achieve the chosen colour, and the cuticles may be more fragile than in raw or virgin hair. While it can usually be made slightly darker with careful colouring, the outcome isn’t guaranteed – previous processing can affect how the hair takes new colour, and results may vary depending on the shade, texture, and condition of the hair.

Transparency matters

Good suppliers are clear about how their hair is sourced and prepared. Terms like 'raw', 'virgin', 'remy' and 'double drawn' are often used inconsistently online but the aim is simple: natural human hair that has been prepared so it’s clean, consistent, comfortable to wear and long-lasting, without pretending it’s something it isn’t.

Working with a trained specialist who uses high-quality suppliers ensures your topper is comfortable, reliable, and looks natural every time you wear it.

If you’re thinking about getting a hair topper and want to see how high-quality hair can make a difference, get in touch to book in for a consultation.