Where Do Hair Extensions Come From? Asia vs. Europe Explained
The difference between a hair transformation and a hair nightmare is largely dependent on where and how your extensions are sourced. Here’s everything you need to know before you buy.
Slavic Hair
Asian Hair
European Sourced
Are you thinking about getting hair extensions? Then you definitely want to research where your hair is coming from. Because the difference between a hair transformation and a hair nightmare is largely dependent on where and how your hair extensions are sourced.
Below is a chart showing the top 3 regions of the world that export human hair extensions. (Source) Asia, Europe, and North America make up over 90% of the hair extension market — so there is a highly likely chance that the hair you purchase will be from one of these regions.
Chinese and Indian Hair Extensions (Asian)
The largest exporter of human extension hair in the world is Hong Kong with 51.9% of the market. India is a close second with 32.5%. That means there is a good chance that the extensions you are buying will be from one of these two countries. If you are buying Remy Hair, it is guaranteed to be of Asian origins.
✅ Pro #1 — Affordability
The biggest pro of purchasing Chinese or Indian hair is that the cost per ounce is significantly cheaper than other types of hair.
❌ Con #1 — Chemical and Color Processing
The vast majority of women native to these countries have predominantly darker shades of hair. So if you are purchasing blonde or lighter toned extensions, the hair will have been color processed or chemically altered. Processing and coloring weakens the hair’s structure and will ultimately reduce quality.
If the hair you are purchasing has been changed from dark brown to blonde, the cuticle is either severely damaged or removed altogether. That means it will look amazing when first installed, but will quickly become matted, easily tangled, frizzy, dry, and lifeless after a few washes. Read more in this Forbes article.
❌ Con #2 — Quality of the Source (Standard Hair)
When purchasing hair from these countries you run the risk of buying what the industry calls Standard Hair — a more flattering term than what it actually refers to. Standard Hair is extension hair gathered from numerous sources (hair brushes, salon floors, drain plugs, and other questionable sources), bundled together, processed, and packaged for sale.
As a BBC article noted, “There is a whole industry around untangling, sorting and treating comb waste. While the finished product invariably passes through China on the way to its final destination, it is likely to be a mishmash of hair from many Asian countries. There is no distinction, it all gets mangled up.” (Source)
❌ Con #3 — Limited Regulation
The hair extension market in Asia is largely unregulated, meaning there is always a chance that the hair you are purchasing is counterfeit or mislabeled — even if labeled as higher quality.
Our Recommendation — Asian Hair
Asian extension hair is much cheaper but comes with a significant reduction in quality. Lighter tones will have been dramatically chemically altered, resulting in dry and damaged hair. Standard Hair is common, and the market is largely unregulated. Our recommendation is to skip this hair altogether and pay extra for a higher quality product — it will look more natural and last much longer.
Slavic Hair (European)
The Slavic regions of Europe — including Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Russia, and other Eastern European countries — represent the third largest exporter of extension hair in the world. The popularity of hair from this part of the world continues to grow as more women become aware of its superior quality. Due to its popularity and limited availability, Slavic Hair is hard to come by and commands a premium price.
✅ Pro #1 — The Longest Lasting Hair Available
Slavic Hair will last up to 1 year with proper care. The average Remy Hair from China and India lasts 3–6 months. Lower grade silicone-coated hair lasts less than a month.
✅ Pro #2 — Minimally Processed
Slavic Hair comes in a wide variety of colors and textures — from dark to light — so finding a match for your natural hair is much easier. Because of this range, it requires minimal processing before installation, resulting in extensions that are healthier and of higher quality.
✅ Pro #3 — Virgin, Double Drawn, and Hand Tied Wefts
If you find a salon that carries Slavic Hair, they will most likely have access to Virgin Slavic Hair — 100% human hair that has never been colored or chemically processed. As a Huffington Post article noted about sourcing Ukrainian hair: the double drawn process removes short hairs so the hair appears thick from roots to ends, and hand-tied wefts take one worker a full day to complete just 100 grams — no mass production.
❌ Con #1 — Higher Price
With quality comes price. However, European hair lasts 2 to 4 times longer than even the best hair sourced from China and India, and it looks and feels far more natural.
❌ Con #2 — Harder to Find
Because demand for Slavic Hair is so high, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find. If you ask your current stylist where their hair is from, they will almost certainly say “Remy Hair” — which simply means cuticle-aligned hair from China or India, not European hair.
Our Recommendation — Slavic Hair
The pros of Slavic Extension Hair far outweigh the cons. You may pay a little more, but the quality, longevity, and natural look make it well worth it.
Glamour Locks Exclusively Uses European Cuticle Hair
All Glamour Locks salons exclusively carry Cuticle Hair and Cuticle Hair+ — silicone free, single donor, European sourced, lasting up to 1 year, cuticle aligned, and 100% human hair with the cuticle fully intact.
