I have written previously about my ventilating experience with heat resistant synthetic hair. Since this post mentions issues with heat I am posting a copy of a post I made on another forum. I deleted the various screen names of the posters, but, I include in Italics their comments. My comments are not in italic.
Post from another forum......
I started experimenting with synthetic hair about 3 1/2 years ago as a substitute for human hair when I add (ventilate) hair into an existing hairpiece. Eventually a couple of my hairpieces were converted into all synthetic hairpieces, 98% to 100% synthetic. I now have extensive experience with synthetic hair in a wide variety of real world environments which I will comment on in this post.
"Does it last longer?" Yes. See my comments below. When I say "yes" I mean the synthetic hair lasts longer. The condition of the lace also affects longevity. If the lace goes bad then longevity is shortened, human or synthetic.
"Does the sheen and color last longer?" Yes. See my comments below.
" I think they've improved synthetics more recently than my experience of it a few years ago." One cannot compare the synthetic hair of the past with what is available now. High quality heat resistant synthetic is nothing like the older versions.
" My experience with synthetic was that it didn't behave quite like human hair and became out of shape." You are correct about it not behaving quite like human hair. It does not. But then the human hair in a hairpiece during the first month behaves differently than the behavior in subsequent months. Proper conditioning helps, but change happens. No way to avoid the change.
" It (the synthetic hair) bent and crinkled over night as I slept or if I wore a hat." I have never experienced "crinkling." One of the most positive characteristics of synthetic hair for me is that it almost always looks the same when I get up in the morning. I rarely even touch the hair after I get up. At most a quick adjustment with my fingers or a comb. That is it. Not so with human hair. As for a hat.....hats tend to flatten the hair whether human or synthetic.
"... my head gets particularly hot and synthetic hair reshapes under heat." I spend a lot of time in SE Asia, usually 3 to 4 months yearly between the months of March and July. The latitude where I visit varies between 12-14 degrees north. The sun is either directly over head, or, slightly to the south or north. It is hot, the sun is brutal, the humidity is extreme. I observe no "reshaping" other than that caused by severe thunderstorms. In the USA I live in the desert SW. Summertime temps can reach 115F +. Whether 115F in the summer or 32F or below in the winter I observe no difference.
".... that means it can be re-straightened and tamed using a hairdryer or steam." A hairdryer will alter the shape of heat resistant synthetic hair (same with human hair). I have never used steam. No reason for steam. Steam became popular with the "old" synthetic hair because it tended to frizz. High quality heat resistant synthetic in my experience does not frizz. Also, non heat resistant synthetic hair can also "melt" under excessive heat. I have tested the synthetic hair that I use at over 300 degrees F (almost 150 C), the temp at the exit point of the nozzle of my hair dryer measured with a digital heat thermometer. Zero effect on the hair other than for styling purposes.
" Its biggest advantage is that it never changes colour, so you can dye the rest of your hair and the synthetic grey remains unaffected." I agree that this is an advantage. Not that it is the biggest advantage. Anyone who wears human hair experiences color change. Often severe change. I mentioned above my experience in SE Asia. I once wore a human hair piece for almost 4 months in SE Asia. The hair was fried. Destroyed. Beyond repair. Likewise the swiss lace (I now only use french lace). With synthetic hair I can easily go 4 months without any color change. None. To me.....this is the "biggest" advantage. I should also add that I do 10-11 one mile swims each month in a chlorinated swimming pool. The chlorine has no effect on the synthetic. Human hair....expect a big color shift.
One additional point not mentioned in the above post. Hair length. I think everyone would agree that longer hair requires more care. It is more prone to tangling. Long synthetic hair tangles more easily than human hair. My source for synthetic hair is synthetic hair extensions. The hair length is typically 18" to 24". Tangling is a problem. Before I ventilate I lay out the extension, spray a 50-50 solution of Infusion 21 and water onto the hair. This eliminates most static electricity and thus significantly reduces tangling thus facilitating ventilation. I then cut off hair from the clips per what I plan to use. Once I cut the ventilated hair to my hair length which ranges from 1 1/2" to about 3" tangling is a non issue.
I am not suggesting that synthetic is the perfect solution. It is not. Neither is human hair. The perfect hair piece does not exist. Probably never will. Issues will likely always exist. I have both types of pieces. I remain hopeful that technological advances will make the hair pieces of tomorrow better....... End of post from the other forum.
When I use a hair dryer I typically hold the nozzle between 1" to 3" from the hair which makes styling quite easy. Since the nozzle is very close to the scalp I can only maintain this position for a few seconds without running the risk of a scalp burn. (The minimum temperature that can cause a skin burn in a finite amount of time is 44 °C (111 °F). From 44° to 51 °C (111° to 124 °F), the rate of burn increases by a factor of approximately four with each Celsius degree risen or twice per Fahrenheit degree risen, from six hours down to six seconds.) Since synthetic hair does not absorb moisture drying time is measured in seconds as opposed to human hair which requires more time.
Noah.......you mention that you believe that the Japanese make the best synthetic hair. How did you arrive at that conclusion? I have no idea where the synthetic hair I use (various suppliers) is made. I order through China, but, that does not mean the hair was manufactured in China. Perhaps it comes from Japan.
