Georgie Kennett
Synthetic Hair
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Polypropylene fiber, and is made to look like human hair, but that is about all it does well. It typically comes in a jumbo braid, like a poofy braid pattern. And it is meant to be installed in cornrows or individual braids. It doesn't hold its shape well and it does not seal very well. It doesn't seal smooth. It kind of splatters when you apply heat to it. So it's good for braided applications, not a whole lot else.
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Toyokalon holds its shape incredibly well. Toyokalon is manufactured in a lot of products that are meant to hold a style over time. So you will see Toyokalon being used in a lot of braiding fibers that already have flips at the end or that have other kinds of curl patterns to them. It is often what is used in synthetic weaving hair which is hair that is on a weft. So it is going to have that retention over time.
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Kanekalon is actually manufactured to specifically be manipulated by heat. What that means is that when you apply an open flame to it, it has a smooth melt. It means it is not going to splatter, it's not going to sputter, it's not going to smoke, it's not going to do all these things. It is going to actually melt onto itself so that it can actually be rolled into a heat seal.The other thing about Kanekalon is that it is used a lot to make synthetic dreads. Or to make curl patterns because it has that nice retention with that heat. So it is used a lot for boiling dips or other things like that.
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Shapeshifter also works very well with heat, but it works at a higher level. Shapeshifter was made to be a human hair alternative. It has the same sheen, the same denier (which is the thickness of the strands). It has a lot of those working properties that you would find with a human hair. So, it can be used in a lot of applications where Kanekalon is also used because it can be manipulated with heat, but it is made to be more of a human hair look and feel.
Doctored Locks(2013). Types of synthetic hair and when to use them - DoctoredLocks.com
Types of Synthetic Hair
With technological advances, synthetic hair has come a long way in recent years. In some cases it is difficult to tell the difference -- the denier and texture are such that they feel almost like human hair. As a matter of fact, with some of the higher quality synthetic pieces, you would never know they were not natural human hair if you didn’t have the human hair right next to it to compare!
The most appealing aspect to synthetic hair is it can often be worn right out of the box with little or no styling. The fiber used has "memory" for wave, curl and volume which lets hair bounce back into place with minimal effort -- the curl pattern is permanently set. It can even hold up in bad weather and can guarantee no drooping or frizzing.
However, what synthetic hair offers in ease, it lacks in versatility. It cannot be styled to look many different ways like its human hair counterparts. Only special Heat Friendly synthetic hair is heat styleable to change the curl pattern. Keep in mind, even the heat friendly fiber can be difficult to style as synthetic fiber is more resistant to change. Synthetic hair is also less durable than human hair. With proper care you can expect synthetic hair wigs and hairpieces to last about 4-6 months – heat friendly synthetic hair 2- 3 months.