Human Hair Extensions: Holy “Moldy”, what’s that Smell?

Have you ever received your extensions bundles and thought the smell of the hair was absolutely amazing? I know I have! In my random mind I’d think, “Wow, this donor must’ve been on the fruit and flower petal diet!” I have also gotten some pretty stale, moldy, and rank smelling extensions and thought, “Geeze this hair smells like it was fished out of the garbage disposal! YUCK!!” Here are some things you may not know: Most hair companies are diligent about washing the hair bundles before they send it out to you. A hair company with good quality control understands that presentation of a quality product will take you half the way on the road to loyal customers.


 A lot of hair companies ensure to wash hair they receive from vendors to bring out the very best in the hair. I’ve seen donated hair that has yet to be given TLC by talented hands and the hair doesn’t look like anything I’d buy or want in my house for fear of something crawling out of it. There are other bundles I’ve seen that makes me raise an eyebrow and wonder did I receive hair or a complementary supply of Ramen Noodles. In these instances, I have seen these same bundles deep conditioned, washed, and cared for to the point of complete transformation. If you happen to get hair that looks like noodles or doesn’t look it best, before you count it out, deep condition and wash your unit to see if it does indeed transform.

  A good practice is to always wash any hair you receive from a company for sanity and inspection reasons. You can keep your bundles together and wash them with the correct products to bring out the beauty, shine, and quality in your hair. The washing practice will also let you know right away if your hair will tangle, shed, or react in an improper manner. If it does, you have a great chance of either getting exchange bundles or a refund. If your hair has already been washed by the company; it will look amazing, smell amazing, and have their own signature packaging style to accompany it for a nice touch. These are the companies that you often tend to be loyal customers to over other companies because they understand that something as little as deep conditioning the hair before sending it out to the customer will make the supreme difference.

Remember when I mentioned foul or moldy smelling hair? Do you know the reason for that? Ironically, these companies wash the hair also, but they failed to dry the hair properly and completely before sending it out to you. I’ve gotten hair that was still semi damp and you can smell the SOUR starting to settle in. It’s exactly like forgetting you have a load of clothes in the washing machine for two days. In the words of Phaedra Parks, “Everybody knows” once you get to a certain sour or mold point in clothes or hair, there is no amount of washing that will completely remove the scent. If you ever get hair like that, you should not at all bother with it. Please contact the company immediately with calm and confidence, if you really want the hair, negotiate a partial refund for your inconvenience of getting hair presented in a subpar condition. If you want the hair that you paid for, be sure to let the company know you’d like a return label with signature confirmation and you will be glad to return the foul smelling bundles for better bundles.

 I encourage you to give any company a chance to correct your situation and show you what the customer service is truly like. Customer service is easy when you’re buying and everything is going well, but the true test is when you are unsatisfied and what the company does to bring your resolution. If you have read this complete article, first let me say kudos to your commitment to my randomness and understanding hair. As a sign off, here is a quick hit list that summarizes the article. Feel free to create a hair care scrapbook or journal, post it in your office or cubicle, or place it in a location for easy reference.

  Benefits of Washing/Deep Conditioning Human Hair Extensions or Wigs before Wear
• Sanitation and Hygiene – You never know what the hair journey was before it gets in your hands, give your hair a fresh bath before placing on your head.
• Discover and Avoid “nits” – Certain hair textures or just prone to nits that are often killed in processing hair. This can is usually more prevalent in virgin unprocessed hair. Everything has a pro and con right? Example: Usually hair will not be infested. You may see 1 or a few
• Absolute quality – a good wash and deep condition can bring out the maximum beauty, moisture and luster to your hair
• Quality Control – washing and deep conditioning process can offer you insight in the true quality of your hair and assist you in detecting defects early. If you are also curious what your hair will do in and out of the pool, rain, or beach water – Wash it. While you won’t get a 100% answer (because pools have chlorine and ocean water is rife with salt) you will get a good idea.