My Experience & Technical Background
in Human Hair Processing, Coloring & Tangle Removal
My experience in human hair processing and coloring comes from many years of practical involvement in the wig industry.
One of the technicians I later worked with began his career in the early 1970s, at about the age of twenty, when there were only about five wig factories in Korea. At that time, the global wig industry was shifting from Japan to Korea because labor costs in Japan had become too high, while wages in Korea were extremely low, sometimes less than US$10 per month.
In those early years, Korean wig factories mainly produced wigs using synthetic fibers. One of those factories invested in this young technician and supported his education, research, and development. Under the guidance of a professor specializing in textile dyeing, he adapted textile-dyeing technology to the washing, bleaching, dyeing, conditioning, and large-scale processing of human hair for wig production.
Through this work, he became the pioneer of large-scale human hair processing and coloring technology for the Korean wig industry.
About ten key technicians who learned from him later became the operators or owners of major human hair processing factories in Korea. At the peak of the Korean wig industry(1980-1990), seven major hair-processing factories operated by these technicians handled more than 80% of the human hair used by the global wig industry, processing tens of tons of human hair per week. These factories were responsible for bleaching, dyeing, and processing much of the human hair used in Korean wig products exported around the world during that period.
As for myself, I began exporting human hair products, including bulk hair and hair wefts, in 1985. In 1987, I became one of the major importers of Chinese human hair in Korea, importing about 50 tons of Chinese hair in a single order.
However, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, labor costs in Korea increased very rapidly, rising almost tenfold within about a decade. As manufacturing costs increased and China opened further to international business, wig production gradually shifted from Korea to China.
In response to these changes in the industry, I began concentrating more on supplying wig-manufacturing machines, materials, and chemical systems. In 1998, I also began conducting hands-on technical training in wig-production technologies, including hair-weft production and machine-made wig manufacturing.
@@
Beginning around the year 2000, I worked together with this pioneer and began providing hands-on training in human hair processing and coloring, including washing, bleaching, dyeing, conditioning, and tangle-removal techniques.
Until his retirement in 2020, we worked together in this field and trained people from many countries, usually through highly customized, one-to-one hands-on training. Through this work, approximately 300 trainees from more than 30 countries received technical training.
Working beside him for many years, while also directly participating in the training and actual processing of the many different hair materials brought by trainees, greatly expanded and deepened my own practical knowledge of human hair processing and coloring.
He worked in this field for approximately 55 years before retiring in 2020. Since his retirement, I have continued the training programs myself without him.
During approximately 25 years of customized training and practical work, I have revised my training materials approximately 2,000 times. The materials currently consist of a 21-page main manual plus a 10-page supplementary manual, for a total of 31 pages.
Some revisions were minor, such as correcting words or rearranging explanations. However, many revisions resulted from actual processing work because trainees brought very different human hair materials for practical training.
The hair varied greatly in country of origin, quality and grade, previous bleaching or dyeing history, texture, thickness, strength, and many other characteristics. Human hair is a natural biological material, so different hair—even individual strands—can react differently during processing.
Another factor that helped us refine these techniques was Korea's four very distinct seasons.
Training and processing were carried out throughout the year. Depending on the season, chemical conditions, processing times, temperatures, and other working conditions sometimes had to be adjusted. Summer heat, winter cold, and changes in humidity can all affect the way human hair reacts during bleaching, dyeing, conditioning, and other processing.
Working repeatedly under these different conditions helped us develop more practical and adaptable processing techniques over many years.
This long experience also taught me something very important about tangling:
No one in Korea, China, or any other country can produce human hair products that will remain completely free from tangling under all conditions. Human hair is a natural material, and tangling is one of the problems that must be managed throughout the life of the product.
Whether the product is made from high-quality or lower-quality hair, Remy or non-Remy hair, even properly processed hair can gradually develop tangling problems after it enters actual use.
Once wigs, extensions, or other human hair products are worn, they are repeatedly exposed to washing, combing, brushing, heat styling, coloring, friction from clothing, pillows or sofas, as well as dust, sunlight, and many other conditions. Over time, these factors can roughen or damage the hair surface and increase friction between the strands, making tangling more likely.
In many cases, JK-HairCoat can help improve the condition of the hair by giving it greater softness, smoothness, easier combing, and a fresher appearance.
However, when the tangling problem is more serious, Tangle-Removal Treatment may first be necessary, followed by JK-HairCoat for finishing and continued maintenance.
This is also why my main role today is not to provide a small-quantity hair-processing service, but to teach people how to understand and apply these techniques themselves.
