Hair Grading Explained: What 5A, 7A & 9A Really Mean

You’ve seen the labels — 6A, 8A, even “10A virgin” — and wondered whether a higher letter-number actually means better hair, or just better marketing. Here’s the honest answer.

Hair “grades” (3A through 9A and beyond) are an industry shorthand meant to signal quality — how uniform the lengths are, whether the cuticles are intact and aligned, how few split ends or imperfections you’ll find. In theory, the higher the grade, the more care went into sorting and finishing the bundle. In practice, you should know one thing before you spend a dollar: there is no regulating body that defines these grades. One brand’s “8A” can be another brand’s “6A.” So treat the grade as a starting point, not a guarantee — and learn what the words behind it actually mean.

The grade ladder, decoded

Here’s the commonly used scale and what each step generally claims. Read it as a rough hierarchy, not a certified spec sheet.

• 3A — Entry level. Marketed as no-shed with no gray, but it’s often blended with synthetic or animal fibre, and the cuticle is stripped or damaged. Because of that, it doesn’t lift, dye, or heat-style well.
• 4A — A step up: the cuticle is intact, so the hair can be lifted, coloured, and styled. But the cuticles run in mixed directions, so it tends to tangle, shed, and frizz within a few weeks.
• 5A — Cuticles now face the same direction, which helps. Quality is still inconsistent because strands are collected from many donors and good is mixed with lesser hair; the shaft is fine. Typically lifts only to a medium brown.
• 6A — Sourced from fewer donors of similar hair type, 100% Remy, medium shaft. With care it can last roughly six to nine months and lift to a medium blonde.
• 7A — Usually two donors, single-drawn, 100% human Remy with a stronger shaft and full cuticle. Can typically lift to platinum blonde.
• 8A — High quality, single-donor, very strong shaft, full cuticle. With proper care it can last up to about two years and lift to the lightest shades.
• 9A (and the “10A” you’ll see) — Marketed as the best on the market, with standards matching 8A and an even cleaner finish. The difference from 8A is small — and the number is largely a sales label.

What actually predicts quality (and what doesn’t)

Skip the letter for a second. The traits below are what genuinely determine how your extensions, wig, or topper will behave — and they’re what we care about at Prarvi.

• Single-donor vs. mixed-donor. Hair from one head behaves consistently — one texture, one porosity, one way of reacting to heat and colour. Mixed-donor bundles are where tangling and uneven results come from.
• Intact, aligned cuticle (true Remy). When every cuticle faces root-to-tip in the same direction, the hair stays smooth and shed-resistant. Stripped-cuticle hair is often acid-bathed and silicone-coated to fake that smoothness — until the coating washes off.
• Single-drawn vs. double-drawn. This is about how uniform the lengths are in the bundle, which affects thickness from root to tip.
• How colour was achieved. Genuinely lightened hair has been bleached or lifted — that’s a process, not a flaw, but it’s the opposite of “raw.”

The honesty most grade charts skip

Here’s where we’ll be straighter with you than a grade label ever can be. Human hair has only three truly natural textures: straight, natural wave, and natural curl. Every other “pattern” you see — body wave, deep wave, loose curl — is steam-set, a beautiful and durable finish, but not something that grew that way.

Colour works the same way. The only natural shade is Natural Black (#1B). Every blonde, brown, and fashion shade is achieved by bleaching or lifting. That doesn’t make it lesser — lift is skilled work — but it does mean the word matters: a SKU that’s been steam-set or bleached is not “raw” or “unprocessed.” We reserve those words for genuinely natural-black, natural-texture hair. “Virgin” means single-donor with no permanent dye — not the same as raw. If you want the full breakdown, see our guide to raw vs. processed human hair.

And origin: our hair is truthfully Indian Remy. No “Brazilian” or “Peruvian” branding that doesn’t describe where hair actually comes from. If you’re comparing, our deep-dive on Brazilian hair versus Indian hair lays it out.

How to choose without getting played by a number

1. Match by hair type, not by hype. Choose based on whether your own hair is fine, coarse, straight, or curly — so the blend disappears. (Never let anyone sell you hair by ethnicity; that’s not a spec.)
2. Order a sample first. A grade chart can’t tell you how a shade reads in your bathroom light. A swatch can. Use our shade & texture match service or browse sample hair.
3. Decide how light you need to go. Going platinum? Start from hair that lifts cleanly — explore blonde extensions. Want the most natural, untouched option? See natural virgin hair.
4. Buy on traits, confirm with the seller. Ask: single-donor? Remy with aligned cuticle? Steam-set or natural texture? Lifted or natural colour? Straight answers beat a big “9A.”

FAQ

Is 9A or “10A” hair always better than 8A? Not necessarily. The differences at the top are small, and because no authority certifies grades, one brand’s 9A may equal another’s 7A. Judge by single-donor sourcing, intact cuticle, and how the hair is finished — not the label.

Does a high grade mean the hair is “raw” or unprocessed? No. Grade and processing are different things. Hair can be top-tier and steam-set or bleached. “Raw/unprocessed” should only describe genuinely natural-black, natural-texture hair.

Can higher-grade hair be dyed lighter? Generally the stronger, fuller-cuticle grades (7A–9A) lift further. But lifting is still a chemical process — results depend on the starting shade and the skill of whoever does it.

Which grade should I buy? Stop at the traits, not the number. For most people who want longevity and easy styling, single-donor Remy with an intact, aligned cuticle is the sweet spot — whatever letter a brand stamps on it.

Shop Natural Virgin Hair Match My Shade & Texture

References & further reading

• Indian Remy hair: all you should know
• Raw vs. processed human hair