We Export and Supply Hair to Asia, Europe, Africa
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You might be surprised but human hair is actually a well desired commodity. Hair is pretty important for women as you can look elegant and not have to spend hours in front of the mirror. But why use hair that once belonged to someone else? People spend a lot of money on this because their biggest expectation is that they will instantly look like their favorite celebrity!
Human hair imports have skyrocketed and most of it comes from impoverished women in Third World countries. Some of the “farmed” hair is obtained from India, where women shave their heads and donate hair, either prior to marriage or as part of a Hindu sacrifice. Two types of hair are collected in India. One is Remy hair (the highest grade of human hair, a preferred choice for hairpieces and wigs because it creates a natural look) collected from temples where pilgrims tonsure their hair as part of a religious vow. The Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) is where the most such tonsuring happens. The temple authorities classify it and sell it on the basis of global tenders through the Metal Scrap Trading Corporation, earning 300-400 rupees core a year, according to industry sources.
The second kind is non-Remy hair-household waste collected by gypsy groups or nomads from villages, who sell it to dealers in hair, who in turn sell it to hair export firms. The latter process it, make it reusable and export it to the West, where it is used to make wigs and hairpieces. Several lakhs of people work in the collection, stocking, and processing of hair. Human hair export from India is about $400 million at the current exchange rate, and the country is a key player in the global beauty industry. China is a much bigger player, with hair exports of $5 billion and it is the most popular source country, with imports growing from 13kg in 2007 to 275kg last year. However, Indian hair is considered more suitable for Caucasian hair, and this has increased its acceptability. Even the Chinese industry mixes some Indian hair to improve the quality of the hair it sells.