Hair
Human hair can be used to make wigs or hair extensions for people undergoing chemotherapy, or as accessories to modify individuals’ hairstyle. Real hair has long been preferred over synthetic hair for both of these uses, as until recently synthetic hair was uncomfortable, hot, and hard to style. However, as the quality of synthetic hair has improved, the demand for real-hair wigs is declining. The Canadian Cancer Society has announced that they will be phasing out their real-hair wig donation programme by 2022.
Hair used for wigs for cancer patients is often donated voluntarily. However, some hair obtained for wigs and extensions is gathered under less voluntary circumstances. Around the word and over time, women have been driven to selling their hair. The sale of hair is less physically intrusive than the sale of other bodily parts, as it does not require medical intervention; however, the loss of hair (regardless of if it is voluntary or not) can still be impactful.
The most recent instance of hair sale arose in Venezuela, a county that has been in economic crisis since 2013. In Venezuela there are high rates of inflation and shortages of basic needs, like food and medicine. In need of money to buy these goods, hundreds of women are crossing the border daily to sell their hair in neighbouring Colombia, where the practice is illegal.
Draggers, the name for the men and women who offer to buy hair, await the women as soon as they cross the border, advertising their willingness to purchase hair. Depending on the quality and length of the hair, and how much is cut off, women will be paid between 10 and 25USD (13 and 33CAD) for their hair. Selling their hair can earn them more than they would make working a minimum wage job for a month. The hair is then taken to the capital where it is sold for between three and five times as much as it was originally purchased.
Real hair sold or donated around the globe is used to make wigs and extensions, which can be used as beauty products and by hair-loss sufferers. Hair extensions have grown in popularity as means to add volume or length to hair; they can be a sign of wealth and in some eyes, increase beauty. Wigs may be used as beauty product; however, women and men who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy or alopecia might also use them.
The most recent development in the sale of hair arose in conjunction with Venezuela’s economic crisis; however, issues surrounding the sale of hair long predate the recent recession. In some instances, high quality hair can be sold for 200GBP (roughly 340 CAD), which incentivises some to access hair unethically. Hair historian Caroline Cox noted that issues surrounding the sale of hair have existed since Edwardian times; and the sale of hair emerges in popular culture, for example in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and at an exhibit in the Smithsonian. The issues surrounding the market for human hair extend beyond concerns of exploitation and well beyond the borders of Venezuela and Colombia.
In 2006, The Observer reported that in India, women’s husbands were forcing them to sell their hair. In a country where long, natural hair is a badge of beauty, such forced sale not only challenged the women’s autonomy, but also their social status. In addition to the forced sale of hair, there have been global reports of hair theft, dating back to 1869 in London and New York. More recently, hair theft occurred in Burma in 2007, in Brazil in 2008, and most recently in August 2013 in Venezuela. In the most recent episode of hair thefts, the ‘Piranha’s’ gang in Venezuela was holding women at gunpoint while taking their hair. In response to the theft, women were warned not to wear their hair down, as this could reveal its length and quality. In contrast, hair robberies in Burma were made easier by the trend for women to wear their hair in ponytails.
The above instances of forced and unprofitable separation from hair are not the only means by which real hair is gathered. In addition to the on-going situation in Venezuela, hair has reportedly been sold for the equivalent of six month’s of a man’s salary in China. A series of online hair-sale websites have also emerged, encouraging women to sell their hair for ‘a little extra money’, or to help ‘hair-less sufferers’. These websites promise that hair can be sold between 40 and 500CAD.
In early 2010, while synthetic hair was still poorer quality, the hair industry was growing rapidly. In 2012, £38 million worth of hair entered the UK; not all of it was ethically sourced. Although hair may come from all around the world, the country in which the hair is used largely dictates the type of hair that is requested, as extensions and wigs are often chosen to align with natural (or current) hair colour and texture. This has mean that in European countries, there is a preference for European hair.
Some hair for wigs and extensions is obtained through voluntary donations. In India, women provide their hair to a temple when their ‘prayers are answered’. Some temples sell the hair provided, earning tens of thousands of dollars every year, some of which is reportedly reintroduced into the community. In other countries around the world, including Canada, people take pride in donating their hair for a good cause.
Although wigs and extensions are likely to remain in use for the foreseeable future, the material that they are made of may change. With the introduction of high quality synthetic hair, it is possible that the global hair trade, and hair donations will begin to decline.
Overview
Human hair can be used to make wigs or hair extensions for people undergoing chemotherapy, or as accessories to modify individuals’ hairstyle. Real hair has long been preferred over synthetic hair for both of these uses, as until recently synthetic hair was uncomfortable, hot, and hard to style. However, as the quality of synthetic hair has improved, the demand for real-hair wigs is declining. The Canadian Cancer Society has announced that they will be phasing out their real-hair wig donation programme by 2022.
Hair used for wigs for cancer patients is often donated voluntarily. However, some hair obtained for wigs and extensions is gathered under less voluntary circumstances. Around the word and over time, women have been driven to selling their hair. The sale of hair is less physically intrusive than the sale of other bodily parts, as it does not require medical intervention; however, the loss of hair (regardless of if it is voluntary or not) can still be impactful.
The most recent instance of hair sale arose in Venezuela, a county that has been in economic crisis since 2013. In Venezuela there are high rates of inflation and shortages of basic needs, like food and medicine. In need of money to buy these goods, hundreds of women are crossing the border daily to sell their hair in neighbouring Colombia, where the practice is illegal.
Draggers, the name for the men and women who offer to buy hair, await the women as soon as they cross the border, advertising their willingness to purchase hair. Depending on the quality and length of the hair, and how much is cut off, women will be paid between 10 and 25USD (13 and 33CAD) for their hair. Selling their hair can earn them more than they would make working a minimum wage job for a month. The hair is then taken to the capital where it is sold for between three and five times as much as it was originally purchased.
The Hair's Journey
The Hair's Journey
Real hair sold or donated around the globe is used to make wigs and extensions, which can be used as beauty products and by hair-loss sufferers. Hair extensions have grown in popularity as means to add volume or length to hair; they can be a sign of wealth and in some eyes, increase beauty. Wigs may be used as beauty product; however, women and men who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy or alopecia might also use them.
The most recent development in the sale of hair arose in conjunction with Venezuela’s economic crisis; however, issues surrounding the sale of hair long predate the recent recession. In some instances, high quality hair can be sold for 200GBP (roughly 340 CAD), which incentivises some to access hair unethically. Hair historian Caroline Cox noted that issues surrounding the sale of hair have existed since Edwardian times; and the sale of hair emerges in popular culture, for example in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and at an exhibit in the Smithsonian. The issues surrounding the market for human hair extend beyond concerns of exploitation and well beyond the borders of Venezuela and Colombia.
In 2006, The Observer reported that in India, women’s husbands were forcing them to sell their hair. In a country where long, natural hair is a badge of beauty, such forced sale not only challenged the women’s autonomy, but also their social status. In addition to the forced sale of hair, there have been global reports of hair theft, dating back to 1869 in London and New York. More recently, hair theft occurred in Burma in 2007, in Brazil in 2008, and most recently in August 2013 in Venezuela. In the most recent episode of hair thefts, the ‘Piranha’s’ gang in Venezuela was holding women at gunpoint while taking their hair. In response to the theft, women were warned not to wear their hair down, as this could reveal its length and quality. In contrast, hair robberies in Burma were made easier by the trend for women to wear their hair in ponytails.
The above instances of forced and unprofitable separation from hair are not the only means by which real hair is gathered. In addition to the on-going situation in Venezuela, hair has reportedly been sold for the equivalent of six month’s of a man’s salary in China. A series of online hair-sale websites have also emerged, encouraging women to sell their hair for ‘a little extra money’, or to help ‘hair-less sufferers’. These websites promise that hair can be sold between 40 and 500CAD.
In early 2010, while synthetic hair was still poorer quality, the hair industry was growing rapidly. In 2012, £38 million worth of hair entered the UK; not all of it was ethically sourced. Although hair may come from all around the world, the country in which the hair is used largely dictates the type of hair that is requested, as extensions and wigs are often chosen to align with natural (or current) hair colour and texture. This has mean that in European countries, there is a preference for European hair.
Some hair for wigs and extensions is obtained through voluntary donations. In India, women provide their hair to a temple when their ‘prayers are answered’. Some temples sell the hair provided, earning tens of thousands of dollars every year, some of which is reportedly reintroduced into the community. In other countries around the world, including Canada, people take pride in donating their hair for a good cause.
Although wigs and extensions are likely to remain in use for the foreseeable future, the material that they are made of may change. With the introduction of high quality synthetic hair, it is possible that the global hair trade, and hair donations will begin to decline.