Did those hair extensions come from a modern slave?

[Kokeshi123]

www.axios.com/us-china-forced-labor-products-human-hair-69da26c5-2d01-4bad-a2b2-8c944f6d0a70.html

Some very worrying stuff here.

Hair extensions made from human hair have bothered me for some time. I know many women and girls (and men too, for that matter) cut off long lengths of hair willingly because they want a change of style. But most people who know who did this, donate the hair. My daughter donated her hip length hair to a charity that makes wigs for children who lose their hair due to cancer or alopecia. I have often wondered where all that hair in extensions and commercial wigs/hairpieces comes from. Not all of it is human hair, of course, but the best ones are.

There are now concerns that a lot of this hair may be coming from Chinese labor camps for its ethnic minorities, where forced labor is going on. Some of the hair itself may be coming from the female prison workers. This is obviously part of a much wider pattern where many women who are ethnic minorities in China are being systematically deprived of human rights on a mass scale, including rape, forced marriage, forced abortion and forced pregnancy.

I think this needs investigating, and that some sort of accountability system for the buying and selling of human hair is worthy of consideration. In the mean time, is there any way for salons to find out where the hair used in extensions is coming from and confirm that it was willingly sold and not taken by force, or processed using slave labor? (I do not use extensions myself but I know some women do).

This bothers me too. Even if 'willingly sold' it's most likely under duress/ women in poverty. I can't get my head round it. I can't see why people would want this.

I thought mainly women in poverty and in camps selling hair. I remember reading a piece about Indian women selling their hair. I never thought it’s women in the developed world who wants a change of hair styles that supply most of the hair. There just isn’t enough to satisfy the demand.

Like this www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37781147

I’ve thought about this ever since I watched the BBC adaptation of Les Miserables where Fantine sells her hair and teeth.
I know that hair from developing countries is preferred as there will be much less chance of chemicals ever having been used in the hair. Poverty is very likely to be the driving force behind selling.

That's horrible. More exploitation of some of the most vulnerable women's bodies.

Is there a campaign about this? Or can we start one?

That's hideous.

That's horrible . Just FYI, you can get hair extensions from bananas now: Banana Hair

It also comes from dead people. And from tips. IN India Hindu women may shave their hair as a sacrifice or in thanks for something good.

Indian women also save the hair from their combs / brushes and when they have a bag full it is sold for about £1.

Eastern European women / girls sell their hair, they get about £20.

So your extensions may be from a prisoner, a dump in Chennai, a temple offering from a woman hoping to pay a debt, a Russian teenager, or a corpse.

It's a horrible thought, isn't it? I went to a hair extension studio a few years ago. They advertised themselves as the salon where Victoria Beckham and other famous people had their extensions done (not sure if that's true).

At the consultation, they gave me a lock of long hair. It was really soft and beautiful. My hair is quite thin and this hair matched my hair. The consultant told me that it came from Russian students who willingly sold it so that they could study and have careers.

When I went back a few days later to have the extensions done, the hair they put on my head was nothing like the sample they gave me. It was coarse and very thick and wiry. After a few washes, all the dye came out and it became apparent that the hair was completely grey. It did indeed look like it had come from a corpse. I actually thought that at the time.

Ugh how revolting.

I think if I were ever to get extensions, I'd go for the banana ones.

God, the beauty industry is just shit, isn't it?

God, the beauty industry is just shit, isn't it?

Not all. There are many beauty companies who are ethical, who don't test on animals, or exploit people. You just have to look a bit harder.

There was a really good bbc documentary with Jamelia a few years ago. Quite shocking to see where the hair comes from. I've never had extensions, but a friend of mine does as her hair is thinning. Of course the more extensions she gets the thinner her own becomes. She was quite upset when I joked that she had a dead persons hair attached to her head.

I was going to donate hair to the little princess trust, so make a wig for a child, but it says in their website that they send it abroad to be made and don't guarantee that your hair will be used. This made me wonder how much that's donated is actually used and how much is sold.

This made me wonder how much that's donated is actually used and how much is sold.

If it is sold then the money made goes to make a wig. You are not being forced to donate and who ever ends up with it at least has slightly more ethical extensions.

I've donated to them a couple of times, I have fine hair so at most it can only ever be a small part of a wig.

Wait until you find out about how they make mink eyelashes and sable paintbrushes...

Also worth watching Good Hair documentary by Chris Rock - since BLM is in the news. Very eye opening to me about how our views of beauty have been shaped.

I grew up in Pakistan, well, until I was eight. It was very common for hair from the hairbrush to be saved as it could then be sold on, we weren’t allowed to have haircuts as having three children with long hair meant the bag filled quicker.

I rememeber reading something when I was at university that the a great proportion of hair for extensions etc was sourced in Russia.

I would have assumed that they did, just from the perspective of why would anyone sell their hair if they weren't in desperate need? Escalating from that to people who have literally no choice at all isn't surprising.

Never bought hair extensions, never will. I may be vain but I'm not an arsehole.

Wait until you find out about how they make mink eyelashes and sable paintbrushes...

I am not shitting you I was taught for a WHILE (I'm a nail tech) that the hair for our kolinsky sable brushes is obtained by stroking them to gently release the hair.... I'd say you couldnt make it up but THEY DID

So your extensions may be from a prisoner, a dump in Chennai, a temple offering from a woman hoping to pay a debt, a Russian teenager, or a corpse.

🤢

I have never used hair extensions, and I don't think I ever will.

@MondayYogurt

Wait until you find out about how they make mink eyelashes and sable paintbrushes...

I'm scared to ask but... How are they made? Are mink eyelashes made from mink fur or something?

Nonny - yes they are (there are plastic eyelashes as well but they're heavier on the eyelids). Mainly farmed for fur coats and blankets but 60 million mink killed each year. I couldn't believe it when I read the numbers. And Holland has had to kill all theirs because they can catch Covid.

There is a shop near to my home which sells 'Virgin Russian Hair'. It's a big thing, it seems.

And we all know many big fashion brands such as Nike have a reputation for the use of indentured labour, which is a contemporary form of slavery.

I am not shitting you I was taught for a WHILE (I'm a nail tech) that the hair for our kolinsky sable brushes is obtained by stroking them to gently release the hair.... I'd say you couldnt make it up but THEY DID

People will tell any amount of lies to make these things seem alright. 'Dead weasel' doesn't have quite the same ring as Kolinsky Sable either...

@MondayYogurt

Nonny - yes they are (there are plastic eyelashes as well but they're heavier on the eyelids). Mainly farmed for fur coats and blankets but 60 million mink killed each year. I couldn't believe it when I read the numbers. And Holland has had to kill all theirs because they can catch Covid.

Oh god.

Never bought or worn hair extensions. Anyone who sells their hair is desperate and probably exploited.