Hair Care

The Real Story Behind Where Your Hair Extensions Come From

A salon owner travels around the globe to learn about the origins of hair extensions

by Hayley Mason | 1 COMMENT

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If you wear hair extensions, chances are you're pretty picky about what type of hair you wear. You know if you prefer Remy or non-Remy hair, Indian or Brazilian, synthetic or human. You may also believe you can simply look at hair extension packaging to find out its origins. But the truth is, it's pretty difficult to tell where your hair extensions come from, and there are plenty of manufacturers who are deliberately misleading about where they source their hair from.

Riqua Hailes, owner of Just Extensions hair extension bar in Los Angeles and The Weave Express in Washington, D.C., knows this firsthand. After noticing inconsistencies in the hair extensions she received from vendors, Hailes decided to dig deeper. She embarked on a journey through China, Cambodia, Malaysia and India and will continue her travels to Brazil and Russia later this year to uncover the long, storied journey hair extensions take before they reach a salon or retail store. Here is her account.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Separating Fact From Fiction in China

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