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

PHOTO 1/6

Separating Fact From Fiction in China "I started my journey in March 2014. My first stop was China, the largest exporter of human hair in the world. China can reproduce almost anything -- and hair is no exception. Chinese hair is often considered cheap in the extensions industry because it isn't donated hair, so in order to be on the same playing field as other exporters, they will market it as Brazilian or Malaysian hair, which can go for twice the money.

"China imports fallen hair, also referred to as non-Remy hair, from India. Fallen hair is dead hair that naturally sheds and is collected from hair salons and hairbrushes. Because the hair's quality has been jeopardized and matting is likely to occur, non-Remy hair is less desirable in the extensions industry. But China collects this hair, cleans it and mislabels it as being from a higher-quality hair extension source like Brazil, Russia or India.

"If you're shopping for extensions, and they say they're shipped from China, it's probably Chinese hair masquerading as something else. One hair distributor taught me to pay attention to the smell: Fallen hair has a smell of acid and silicone that's easily recognizable."

SEE NEXT PAGE: Selling for Survival in Cambodia

EDITORS' BEST OF

12 Best Acne Products for Your Clearest Skin Yet

11 Best Tinted Moisturizers for Easy, On-the-Go Coverage