My first experience with hair extensions was at one of those ubiquitous beauty supply stores. Although I haven't been inside one of these stores in quite some time, I can tell that it hasn't changed a bit in appearance over the years. I inquire with the young man working behind the counter at the Manchester, United Kingdom, location of the beauty supply store. He tells me that they cost £75 and that they are of excellent quality, assuring me that they will serve me well for a long time. It is nothing new for me to use hair extensions, whether they are made of human or synthetic hair, whether they are for weaves, braids, or wigs. Despite the fact that I have been using hair extensions for quite some time, it wasn't until relatively recently that I started caring (really) about the quality of the hair that I was using. However, because the hair extension industry is still largely unregulated, unsightly business practices are able to continue without being brought to the attention of customers. In spite of this, wigs and hair extensions continue to enjoy widespread popularity. For Black women such as myself who use hair extensions for both protective styling and self-expression (and have no immediate plans to stop), fingers point to us as the source of this growing demand for hair extensions.

This is due to the fact that we use hair extensions for both protective styling and for self-expression. It has never been easier to get in touch with a retailer and demand accountability if they do not list their sources of supply on their website. This is because we use hair extensions for both protective styling and for self-expression. ADVERTISEMENTAt what point does the decision to wear hair extensions made from human hair become morally acceptable? Those who have prior experience with hair extensions will be aware that the terms Remy, Raw, and Virgin (which all mean unprocessed) are indicators of high-quality human hair. This is because all three of these terms refer to hair that has not been treated or processed in any way. These terms are interchangeable. They are typically linked with the most luxurious nations, such as Malaysia, Russia, Brazil, and Cambodia, and as a result, they tend to be associated with those nations. These descriptors frequently provide a more in-depth account of the journey that this hair took to get to the point where it is now being sold as well as the individual to whom it was once attached.

In 2019, Refinery29 exposed the truth about where human hair extension comes from

• In 2019, Refinery29 revealed the truth aboutThe company's discovery that poor women were being forced to give their hair for extensions sparked the investigation into the practice

• It is common practice for thieves to target women who wear their hair in ponytails for the purpose of stealing their hair and then selling it on the black market

• The company's discovery that poor women were being forced to give their hair for extensions sparked the investigation

• According to Tendai Moyo, CEO and co-founder of Ruka Hair, a Black-owned hair extension company that serves predominantly Black consumers with hair extensions made of 100% human hair, there is no one holding these manufacturers accountable

• Do you treat the individuals whose hair you purchase fairly in terms of payment

• In some of these incidents, the victims have their hair cut off against their will

• Are some of these people people who have been exploited through the practice of human trafficking

• Or they voluntarily accept having their hair extensions provided for them

• According to Moyo, you have this enormous problem in which someone can spend five hundred pounds on a wig that is supposed to be real hair but it is a mix of the synthetic, human horse, and God knows what else

This hair comes from women who cut their hair for the purpose of selling it afterward, as many of these women rely on the mon­ey that they make from selling their hair. This will reduce the demand for raw human hair and help Ruka Hair meet its mission of reducing the demand for raw human hair. She tells Refinery29 that the most important thing I've learned is that we, as a company, are going to have to hold those manufacturers to a higher standard because there is no regulatory body that is going to do it for us. We have a quality control facility here in London so that we can double-check the hair that comes and send back what does not wring our standards. She tells R29 that the learning experience has been a lengthy one, but also an interesting one. It has given her the opportunity to develop her own code of ethics with regard to the individuals from whom she obtains human hair.

Hair must be freely given and donated, and those who provide it must be compensated fairly, she says. She goes on to say that she even had a conversation with a Vietnamese woman whose hair was being cut at the time. It is unfortunate that so much hair is thrown away. Instead of having her hair shaved off completely from the scalp, she was given a short bob haircut instead. Every day, thousands of Hindus set out on the journey of a lifetime known as the pilgrimage. It is presumed that these men and women have no problem with the temples carrying out this practice because it enables the temples to provide those who are on pilgrimage with free housing, education, medical care, and food. The temples collect the hair from both men and women and store it in bundles before auctioning it off to businesses that manufacture hair products.