BBC & Pop Star Search for Weaves’ Origins

Ever since I started this blog, the number one topic I’ve been asked about is Chris Rock’s documentary, “Good Hair”. In the film, Chris makes a pit stop in India and learns about tonsure, the practice of cutting off ones hair as an offering to God or in this case, the Hindu Gods. People often want to know how I feel about wearing weaves, given the fact that it probably came from hair that was donated to the Gods by people that likely do not know it is going to be sold by the temple. In an effort to determine if there were any fair trade hair alternatives, I started doing research and came across this amazing BBC documentary. It follows Jamelia, a British Pop star, on her quest through Great Britain and to India and Russia to learn about the weave trade and who is selling and profiting from the hair. I found the documentary to be extremely dynamic, heartfelt and surprising. I was really impressed with Jamelia’s sensitivity and respect for the people she interviewed.

I don’t want to give anything else away; but let’s just say most of the hair from India, especially the inexpensive kind that ends up in most beauty supply stores, does not come from tonsured hair. Instead, it comes from a source that might have you seriously questioning whether or not you ever want to put it anywhere near your head again (fast forward to the end of Part Five to see what I’m talking about)! On a lighter note, it feels good to know that the human hair industry also creates many jobs that would otherwise not exist in emerging economies. With that said, I’m still on the lookout for fair trade hair. If you have any information about fair trade hair vendors or advocacy organizations, please email me at [email protected]

Part Four-Jamelia travels to India and has a DNA analysis done on her weave to determine where it comes from

This video raises some important questions. If even the poorest women would not accept money for their hair sacrifice, is it still considered exploitation to sell it afterwards? Do you think it is morally wrong to sell the hair since it is a sacrifice, even if some of the money goes toward feeding and housing the poor? Will you continue to buy high-end hair extensions now that you know it is collected in this manner?

Part Five-Jamelia learns about the Indian hair trade and tonsure practice up close and personal

I respect Jamelia’s point of view as a mother and her Jamaican beliefs about cutting children’s hair. But I must say I don’t see a problem with the ritual of cutting children’s hair, since it is a cherished part of their culture and it will grow back. I don’t think it is any more traumatic than dunking babies in water for baptisms here or piercing their ears against their will. They’ll get over it.

On another note, I think this video highlights the importance of not jumping on bandwagons or causes quickly without understanding the complexities of an issue. I’ve heard many women speak out against the inequity of the human hair trade after watching “Good Hair”- and rightly so. But, what they don’t understand (and what I myself was ignorant about until watching this documentary) is that 75% of the hair collected and sold in India is not collected at temples. Instead, it’s collected by women and men in poor villages and provides jobs for people that otherwise would not have them. Also, we must keep in mind that not all hair comes from India. Some of it comes from needy families in other countries, like Russia (see Part Three below). So, while we still need to advocate for the fair trade of hair, we should be cautious to be sure we know all there is to know about the process before we decide to stop buying these products all together, and endanger the livelihood of these women and men. Our goal should be to support businessmen and women in emerging cultures and make sure a fair share of our dollars gets to those sacrificing their hair and doing the lion’s share of the work to collect it.

Check out the rest of the videos below and let me know what you think in the comments section.

Part One- Jamelia visits a high-end extensions salon, and a club

I was really shocked to learn just how much women of all cultures revere weaves. I always knew that women (and men) of all ethnicities wore weaves. But I did not realize how much the pursuit of long hair had hurt others’ self esteem as well.

Part Two-Jamelia visits British school girls and travels to Russian with a sought after weave Technician