"So they've shaved their hair off to get rid of their bad karma and they're sending their hair over here and they're marketing it to us. They market it to Black women on purpose because they want to take their karma. And if not, it's like an energy transference."
(From the documentary - "The truth about how lace frontals began to dominate Black hair trends | The History")
It's no secret that culturally, hair extensions, wigs, weaves and lace fronts have saturated and eventually became a significant part of Black culture.
I remember getting my first sew-in with synthetic hair extensions because that was all I could afford at 14 years old. It quickly tangled at the nape of my neck, but I digress.
What I never noticed during my youth (and frankly until recently), were women in our communities having open conversations about the source of these hair extensions and how they might impact our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. It's clear that it's time that we start having those conversations more often.
It was this understanding of creating more transparency within the hair extension industry that sparked the foundation of Ayune hair. At Ayune hair we believe that beauty can be empowering to more than just the consumer but also the women involved in creating the product. We intentionally choose to only source fallen hair strands and dissolve the possibility of harmful practices.
Let's explore some uncomfortable truths about wigs and weaves and how Ayune Hair is working to change the narrative.
The current state of the hair extension industry
The documentary notes that "wearing someone else's hair today is so normal that we rarely stop to question it". Take a moment and count how many of your friends and family have actually talked to you about where their wigs and hair extensions came from. Even as the business owner of this brand, I still can't think of one person that has discussed this with me without prompting the conversation myself.
So what does this blissful ignorance lead to?
Extremely harmful and downright disturbing industry practices. Some occurring for decades and decades and some recently (or maybe we're just only finding out about it).
Here's what you might know: Most hair comes from temples in India
Here's what you might not know: Most times the Indians that come to this temples to sacrifice their hair are doing so due to bad karma
In the documentary, one woman shared that she was being abused by her husband (who is an alcoholic) and her son was doing poorly in school. She was sacrificing her hair to rid herself of the bad karma and hopefully start a new beginning.
This hair is then sold by the temples to hair extensions vendors which has led to a billion dollar industry.
Then Black women (but also many other races) put this hair (full of bad karma, sorrow, and despair) on their head.
(Trigger warning)
Here's what you likely DID NOT know: It is now being revealed that vendors are so desperate to sell hair extensions and wigs at cheap prices that they are collecting hair from deceased bodies.
I gasped when I first heard this, it took my breath away.
There is no way this should be an option. It is disturbing on so many levels.
They also are now mixing most hair with animal hair to make it as cheap as possible.
You might be thinking : I'll just stick to synthetic hair
I hear you but there's quite a bit of research that has shown that the chemicals used to create synthetic hair can cause cancer, thyroid problems and reproductive issues. I've written an article about this here.
It's clear that a new way path forward must be made and it starts with all of us.
Our journey of Ayune hair - Sourcing hair extensions ethically
The beginning of Ayune Hair's journey started with my own personal evolution of understanding that we are all interconnected. I was living in Indonesia and through befriending local women, I realised that their joy is my joy and my joy is their joy (I talk about this in more detail here.)
At the time, I had a curly fro that I loved wearing , however, I was interested in incorporating a protective style, especially during the winter months. I was searching for hair extensions brands that were ethical and also aligned with the grounded woman I was becoming. I didn't find a single one.
So I began the journey of sourcing ethical hair extensions. Much of that involved travelling and visiting different villages.
Soon I found a process that was ethical and humane. Our process involves encouraging women to collect their fallen hair strands (we just about 150 strands a day) and then sell them to us in bulk. It means that women never have to be pressured to cut or shave their hair (which happens more often than you might think). We align the cuticles of each hair strand and then began the process of creating bundles of hair.
During this process, I met the most beautiful woman, with kind and loving hearts. It continuously reminded me that we can do good, if we just try to move outside of what we know.
(Below are images of women that I've met and took photos of along my journey)
When you purchase our ethical hair extensions, these are the women behind our brand. These are the women that deserve to be celebrated and embraced just as much you (and every woman) should be.
If you're worried about whether you can afford ethical hair, I've written a blog that helps you navigate that here.
What makes Ayune hair different?
🌿 We sell ethically sourced hair extensions
🌿 Women are financially compensated for the hair they sell
🌿 We provide high quality, naturally shed hair
🌿 Our ethical hair extensions last for years
🌿 We focus on making a positive impact on communities
🌿 We focus on wellbeing and conscious beauty
🌿 We care about your wellbeing
The future of ethical hair
I envision that everyday women (like you and I) will be the catalyst for changing the hair extension industry. In choosing to solely support ethical hair brands, we will turn a new leaf within the industry and vendors will inevitably begin implementing ethical practices into their sourcing processes.
I envision temples halting the selling of hair that was meant solely to be sacrificed and will once again focus solely on supporting families in getting out of poverty and harmful environments.
I envision women full of joy all over the world.
As a brand, we plan to continue telling stories of women from our collective whom are coming back to a sense of inner peace and contentment. You can watch our films here.
If you feel inspired by what we are doing, you can support in the following ways
🍃 Shop our collection of ethically source hair extensions
🍃 Learn more about our ethical sourcing process
🍃 Join our collective and stay informed about our brand and conscious beauty (by signing up for the newsletter below)
Remember, simply by choosing to be more compassionate, we not only empower others but ourselves as well.