Do you know how your hair extensions are sourced?
The truth is most of us have never questioned where our hair extensions come from or how they are sourced. We usually just assume that it's done the correct way and after all, "it's just hair" or so we think.
It took moving abroad to Australia in 2012 and a life-changing spiritual journey in Indonesia to spark my desire to truly understand how the hair extension process really works. When people say that travel can change your entire perceptive on life itself, they weren't lying. Travelling taught me that we're truly ALL INTERCONNECTED and my choice alone can impact more than just myself.
Refinery 29 recently showcased an episode on the show, Shady, that took them into the underground world of human hair trafficking. Stating "Wigs and extensions are often made of real human hair, but have you ever questions how that hair is sourced?"
I've said this several times, I'm EXCITED ABOUT THE AWARENESS THAT IS OCCURRING AROUND THE WORLD! We are ALL desiring to know how things work and whether people are being mistreated. I asked this same question in March 2016, but I decided to dig even deeper.
I asked "Do we really need to compromise our morals and another person's well-being all in the name of beauty?"
My answer in 2017 and to this day is no. What's wrong with choosing an option that is kinder and more empowering? This is where AYUNE HAIR was born. Women in rural areas meticulously collect their fallen hair strands (which is natural process - we all lose at least 50-100 hair stands a day, sometimes even up to 150) from their brush and sell them, which creates three things:
1. An additional source of income
2. A sense of empowerment in knowing that they will never feel pressured to cut their long hair
3. A sustainable and consistent supply of hair
Hair grows about a 1/2 inch per month, which means that it would literally take 2 years for most women to grow only 12 inches of hair. With the demand for hair extensions consistently rising around the world, it isn't sustainable to continue cutting women's hair. The consequence of this shortage is that women's lives are put in danger (as you can see from the clip below, women are literally being robbed by knife point for their hair) and deceptive marketing spikes (i.e. mixing human hair with synthetic hair which takes 500 years to decompose).
In most cultures, hair gives women a sense of pride and femininity, imagine for second how a woman would feel when this is stolen from her or she is pressured into giving that away.
Another question one might ask themselves, is "Do I feel comfortable wearing a woman's hair that was sacrificed for spiritual reasons?" To each, it's own because our brand isn't about placing judgement on anyone but simply to encourage women to expand their awareness.
This isn't about being perfect, we all know perfection is unattainable (because we are all authentically unique) but simply about becoming more mindful.
We believe sustainable and ethical hair extensions are the future and we will continue to encourage and support a more conscious society.
Take some time to check out this Refinery 29 episode below and think about how you can help change the hair extensions industry.