Where your hair extensions really come from – BBC Stories

From wigs to weaves and hair extensions, the market for human hair is enormous. But few know where these lustrous locks come from and the journey they take across the globe.

Go online in search of a wig or hair extensions and you’ll be presented with a dizzying spectrum of choices. “Luxury” virgin hair from Brazil or Peru. “Pure” Mongolian hair. “Finest remy” hair from India. Sleek European weaves. But very rarely will you see hair from China advertised – even though that’s where most of it is from.
China is the biggest exporter and importer of human hair and harvests huge amounts from its own population.