Hair: 'it’s Just Thrown Away But It's Gold'

Zeeshan Ali has been a resistance creator for 10 years and has taken his show each complete India.

Central to his capacity is simply a postulation of astir 45 wigs.

“It’s an change of identity, helping maine modulation from my mundane aforesaid into exaggerated, glamorous aliases whimsical characters. The correct wig makes maine consciousness much authentic and empowers maine to bid nan stage," says Ali, who is based successful Mumbai.

But getting that look correct wasn't easy successful nan early days.

"When I started my profession nan accessibility of nan wigs was highly difficult successful India. Most of them were to beryllium originated from overseas aliases I utilized to make wigs originated from immoderate was disposable to maine for illustration wool, fabric," he says.

But things are different now.

“The inclination is changing. Wigs are nary longer conscionable meant for resistance aliases movie artists, but galore consecutive women deterioration wigs to look different. It's nary longer conscionable a hairsbreadth accessory but a style statement.”

Indian hairsbreadth has ever been successful request for wig-making. The federation is nan world's biggest exporter of quality hair, supplying 85% of world demand.

Kolachi Venkatesh, based successful Avadi, Chennai, has been collecting hairsbreadth for 20 years. He started astatine nan bottommost of nan manufacture arsenic a picker - collecting hairsbreadth from households and rescuing it from nan rubbish.

“My parents were hairsbreadth pickers and past I started doing nan same," he says.

Hair collected by pickers from homes, salons and barbershops is called non-Remy hair.

It requires much processing than Remy hair, which is cautiously shaved consecutive from nan scalp. Nevertheless, it has value.

"It’s conscionable thrown distant but it's gold," says Mr Venkatesh.

Those pickers typically waste hairsbreadth to section traders for illustration Mr Venkatesh for betwixt 10 cents and $1 (£0.80) per kilogram, depending connected nan value and magnitude of nan hair.

Shorter aliases damaged hairsbreadth fetches less, while longer strands bring higher prices.

For nan individual picker, there's not overmuch money successful it.

“A diligent collector mightiness stitchery 1–5 kilograms of hairsbreadth successful a day, earning anyplace from 59 cents to $6 per day. This income level is often beneath minimum costs standards, peculiarly successful agrarian areas,” says Mr Venkatesh, who has 50 pickers moving for him.

“While our activity contributes to a billion-dollar world marketplace our net stay meagre. Intermediaries power prices.”

Most of nan Indian hairsbreadth collected by traders for illustration Mr Venkatesh is exported to China wherever it is made into wigs.

“China has a immense wigmaking manufacture which is worthy 5 to six cardinal dollars," says Benjamin Cherian from Plexconcil, nan hairsbreadth manufacture assemblage that promotes nan Indian manufacture and liaises pinch nan government.

If India wants a portion of nan lucrative wig market, he says, past it has a batch of catching up to do.

"When we look astatine China location are hundreds of factories dispersed crossed nan state which adhd worth to nan hairsbreadth industry, whereas successful India nan worth summation still needs to beryllium picked up,” Mr Cherian says.

He says nan authorities needs to thief beforehand finance successful nan hairsbreadth industry.

"It needs automated sorting systems, blase hairsbreadth curen procedures for nan hairsbreadth collected, innovative accumulation techniques for manufacturing of wigs which will make India guidelines out.”

Instead of exporting hairsbreadth for hundreds of dollars, India should beryllium trading wigs worthy thousands of dollars says Mr Cherian.

“We person started moving connected it but it’s a agelong measurement to go. We request to person investigation and training centres," he says.

One Indian business trying to make inroads is Delhi-based Diva Divine Hair, co-founded by Krishan Jalani successful 2019.

It is presently managed by main executive and co-founder Nidhi Tiwari.

The thought was to create high-quality hairsbreadth extensions and wigs that would entreaty to a broader scope of customers.

"There is simply a increasing request for these solutions owed to rising issues of hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment and thinning among women successful India," says Ms Tiwari.

The institution has been helped by a displacement successful attitude.

"Once considered a niche aliases taboo topic, wigs and extensions are now openly discussed, acknowledgment to evolving societal norms and a displacement toward acceptance," she says.

Wigs person besides seen a batch of improvement making them much charismatic and comfortable.

"Technologies specified arsenic 3D-printed wigs and integer colour-matching devices connection highly personalised options. Lightweight, breathable wig caps and improved adhesives person fixed customers to deterioration it for agelong clip without discomfort," says Ms Tiwari.

At nan apical extremity of nan hairsbreadth marketplace is Temple aliases Remy hair.

Much of nan proviso comes from Hindu temples successful nan southbound of nan state wherever hairsbreadth is shaved disconnected successful an enactment of veneration and faith.

Raj Hair International is 1 of nan biggest traders successful nan Temple hairsbreadth business.

Craftsmen astatine nan company's Chennai mill benignant and people nan hairsbreadth according to colour, texture and length.

"Remy hairsbreadth has aligned cuticles, hairsbreadth flows uniformly successful 1 direction, which leads to little tangling and a silkier texture. This is high-value hair," says George Cherion, nan company's main executive.

The patient tries to discarded arsenic small of nan hairsbreadth arsenic possible. To thief pinch that it developed a instrumentality to untangle nan hair. It's allowed them to activity faster pinch less staff.

"Our ngo is to perpetually upgrade nan technology," says Mr Cherion.

Business is booming.

"Indian quality is successful request globally owed to its precocious quality, earthy look, and thinness. The request is skyrocketing," he says.

Back successful Mumbai Zeeshan Ali wants to spot much Indian wigs connected nan market.

As good arsenic making them much affordable, he has a creation suggestion: "A wig that tin create a wow factor."