The HIGH PRICE of Holy Hair- NY Daily News
Excellent Article on INDIAN TEMPLE HAIR EXTENSIONS
| The high price of holy hair | |||
| The hottest new extensions come from Indian virgins | |||
It's no longer enough to wear pricey hair extensions made from human rather than synthetic hair - the latest must-have tresses come from virgins who shave their heads in a traditional Hindu ceremony on the other side of the globe. Stars including Halle Berry, Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez reportedly wear the "temple hair," pristine locks that once belonged to Indian maidens in their teens and early 20s. Remarkably, these women don't receive a dime for their trouble - the money goes directly to the shrine. The demand for temple hair has now spread to New York City hair salons, where clients spend an average of $3,000 on the extensions - enough to feed a poor family in India for six months. They are attracted by the purity of the hair - Indian women frequently grow it 20 inches long and rub natural oils into each strand to keep it soft and glossy - as well as its spiritual connotations. "It is very popular because it is fine but also durable," says Jennifer Rasole, PR director at A.F Bennett Salon and Wellness Spa on Staten Island. "It can be colored, heated and blow-dried exactly like your own hair and looks great even when you're swimming." The women sacrificing their hair are often brides-to-be who, according to some critics, are mostly unaware that it is sold for profit. Others regard it as their donation to the temple. They believe that, in return, the god Vishnu will grant them health and happiness. The gesture shows they are willing to give up their pride and vanity before marriage. Every day up to 4,000 stand in line for the sacred head-shaving ceremony at the temple in Tirupati, in hilly Andhra Pradesh. "It's a wonderful thing," says Batsheva Schilis, 24, of Oakwood, Staten Island, who recently fitted extensions to her hair. "It doesn't frizz in the summer and is easy to straighten and maintain. "But, if you're a spiritual person like me, you feel an energy from the chi of the woman who donated it. I don't think the Indian women are exploited. They see the ceremony as an honor." Great Lengths International, an Italian company that buys hair from Tirupati and other Hindu temples, exports the bundles to Africa, where they are washed, sorted and stitched at the root before being finished in Italy. The product is later shipped to wholesalers and on to upscale salons such as A.F Bennett and Warren-Tricomi in Manhattan. "It is the most like European and Caucasian hair in texture and appropriate for any chemical treatment," says a spokeswoman for Great Lengths International. "This hair is available in the needed quantities to meet the global demand." She added that the hair is derived from consenting women of all ages and the cash raised by the temples finances community projects. However, though the Indian government regulates the hair's sale, concerns grow about the black market that supplies cheaper versions. It estimates up to 80 of every 100 locks of hair come from illicit dealings where suppliers prey on desperately poor women and pressure them into selling their hair for next to nothing. "In many cases we fear women are being exploited," says trade minister E.V.K.S. Elangovan. "This is obviously an environment which breeds illegality." |
