Fellow Wig/weave Wearers..do These Pictures Make You Feel Differently About Wearing Them?

[UniquelyDivine]

The Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Tamil Nadu sees people of all ages, especially women and children, getting their heads shaved to sacrifice in the name of religion. The process of shaving one’s hair and donating it to the gods is known as tonsuring. It is common for Hindus to tonsure their hair at a temple as children, and also to celebrate a wish coming true, such as the birth of a baby or the curing of an illness. The ‘temple hair’ is then auctioned off to a processing plant and then sold as expensive wigs and weaves in the U.S., Europe and Africa. Here are a few striking images from photographer Allison Joyce’s trip to Thiruthani as she captured the people and the process that has now become an intrinsic part of the global wig trade.

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59-year-old Laksmi has her head shaved at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Thiruttani, India. Her daughter was sick but she got better, so she wanted to show the Gods her gratitude by shaving her head. Allison Joyce / Getty Images

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59 year old Laksmi has her head shaved at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Thiruttani, India. Allison Joyce / Getty

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Parents wrestle their daughter into place so that her hair can be donated to the Gods at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Thiruttani, India. Allison Joyce / Getty Images

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28-year-old Rupa has her hair shaven to donate to the Gods at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple. Allison Joyce / Getty

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28-year-old Rupa has her hair shaven to donate to the Gods at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple November 10, 2016 in Thiruttani, India. Rupa donated her hair with the wish that her daughter’s illness is cured. Allison Joyce / Getty Images

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28-year-old Rupa and her mother look at her daughter’s shaven head at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in

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28-year-old Rupa has her baby’s hair shaved to donate to the Gods at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Thiruttani,

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28-year-old Rupa and her children pose for a photo after having their heads shaven at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Thiruttani, India. Allison Joyce / Getty Images

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A Hindu devotee with turmeric on her shaved head prays at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Thiruttani, India. Allison Joyce / Getty Images

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59-year-old Laksmi poses for a photo after having her head shaved at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Thiruttani, India. Allison Joyce / Getty Images

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A girl feels her shaved head at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Thiruttani, India. Allison Joyce /

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A Hindu devotee puts turmeric on her shaved head at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple

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Rani poses for a photo after having her head shaved at the Thiruthani Murugan

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Rani poses for a photo after having her head shaved at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple

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A woman who has shaved her head is seen at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Thiruttani, India

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A worker processes hair at Raj Hair International in Thiruttani, India. All of the hair they export comes from Tamil Nadu, 1/4 of which is temple hair and the rest comes from comb waste that people sell.

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A worker hand makes a wig at Raj Hair International November 11, 2016 in Thiruttani, India. Raj Hair International donates wigs to cancer patients in India and also exports hair products, including weaves and wigs, to 56 countries. They estimate that it takes 1 full month to make one wig by hand.

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A woman adjusts wigs on display at Raj Hair International November 11, 2016 in Thiruttani, India. Raj Hair International donates wigs to cancer patients in India and also exports hair products, including weaves and wigs, to 56 countries.

 

[Gin&Tonic]

No different. When I wear extensions they are of Chinese origin.

 

[lesedi]

I want to know how the processing happens.

 

[UniquelyDivine]

I want to know how the processing happens.

Me too... At one time I was really researching how to cut the middle man out and get my business poppin off, making plans to visit hair factories in India and all, I thought I had a good grasp of how it all worked but I was thrown off by this which shouldn't be surprising but still..

" 1/4 of which is temple hair and the rest comes from comb waste that people sell."

 

[lesedi]

Me too... At one time I was really researching how to cut the middle man out and get my business poppin off, making plans to visit hair factories in India and all, I thought I had a good grasp of how it all worked but I was thrown off by this which shouldn't be surprising but still..

" 1/4 of which is temple hair and the rest comes from comb waste that people sell."

That grosses me out , although it shouldn't since there is no real difference in the hair technically.

 

[Ipanema]

Their skin color is so strange to me. It's like a diluted brown that's rubbed on instead of skin deep.

 

[Harina]

Their skin color is so strange to me. It's like a diluted brown that's rubbed on instead of skin deep.

I've heard people before say that many Indians could pass for black but this is why I never confuse Indians for people of African descent. They are brown/black but they have a very different undertone? It's very interesting.

 

[NijaG]

I've known about this practice for a while.

When I wear wigs it's synthetic. The cost of these human hair is going up and up.

 

[jeanghrey]

Is it just women who go through this ritual? do the people of the town benefit financially from this?

 

[kanozas]

She's beautiful! Reminds me of Black women who shave their heads for some spiritual/emotional release who have beautiful smiles as deep and wide as oceans. Anyhoo, I've known about it for ages. Chicken and beef? Mass farming? Mass production of anything? Same. Supply and demand. But, if people feel kinda vegan about it, there is always synthetic hair that is surprisingly more afro life-like than processed Indian hair and much cheaper.

 

[IslandMummy]

No I wear synthetic wigs

 

[Femmefatal1981]

I've known about this practice for a while.

When I wear wigs it's synthetic. The cost of these human hair is going up and up.

I find the exact opposite.

 

[silverbuttons]

There's a flood of hair in the markets. It's gotten cheaper and cheaper.

Tbh, most people aren't wearing real Virgin hair. So, they don't have to worry about these pics. Lol.

 

[Rocky91]

yea this was in that good hair movie, that was when i first heard about this.

i feel like we both happy tho. they want to shave their heads as part of that spiritual practice and i want some remy. win-win.

 

[Anonymous1]

There's a flood of hair in the markets. It's gotten cheaper and cheaper.

Tbh, most people aren't wearing real Virgin hair. So, they don't have to worry about these pics. Lol.

Right. I've always said all of that hair ain't human hair. The demand is too high for for 18+ inches. No way all that can be human hair.

 

[beingofserenity]

Right. I've always said all of that hair ain't human hair. The demand is too high for for 18+ inches. No way all that can be human hair.

I heard it was goat hair.


Lmao

 

[cravoecanela]

The hair cutting pictures are beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

 

[IronButterfly]

I feel bad for the little kids crying, but they look so cute!

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

Real hair has always freaked me out. I think I have one real wig but the rest are synthetic.

These pictures don't make me feel any different about wigs because most of the conditions that are clothes are made in are worse.

 

[UniquelyDivine]

I heard it was goat hair.


Lmao

Let me find out I got the 3 billy goats gruff on my head

 

[ForestRose]

yea this was in that good hair movie, that was when i first heard about this.

i feel like we both happy tho. they want to shave their heads as part of that spiritual practice and i want some remy. win-win.

Yeah but a lot of the time it isn't a win win. Most of the time they sell their hair out of desperation and poverty with the hopes that it will improve either their household or community. I have a strong feeling that the hair companies profiting from this twist it so that it makes people feel better but being honest the industry is quite bad and a lot of people still don't know.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

Nope, I only wore synthetic.

 

[naturalmanenyc]

No, I don't knock the hustle. The hair is donated in the name of religion and hopefully the temples selling the hair are paid top dollar.

 

[ForestRose]

To answer the OPs question, yes I do feel bad. Which is why I've decided not to buy anymore human hair weave. I'm just making the most out of the one I have now but once that's done I'm just gonna buy synthetic. I do think it's weird that veganism has become such a big thing yet people have kinda overlooked how unethical the human hair industry is. It's essentially human fur when you put it into perspective.

 

[Rocky91]

Yeah but a lot of the time it isn't a win win. Most of the time they sell their hair out of desperation and poverty with the hopes that it will improve either their household or community. I have a strong feeling that the hair companies profiting from this twist it so that it makes people feel better but being honest the industry is quite bad and a lot of people still don't know.

I guess i was under the impression that it was being willingly donated....didn't realize they sold it.

 

[Brwnbeauti]

Nope ion feel nothing.

 

[ms.blue]

Nope! I feel no types of ways when I see these pictures. Indian people sacrifice the their hair for religious reasons and the temples actually sell the hair to brokers to earn money for their temples. In China and other east Asian countries, these women sell their hair to brokers as well which these brokers also provide jobs for their people.

 

[FelaShrine]

I feel nothing

what brand hair do y'all buy these days?

 

[Lucie]

I don't wear hear that isn't mine. The pics bother me but I am a softie anyway. LOL.

My first BC I wore a wig. Got it at the BSS. I don't know what it was made with. It was $20 and that was 12 years ago so probably synthetic. I stopped wearing it after seven weeks.

 

[theRaven]

No it does not bother me. I've know about this since my freshman year in college. The only reason I don't do fake hair anymore is because of the politics involved.