So, I have been thinking about purchasing some human hair extensions -- the kind that clip in. I even bought some on ebay a couple of months ago, but it turns out what I bought was out of stock so the seller refunded my money.
Anyway, the reason I want human hair is because my hair is impossible to match (light reddish brown, believe me I've tried) but I know I can dye human ones to match.
Well maybe. Two things concern me. First a practical issue: I heard that most hair extensions have been subject to heavy chemical processing to bleach out and then recolor them, and then application of silicone-based products to mask the damage. If you get wavy or curly ones that is another step of chemical processing. How well would these really stand up to an additional application of color and then occasional heat styling?
Second, an ethical issue: if vendors are selling basically a full head of 20" human hair extensions for as little as $69.99, how much money did the woman who originally sold her 10 yrs growth of hair get? Probably not more than a few dollars.
I'm not sure how I feel about this; its not quite the same as sweat shop labor but it just seems icky. Where does the hair come from in the world, and how desperate are those who sell theirs?
Thoughts?