Hair raising! Sold in Asia, used in US

Hair extensions and weaves, for decades a part of the hair-care repertoire of black women, have become increasingly popular among other ethnic groups, along with a growing roster of celebrity clientele.

And the supply itself is changing, as women who used to have long, unprocessed hair perfect for extensions have started to change their styles. The countries of Asia, particularly India and China, have for years been a goldmine for hair.

Women have also been willing to give their hair up, either for profit or principle, whether by offering the hairs that get caught in their brushes, or by cutting off years of growth at a time. In India, for example, a religious practice calls for the cutting of hair as a sacrifice, and at least one large temple in India has brought in much money for the institutions by selling the hair the devotees shave off.

Aside from the length, Chinese and Indian hair also have another advantage–the strands are strong enough to handle the colour stripping and other steps it takes to turn Asian hair into something that matches other women. “The Chinese hair handles the process the best,” with the Indian hair close to it, said Gary Teitelbaum, owner of

Adorable Hair-Do Corp., in Manhattan. The hanks of hair are separated into sections, and wrapped tightly into coils around wooden sticks of various thicknesses. The sticks go through a procedure of boiling and drying that makes the hair curl. To change the colour, the natural pigment is chemically removed and the new colour added in.

“I can get any texture I want now,” said Diane Da Costa, a stylist and author who specialises in working with textured hair and extensions.