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Home · Weave

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves

Riqua Hailes traveled around the world to learn the truth about the hair extension industry.
By Deena Campbell · Updated October 27, 2020
01
A World of Weave

Riqua Hailes traveled around the world to learn the truth about the hair extension industry.

—

My Chinese Friends who educated me on the inside tricks and secrets in the Chinese hair extensions industry. #mindblowing

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
02
A World of Weave

The factories are run in assembly line fashion. The hair goes through different stages from cleaning and dying with skilled technicians.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
03
A World of Weave

This is a photo of hair that is being cleaned in a hair factory in China.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
04
A World of Weave

The Chinese processing of human hair is mind-blowing. These workers are sorting through the ‘fallen’ human hair.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
05
A World of Weave

Here, I’m am taking lessons from the Chinese on combing the human hair to create bundles that will be ready for wefting.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
06
A World of Weave

The lessons continue and now I am sewing the wefts in the Chinese Factory.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
07
A World of Weave

Factory worker in China with a bundle of human hair in its final washing stage.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
08
A World of Weave

Here I am in a Chinese factory learning how to make U-tip samples.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
09
A World of Weave

At dusk in a small town in China.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
10
A World of Weave

Here I am in a small village in Cambodia talking to women who cut their hair for money and food. I am teaching the children how to play jacks.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
11
A World of Weave

These women in the Cambodian village were very enlightening and stood for a whole different perspective of their part in the hair extension industry.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
12
A World of Weave

In the Old Market in Cambodia where hair growers go to sell hair to hair vendors, I am checking out how they sew their wefts.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
13
A World of Weave

Here, I’m searching through hair gold in Cambodia with a very rare vendor. Many Cambodia women have straight hair and this vendor had a variation of curly textures that have not been processed.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
14
A World of Weave

We searched for women in a Malaysian village who have cut or who would be willing to cut their hair for money. The country is very religious and the women would not even come out of their homes to speak to me. Needless to say authentic Malaysian hair is VERY difficult to find.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
15
A World of Weave

Here I am in a Malaysian village searching for hair. While there I meet a man and his son but no luck with women cutting their hair.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
16
A World of Weave

Searching high and low for authentic Malaysian hair. #NoLuck

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
17
A World of Weave

On my way inside the tonsure (a place that practices cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp) in India, getting permission to go inside with my camera.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
18
A World of Weave

Thousands of Hindus visit the tonsure daily and wait in line for hours for the honor to have their hair sacrificed for God. This is me waiting in line with the pilgrims.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
19
A World of Weave

In India, a tonsure is where Hindus shave their hair for God. The father here is wetting his daughter’s hair that will be cut by the tonsures barber. This is the ultimate sacrifice for the Hindus and in return they believe they will receive a blessing from God.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
20
A World of Weave

Foreigners are not allowed inside tonsures, but I was fortunate enough to have a pass from my Indian friend. There are actually a lot of men getting their have cut as well.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
21
A World of Weave

Here are Indian women outside the tonsure after sacrificing their hair for God.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
22
A World of Weave

In this photo I’m overlooking the tons of hair that is processed daily at the HUGE Indian factory.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
23
A World of Weave

2,000 workers are employed at this Indian hair factory.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
24
A World of Weave

What am amazing experience in an Indian village with the sweetest children. My face expression says it all! #Priceless

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
25
A World of Weave

In a hair factory in India spending the day with factory workers sorting through hair that arrived from the temple. Picking the best hair for my Just Extensions clients.

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
26
A World of Weave

I visited several factories in India and I learned that the women are very quiet and really do not communicate with one another socially. But since I was spending the day working with them we decided to have a little fun! 

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
27
A World of Weave

The women in India are so kind, yet shy. However, I was able to get a few smiles out of them. The owner told me he had never seen the women smile so much! #myworkisdone

The Great Extension: One Woman’s Journey in Finding the Truth About Weaves
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