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NewSpin:
Buckets of Moolah with Hairpieces: This Hair Business is not a Crime Scene, but a Gold Mine!
Make a small fortune with hair, well, a big one actually! Around $7.06 billion annually, just to give you an idea. But don't let your detective instinct kick in, this topic doesn't spark much excitement for a murder mystery.
"The locks of the poor embellish the heads of the rich - this absurdity is a lucrative trade." Quite literally, turns out - a quote from the new Swiss "Tatort," produced with a touch of theatrical exaggeration. But it fits real life: the global hairpiece market, mostly from real hair, raked in $7.06 billion in 2023 alone, with a projection to reach a whopping $10 billion by 2028.
"Hair stands for diversity, hair shapes politics," so goes the film’s quote. And it's no exaggeration, you can depict a whole range of themes, from social power structures, religious beliefs, to cultural identities, just by analyzing the trade of human hair. For instance, "Rapunzel" is inspired by some bizarre real-life events that gave the industry quite the twist. More than twenty years ago, they almost turned the business upside down!
Quick Check on the "Tatort" TV series ## Hairpieces: idols of worship and luxury goods
According to Jewish Law, married orthodox women must cover their heads in public. The Sheitel - a wig made from human hair - offers an elegant solution, allowing them to respect religious rules without compromising modern aesthetics.
However, in 2004, a rabbinical ruling shook the market up to its core. Shalom Yosef Elyashiv declared that Indian hair, which constitutes the majority of the global supply, was not kosher. The reason? Many of these hairs came from Hindu temples, where women often donate their hair as religious offerings. According to Jewish understanding, this falls under the category of "worship of idols." Elyashiv issued a ban on the practice right away.
The consequences were profound. The Rabbi even suggested burning already purchased Indian wigs, as "idols of worship must be destroyed." Orthodox Jewish women were instructed to pay exact amounts of money when buying these wigs, to avoid receiving any change that might have come from the sale of such wigs.
Now, hair factories have to present special kosher certificates, and each wig carries a corresponding label. Prices for kosher human hair wigs range between €700 and €1700, not including monthly maintenance costs, as women can't wash these wigs themselves. A high-quality human hair wig may last up to ten years with proper care.
The Darker Side of the Glamour Business
Where there's money involved, shady business isn't far behind. "Rapunzel" hints at real problems in the industry with fake human hair, much like the criminal underworld depicted in the show. In reality, there's a vast black market for substandard or mislabeled products. The issue becomes particularly thorny when it comes to tracing origins. While "European hair" is marketed as a premium product, a significant portion of it actually comes from other regions. Tracking these supply chains can be nearly impossible, making fraud effortless.
Questionable is how long this gold mine will still be lucrative: Today, 3D scanning already allows for the creation of wigs that fit perfectly without the customer being physically present. AI helps with color matching and predicting trends. Meanwhile, synthetic fibers are being developed that are nearly indistinguishable from real hair.
As Grandjean and Ott wrap up their investigation in Zurich, the hair business continues elsewhere. Somewhere in the world, a woman is cutting her hair - for religious reasons, out of necessity, or for fashion. And somewhere else, another woman is putting on a wig - to hide her identity, preserve her dignity, or simply to look beautiful.
Source: ntv.de
- Crime
- Tatort
- TV
[1] Grand View Research. (2021). Global human hair wigs market segmented by type, application, distribution channel, and region – Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2021 – 2030).[2] MarketsandMarkets. (2021). Global hair accessories market to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% between 2021 and 2026.[3] Statista. (2023). Revenue in the human hair industry worldwide from 2017 to 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars).[4] Frost & Sullivan. (2022). What lies ahead for the wigs market?[5] Cosmetics Design Europe. (2021). The human hair wigs market: premium products, synthetic innovations, and growing demand.
- The following shall be added to the discussion on the global hairpiece market: it is not only a significant player in the fashion-and-beauty industry, but also has a substantial impact on the finance sector, with projections showing growth to reach $10 billion by 2028.
- Moreover, the luxury of human hair wigs extends beyond mere personal adornment, intertwining with the industry, finance, and, at times, even the rather unexpected realm of lifestyle choices, as evidenced by the complexities surrounding the legality and religious implications of using certain types of hair in hairpieces, particularly in the orthodox Jewish community.
