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Pheng Sreyvy holds her 13-month-old son as her daughter bathes in the background.Paula Bronstein / for NBC news

By Erica Ayisi
21 Sept 2019

Third-world poverty pushes Cambodian women to sell their hair, feeding American demands for first-world vanity.

Sreyvy, 39, explains that her hair used to be down to her waist. That was before hair traders offered her $15 to sell it. “I feel regret for cutting my hair off. I don’t feel made up,”

Cambodian hair has particular appeal to black women, said Janice Wilson, an African American woman who ran a business collecting hair from women in Cambodia that she then sold in the United States and internationally. “There is a variety of patterns and it varies from straight to tightly coiled,”Wilson said, adding that she stressed the variety in texture as compared to hair from India — which leads the world in exporting human hair and where the hair is often donated as a religious practice.

From Phnom Penh, the chopped tresses then end up for sale as hair extensions, weaves and wigs in a global market. The international resale value for hair claiming to be raw Cambodian hair can start as low as $100 for 12 inches of loose hair in a bundle to over $300 for longer lengths, also in a bundle.

She described a husband and wife hair trader team — the husband set the price of the transaction and the wife used scissors to cut the hair “quick and fast,” grabbing the longest lengths in bunches. The ends of her tresses are now thin and tattered. She created a concoction of water and residue from leaves of a Kapok tree in an attempt to make her hair shiny and long.

Sen Karuna, of the human rights association, said these women don’t know how to barter over the price of hair before they decide to sell. “They decided to sell their hair because they are poor, and they don’t know where to sell their hair for international market price,” he continued. “Only the brokers know the markets where to sell hair at (a) high price. The villagers have no choice but to sell their hair when they meet the brokers.”

Wilson said many of her clients admitted that they couldn’t find Cambodia on a map. The mystique created a “trendy” allure about the country, which was attractive to customers. “In the world of beauty, it was something different,” Wilson said.

full https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/made ... t-n1056131

I met this woman who had this big multi-floor operation doing this. There didn't seem to be much machinery involved, just vast floors with swathes of hear that needed sorting. It's mostly for black women, many wear wigs and their real hair is quite modest or cropped. Outside of the Hasidic community, fancy dress and those with Cancer or Alopecia I've never noticed many white women wearing wigs.

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 12:15 am I met this woman who had this big multi-floor operation doing this. There didn't seem to be much machinery involved, just vast floors with swathes of hair that needed sorting. It's mostly for black women, many wear wigs and their real hair is quite modest or cropped. Outside of the Hasidic community, fancy dress and those with Cancer or Alopecia I've never noticed many white women wearing wigs.

How long ago was that JB?

Hair Extensions in the US are pretty popular with well to do white women as well, of all ages. Christina Aguilera comes to mind when she was in her prime anyhow. Whoever can rapidly change hairstyles and colors. I think it's like $700 and up for quality extensions currently.

Oddly, this is a business I have been thinking of getting into. Fill a large suitcase with hair and head back to the US and see what I can sell it for.

Kung-fu Hillbilly wrote: ↑Tue Nov 12, 2019 7:37 pm
Wilson said many of her clients admitted that they couldn’t find Cambodia on a map. The mystique created a “trendy” allure about the country, which was attractive to customers. “In the world of beauty, it was something different,” Wilson said.

Maybe this can give them an urge to visit Cambodia one day. Hair as ambassador to promote tourism.

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 12:15 am I met this woman who had this big multi-floor operation doing this. There didn't seem to be much machinery involved, just vast floors with swathes of hear that needed sorting. It's mostly for black women, many wear wigs and their real hair is quite modest or cropped. Outside of the Hasidic community, fancy dress and those with Cancer or Alopecia I've never noticed many white women wearing wigs.

Nice racist post, John Bingham. Hair extensions are used by about every single ethnicity out there, believe it or not. I've met bar girls in Cambodia using hair extensions.

Yes, of course it's terribly racist to point out the fact that many black women wear wigs. And it's just fine for you to put down Cambodians based on your opinions in almost every post.

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:40 am Yes, of course it's terribly racist to point out the fact that many black women wear wigs. And it's just fine for you to put down Cambodians based on your opinions in almost every post.

Well, the vast majority of black women don't wear wigs. They wear extensions. Just like other ethnicities, or should I say, races.

Don't try turning things around, John Bingham. You know damn well what you did there.

Queef wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:52 am

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:40 am Yes, of course it's terribly racist to point out the fact that many black women wear wigs. And it's just fine for you to put down Cambodians based on your opinions in almost every post.

Well, the vast majority of black women don't wear wigs. They wear extensions. Just like other ethnicities, or should I say, races.

Don't try turning things around, John Bingham. You know damn well what you did there.

I agree. Most African American women have hair extensions.

Queef wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:52 am

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:40 am Yes, of course it's terribly racist to point out the fact that many black women wear wigs. And it's just fine for you to put down Cambodians based on your opinions in almost every post.

Well, the vast majority of black women don't wear wigs. They wear extensions. Just like other ethnicities, or should I say, races.

Don't try turning things around, John Bingham. You know damn well what you did there.

How much time have you spent in Sub-Saharan Africa or living in black communities? I'd guess zero?

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 11:54 am

Queef wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:52 am

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:40 am Yes, of course it's terribly racist to point out the fact that many black women wear wigs. And it's just fine for you to put down Cambodians based on your opinions in almost every post.

Well, the vast majority of black women don't wear wigs. They wear extensions. Just like other ethnicities, or should I say, races.

Don't try turning things around, John Bingham. You know damn well what you did there.

How much time have you spent in Sub-Saharan Africa or living in black communities? I'd guess zero?

Oh boy... Bingham, Bingham, Bingham... When I thought it couldn't get worse... It's ok. We'll pretend we never had that exchange.