Sourcing Tips Worldwide– Beauty Suppliers
Tips About Sourcing Hair Worldwide!
Human hair is a commodity. And a super hot commodity to be correct. Imports to the U.S. in 2017 was a business of almost $700 million (up from $51.6 million in 1992). The most searched for sources of hair are from Indian women: Hindu pilgrims travel for days and line up for hours at temples, where their heads are shaved as part of a sacred ritual called tonsuring. The temples sell it, for up to $700 a kilo, to buyers who then process, sell, and ship it all over the world. The temple in Tirumala has been said to make more than $7 million a year in hair sales. But there are many other potential starting points — and often many pit stops before a bundle of thick, shining hair makes it to storefronts or salons. The international hair trade is as vast as it is unregulated.
The Major Hair & Beauty Retailers
QueensSmallz Collection
Atlanta, California, Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio salons and retailers been selling hair-pieces for over 50 years now. Many Russian suppliers source their hair from the Ukraine and Siberia. This hair is then processed in China. Eastern European hair is in relatively short supply — and is highly priced — because women in that region aren’t desperate to sell their hair for cash as they are in developing countries. The most searched for sources of hair are from Indian women. “I am the founder of the QueenSmallz Collection. My goal is to bring my customers top quality hair extensions, lash extensions, and make-up products all for an affordable price. When my supplier comes with a large supply of hair, I buy all of it that moment, because it is important to my clients that I provide them the best prices on the market for top of the line quality products, therefore if that means I have to buy all of it at once, that is a price that I am willing to pay to provide my customers with the very best, says Serena Smith of Houston Texas. ”
The Major Hair Retailer
U.S. retailers in more than 40 states in the U.S., sells hair sourced from Indian temples and collectors in Southeast Asia. Many distributors are based in Delhi, India, near the factory where wigs and extensions are made. From there, stock is sent to offices in Boston, California, Georgia and Texas where it’s shipped to U.S. stores as well as online customers from Canada, the Caribbean, Africa,Western Europe,and the rest of the world.
The Extension Specialist
From Manhattan to Texas, salons have hair-extension and blowout bars that sells and applies their own brand of clip-in extensions as well as semi-permanent taped and ultrasound-keratin-bonded types. Much of the hair you see is sourced and sanitized in India, then dyed and packaged in Naples, Italy. “We always inspect strands closely to determine what’s natural and what we suspect has been mixed with synthetic fibers. As a sourcing company we look for the longevity of the operation. If it’s been around for a while, that tells us that they have a positive, stable relationship with their communities over time which is a great prospect for us to source says Jay Ivy Chang a sourcing agent for TheySource.com.”
The Weave Specialist
Wicked Weaves Salons in ( Dallas- 2924 Main St Suite 101, Dallas, Tx 75226 ) and( New York – 2372 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, New York, NY 10030 ) in East Harlem , buys hair about 90 pounds a month at a New York City storefront. “Their factory is based in Qingdao, China,” Harrison says. “They tell me that the hair comes from the residents there, but I don’t know how true that is.” Dozens of industry sources were asked how hair in China is procured, but no one could say for certain where or whom it was coming from. Some reports claim that hair agents visit villages, offering poor women payment for their hair.)
The Alternative Routes
If hair’s so valuable, why do so many of us let a small fortune go down the drain? In India, hair suppliers have come up with a solution: They buy what’s known as “fall-out” or “standard” hair. “When women comb their hair, they save it, and when they have enough, the vendor comes and weighs it out,” says Jane Harris, a co-owner and wig artisan a hairpiece manufacturer in Atlanta. “There’s a lot of fall-out hair on the market. It’s used for things like toupees and costume purposes because it’s lower quality.” I do not believe anyone’s eager for the hair in your brush in the U.S. But women with long, un-dyed hair from all over this country do put up ads for full ponytails on sites like hairopia .com. They’ll ask anywhere from $150 to $1,200. Or best offer, of course.
Buyer’s Beware of Dishonest Suppliers
It is very important that you have a sourcing agent assist you when purchasing hair if you are not an expert. Are you wondering how can we tell whether the hair is really chemically untreated? Well here are some tips. If you are not familiar with these tips, for your protection it is advisable that you make your purchases thru a Global Sourcing Agent. (1). Slide your fingers up and down the strand. If you can’t rough up the cuticle, it’s likely been removed with acid, then coated with silicone. They’ll soon wash off, revealing dull, tangled hair. (2). Look for hair with ends that are a bit lighter. We’re talking about a slight gradation, not a 2013-level ombré. If it’s all one shade, it’s likely been dyed to hide grays or to blend hair from multiple donors. (3). Put it to the smell test. If the hair smells like for example corn chips, that’s a sign that there have been some chemicals involved(also keep in mind that acids and silicone are used to fake quality. As we have explained, it is best to use a sourcing agent if you are not familiar with these details when sourcing hair and hair products. There is unlimited supply of products and money to be made, but you also have to protect your investment in order to stay in business.
If you are in need of a global sourcing agent please give Jay and the team of dedicated specialist a reply below. We will love to assist you in your business goals.