Kosher hair refers to hair that is not sourced from any idolatrous practice or ceremony. It is of the utmost importance to ensure that all the hair of a wig is Kosher, because even one hair can render the whole wig unfit according to halacha (Jewish law).

It is important to note that there can be other sources for hair that are not permitted halachically, such as hair taken from the deceased. It is also important to note that this is a real issue with Chinese hair.

Absolutely. The majority of hair exported throughout the world originates from India. The hair is sourced mainly from tonsuring ceremonies at temples, where devotees come to give their hair up as a religious offering.

Halachically, one cannot benefit at all, in any way, shape or form from something used for idol worship - avodah zarah.

Meaning, if the hair was being donated to the temple, as a donation, then even if the donation was then being used in service to the avodah zarah, there would be room to possibly, with Rabbinic authority, allow the use of this Indian temple hair.

However, this is not the case. The hair is not being donated per se. The hair is being offered as a sacrifice, as a practice of worship to the avodah zarah. The temple goes on and sells the hair because they already have it anyway, as a result of this practice.

Prominent rabbanim, including Rav Elyashiv zt''l and Rav Moshe Shternbuch shlita have ruled that the hair is benefit from avodah zarah and therefore forbidden for use.

It is true that at one point Rav Elyashiv zt''l had permitted the hair. At that time, the Rav had been informed that the hair was not being used as a form of worship. After sending a rabbi on site in India, the Rav changed his ruling, as it became clear that devotees were giving up their hair as a ritual in their religious service and this constitutes worship to their avodah zarah.

(Please see attachments on Kosher FAQs page.)

Temples collect this hair and sell it. The vast majority of that hair is then used to make wigs and extensions, often passing through China and its factories in the process.

The second source of hair coming from India is called fallen hair. It is hair collected from village women and local salons. Hair that they collect from their brushes and haircut ''scraps''. Temples sell their hair scraps as well.

This hair almost certainly ends up in Chinese factories, where after being detangled, the hair must be completely stripped of its cuticle in a chemical bath in order to align them all.

Without knowing the source of all the hair in a wig, it would be absolutely impossible to ensure that a wig does not include any temple hair, since an enormous amount of virgin hair on the market is temple hair, and even the lowest quality of processed hair can be or include scraps from tonsuring ceremonies or discards from factories dealing in the higher quality Indian hair collected during tonsuring ceremonies.

Indian hair is often marketed as or mixed in with other hairs, from other countries, and most Chinese hair is problematic because they do use an enormous amount of hair from India and often have other halachic issues with their hair, as mentioned in the previous faq.

No other country besides India exports these incredible amounts of hair, and they are the only ones capable of offering it at the scale and price ranges that allow the global hair market to exist the way it does.

This has become an issue, because often companies and factories will claim their hair as Kosher when, in fact, it is not.

A Kosher label on a wig where the company cannot produce a currently valid certificate is not enough. Factories in China have been known to share and reproduce Kosher tags. They use old photographs on their website and vendor pages where a Rabbi can be seen in a wig factory.

A Kosher hair claim should be easily backed up, with an actual and up to date certification and issued by a Rabbi who has been to the factory and can confirm the legitimacy of the certification.

To give certification, a Rabbi would have to visit the factory, and be able to ascertain that the origin of the hair poses no halachic issues.

Additionally, just like with all other areas of Kashrus, a Kosher certification should never be without a defined time period it is valid for.

The Rabbi should be able to treat the hair being certified like he would for food being certified, which includes full access for inspection on a surprise visit.

If the Rabbi can verify the source of the hair regularly, check in for inspections and renew it yearly if conditions are still being met, only then can the certification be treated as being legitimate.

A certification or tag that can be backed in this way would prove a reliable Kosher status.

The claim that a wig is European or made using only European hair is unfortunately not proof that it is Kosher.

There would need to be real evidence that the hair has been sourced in Europe and of course, that the source of the hair is halachically permitted.

Additionally, if the hair is processed or made into a wig in China or India, it would be difficult to claim that no other hairs were mixed in.

It has been repeatedly demonstrated that suppliers in India and factories throughout Asia falsely market their hair as European.

''Brazilian hair'' is actually a term used to describe a hair texture that the hair has been processed to mimic. The claim about there being any hair from Brazil in the wig and extension market has been so thoroughly debunked that websites like Alibaba now include product descriptions clarifying that Brazilian hair is, in fact, ''...from hairs collected after shaving customs are observed in these countries.'' thereby proving that it is absolutely not Kosher.

The fact that they still do insist on calling it virgin while admitting it has been ''...worked into enduring products...'' is a contradiction seen on many Indian and Chinese websites that further demonstrates how pervasive these issues are within the hair market.

Not at all. As a matter of fact, to certify hair as being Kosher means knowing the source of the hair and being able to ascertain that the hair in the final wig is that same hair. This therefore ensures that there are never other hairs mixed in, such as fallen comb hair or animal hairs. This also means that suppliers of Kosher hair should have perfectly unprocessed, virgin, remy hair available for sale. Do always bear in mind that virgin hair is never proof of Kosher hair without a certification, as Indian hair sold untouched from the temples is indeed virgin.