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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.

Yes, it is. The vast 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. The hair is not being donated. 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 anyways, as a result of this practice. That hair is then used to make wigs and extensions, often ending up in China and its wig and extension factories.

Since there are no real regulations when it comes to hair, manufacturers do not need to state where their hair comes from. More than that, they can make any claims about the hair's status or origins without needing to back their claims.

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.

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.

A second major source of wig hair is fallen hair. This is hair collected from village women and local salons who sell the hair gathered from their hairbrushes and haircut scraps to hair collectors. These hair collectors travel around the country and resell to hair dealers. Although this practice exists outside India, India is by far the largest source, and its temples participate heavily. Fallen hair includes hair swept from temple floors, which the temples also sell as “scraps” to hair dealers.
Large quantities of processed hair may include scraps from tonsuring ceremonies or discards from factories handling high-quality Indian tonsured hair.
Fallen hair that is not sorted and processed within India almost always ends up in Chinese factories, where it is detangled and then chemically stripped of its cuticle so it can be aligned. Because the supply chain mixes hair from many origins, it is essentially impossible to guarantee that a wig does not contain temple hair.

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.

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.

Many wig factories and vendors, especially in China, can produce a kosher tag on demand, but they are not usually able to produce a valid certificate or contact to a Rabbi they would have gotten the tag from.

To provide certification, a Rabbi would need to visit the factory and be able to determine the exact source of the hair and verify that this source poses no halachic issues. This means that the hair's origin is clear and traceable.

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 certification after the agreed amount of time it is valid for, as long as the 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.

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 confirm that the hair in the final wig is that same hair. This ensures that no other hairs are mixed in, such as fallen comb hair or animal hairs. It also means that suppliers of Kosher hair should have, at least on demand, perfectly unprocessed, virgin, remy hair available for sale.

Do keep in mind, however, that virgin hair on its own is never proof of Kosher hair without a certification. For example, untouched Indian temple hair is indeed virgin, yet it is not kosher.