Hair today...

July 16, 2011 4:15 AM

Le Figaro has a great article with photographs of the journey of human hair obtained as offerings to the gods by pilgrims in Tirupati to the beauty salons of New York and the heads of such as Lady Gaga and Beyonce. Since its in French, here's Mother Jones covering the same in English. A Spaniard in London does a photo essay while exporters show you a flowchart of the entire process. Highly valued and in short supply, remy hair, as it is known, is very different from the stuff you find being used in pesticides, pizza base and deer repellent (warning: Fox News link).
posted by infini (7 comments total)

Whoops! In the documentary "Good Hair" you can watch a sassy Chris Rock follow the stuff from temple to beauty salon. Thanks for the links- now we all have yet another additive (the amino acid derived from said hair) to avoid at the market.
posted by Lisitasan at 4:45 AM on July 16, 2011

Ugh! They are making us eat hair? Joooooj! More lable reading :(.
Thanks for sharing, cuz I don't want to eat hair!
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 4:52 AM on July 16, 2011

Ugh! They are making us eat hair?

"They" are not "making" you eat hair.

More lable reading

Unlikely to help. Even if your pizza came with a label that listed ingredients, it might say "L-cysteine". It's not going to say "hair".

Thanks for sharing, cuz I don't want to eat hair!

A chemical that is derived from hair is not the same as eating hair. Plants are often fertilized using shit. You probably don't think of eating a carrot as being the same as eating shit.
posted by kcds at 6:47 AM on July 16, 2011 [4 favorites]

The temple in Tirupati was thought to be the worlds richest pilgrimage destination with assets > $30 billion until this recent find.
posted by Runes at 7:28 AM on July 16, 2011

sort of previously
posted by elizardbits at 7:47 AM on July 16, 2011

hair today gorgonzola tomorrow
posted by foursentences at 10:29 AM on July 16, 2011

Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to have known
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello
posted by chavenet at 1:00 PM on July 24, 2011