Earlier this year, our founder Inanch took a trip to Southern India to check on the production of our beautiful hair extensions. As you know, we are very precious about our hair quality from the authenticity, ethicality, pure quality and colour – this is our Gold Class Standard and it’s good for us to see this with our own eyes regularly.
Our hair is hand-picked throughout the process. From the moment the hair is selected at the Temple, right through the processing to create the hair extensions. Working in small bundles allows the team to continually check the hair quality and create the best hair extensions possible. This process takes more time, but as they say “good things come to those who wait” and we promise it’s worth waiting for. We asked Inanch to tell us more about the hair and the process.
“The hair is Indian Temple hair ethically sourced by our representative there who understands our requirement to have the very best quality hair. We pay a high price for this but like with anything you need to start with the best raw materials – as our partners in India say: “Good raw hair is as important to us as only the best and freshest food are to a gourmet chef”. The hair is virgin remi which means that it has not been chemically treated to damage the hair cuticles and is collected in its original ponytail when cut from the donor. This ensures that the hair is the right way up with the cuticles all running in the same direction & this is so important to maintain throughout the process to prevent matting.
“Watching the ladies in the factory caring for the hair was wonderful. Working in small batches they work completely to order so we were able to witness the full process from conditioning, discolouring and removing henna stains through to the removal of weaker hair before colouring. Blondes are well known to take longer to create and this can take up to 2 weeks as we need to ensure the hair is not damaged from over bleaching. The Indian’s favourite remedy Coconut Oil is used here to repair the hair and restore moisture. The ladies showed us how they work with the hair to ensure the colour is perfect throughout each strand, re-arranging the bundles regularly and even holding out the ends to ensure the hair takes the colour evenly. Testing the hair’s elasticity at this stage is also crucial to preserve the healthy hair for our extensions.”
“Brushing the hair is a complete art there and they work so fast! It’s known as hackling and the hair is regularly hackled throughout the process to keep the hair tidy, in the same way, I tell my clients to brush their extensions at least twice a day!”
We are extremely proud of our hair process, custom making the hair in small batches to order. This is where we differ from many other extension brands who bulk process the hair which can lead to inconsistencies and a reduction in quality. It also allows us to reserve the best hair for our salons and clients and we are happy not to over-process the whole operation so that you know this hair is very special and exclusive at only a handful of select salons around the UK.
Regrettably there was no time for sightseeing, but at least there’s a reason to go back regularly and see this wonderful country.