KATHMANDU, July 28: At a time when export volume of domestic products has remained at an all time low, human hair export from Nepal to China has seen a significant rise over the last couple of years.According to Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the country's human hair export increased by a whopping 91.6 percent in the first eleven months of the fiscal year 2014/15.
Nepal exported raw human hair worth Rs 16.7 million to China in 2014/15 against Rs 8.7 million in the corresponding period of 2013/14. Nepal exported human hair worth Rs 0.2 million to China during the same period in 2012/13.
The trend shows that export of human hair from Nepal is growing every year. Though nominally, it has been contributing to the country's export.
According to people involved in the trade, human hair is used in making wigs and clothes. Basically, owners of big salons and beauty parlors in Kathmandu Valley are involved in human hair trade. They sell human hair to exporters for up to Rs 8,000.
Narayan Napit, who owns Rastriya Kesh Kartanalaya and Beauty Parlor in Boudha, sells human hair to exporters twice a year. Napit has been selling human hair for the last three years. He, however, said only hair longer than 8-inches are exported and can be used for making wigs and clothes.
"Though not often, I have been exporting human hair longer than 8 inches to some Chinese exporters," Napit told Republica, adding, "Only big saloons or beauty parlors have contacts with such exporters. These exporters pay up to Rs 8,000 per kg of human hair."
Napit said small beauticians and saloon owners don't have the idea of export value of long human hair. "While most of them dispose of human hair, some who do not have proper knowledge of its commercial value sell it for less than Rs 2,000 per kg."
According to him, human hair is used to make wigs, fake moustache and beard, which are basically used in the film industry across the world.
Unlike Napit, Ashmita Shrestha, owner of Facial House at Kathmandu Mall has been using such long hair for making dreadlocks. "Though some exporters had approached me for the purpose, I have been using human hair for my own customers," said Shrestha.
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