Hassan Khan, 7, who collects scraps including hair on the outskirts of Islamabad. Photo: Haroon Janjua
Human hair: a growing business in China (and Pakistan is taking a cut)
- The global hair trade was worth more than US$81 million in 2017. Pakistan is among the world’s top suppliers; it shipped 105,000kg to China in the past five years.
- The hair comes from combs, traders and rubbish dumps, and much of it ends up in China’s booming cosmetics sector.
Hassan Khan, 7, who collects scraps including hair on the outskirts of Islamabad. Photo: Haroon Janjua