Independent Mon News Agency (IMNA)

August 14, 2003

Poor women’s hair on sale in Mon State

Nowadays the hair cost is expensive for sale to beauty business and many poor women in Mon State cut and sell their hair.

For 1.5 feet length of hair has price about Kyat 200, 000.00 per viss (Burmese measurement for weight, which has about 1.4 kilogram). The poor women, who are really needing income for survival of their families, sell their hair to business person.

The poor women are also allowed to treat their hair by putting hair tonic before sale. The business person also come to their houses and buy hair. To get 1.5 feet length hair the women has to put (rise) their hair at least two years.

Hair are imported to Rangoon, the capital of Burma, and the beauty business makes style hairs for women in wedding ceremony, use in fashion shows and use in beauty contests.

Many terribly women even collected their dropped hairs and then sold to business people for income.

Purchasing hair business has been formulated since last year and first the business people bought the hairs in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State, and then now it has been separate to even to rural villages.

The price also increases from Kyat 150,000.00 per viss to Kyat 200,000.00 gradually since last year.

Styling with long hairs is the traditional beauty for women in Burma and women are proud for their long hair. However, in the current days of unemployment and low income in Burma, the women in Burma have to cut and sell their hair.