To-dye-for Russian hair at $16 a strand

Carla Van Voorst has had hair extensions for 10 years. Photo / Doug Sherring

If you were asked if you preferred Chinese, Indian or European, you could be forgiven for thinking of restaurant options.

But that's how Kiwi companies are marketing human hair extensions - by country of origin.

Russian locks are considered the finest, fetching about $16 a strand or more than $3000 for a head. It costs $600-$1000 for a head of hair from a European or Indian and $240 for a Chinese or Indonesian alternative.

Importer and wholesaler Katherine Davies said demand had exploded.

She said there wasn't enough Russian hair to meet global needs and warned about cowboys touting "rubbish".

Extension specialist Eve Parks said the telltale signs of cheaper substitutes could take weeks to appear. The strands were attached to natural hair close to the scalp using tight braids, glue or clamped aluminium bands.

Parks said quality extensions could be coloured, permed and straightened and lasted more than three years.

"My clients can spend $450 an ounce on (untreated) Russian hair. It's like gold, it's worth a lot of money," said Parks.

But Parks, who owns the Garden of Eve salon in Remuera, could not be certain how the hair was sourced.

"The hair traders say they go into villages and pay for it, but to be honest there's no guarantee.

"There are rumours they collect hair from dead people ... ethically, it's a difficult road to travel."