Iranian hair is everywhere: from 26 kilograms of illegally seized hair at the Armenia-Iran border to an unusual influx of Iranian hair in North American salons. Why would this raise an eyebrow? Non-synthetic hair typically comes from South Asia (Indonesia and Vietnam) or Eastern Europe. Yet, since January 2026, an unusually large supply originating from Iran has found its way into Los Angeles hair salons, as one wigmaker remarked on social media. Coincidentally, since January of that same year, Iranian authorities massacred thousands of protesters in response to nationwide protests demanding fundamental change, leading Iranian activists to ask an unsettling question: Could the influx of hair be connected to these brutal murders? Although there is little direct evidence on the matter, contextual clues and historical examples help clarify this possibility. Whether sold to escape poverty or taken as punishment, women’s bodies, and, by extension, the innate femininity symbolized by their hair, become yet another battlefield for men to prey upon.
Swept Under the Rug: The Persecution of Pro-Democracy Protestors in Iran
The State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Armenia confirmed that since January 2026, Armenian customs officers at the Agarak checkpoint have intercepted more than 11 attempts to smuggle 135.7 kilograms of natural hair, or roughly 621 bundles, from Iran. One bundle of hair can be composed of 20 different women’s hair! How did Iranian smugglers accumulate hair from many different women so quickly? This figure, although shocking, also does not begin to account for hair that may have been successfully smuggled through Iran’s six other neighbouring countries, especially those with weaker security and more porous borders, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan. Additionally, the unwillingness to declare the hair in the first place is especially worrisome as it alludes to potentially sinister origins, which may be linked to the protesters killed in January.
The lack of credible statistics on the situation in Iran is unsurprising, as shortly after the brutal repression of protesters, the Iranian regime cut all internet access to conceal its crimes. From January 8th to May 2026, Iranians experienced an internet blackout lasting 88 days, making it the world’s longest internet shutdown. Little to no information was coming in, and none was leaving the country. To this day, we still do not know how many protesters were killed. While Iran acknowledged 3,000 deaths, some human rights groups claim at least 7,000 deaths. Meanwhile, a network of more than 80 doctors across 12 of Iran’s 31 provinces places the figure closer to 30,000 people. Furthermore, testimonies from morgues, graveyards, and hospitals confirm that bodies were taken from hospitals, inconspicuously transported in meat and ice-cream vans, and, when morgues or forensic facilities were full, the bodies were disappeared. Thus, not only did the Iranian government have access to a large number of “disappeared” bodies, but they also had 50,000 prisoners (who protested in early January), many of whom vanished within the prison system, or were forced to confess and remain incarcerated.
Hair as Bounty: The Piranhas in Venezuela
As the United States’ and Israel’s war on Iran continues, Iran sinks deeper into economic despair. In March 2026, the cost of food rose by 110% more compared to a year prior, and 2 million people became unemployed. At the same time, flyers in Tehran advertised the purchase of women’s hair, ranging from 2 million tomans (around $40) for shorter strands to 100 million tomans (about $2,000) for uncut, untreated locks. In times of economic desperation, women are more likely to utilize this market, which may help explain the influx of Iranian hair.
However, the same factors that motivate people to sell their hair also incentivize others to steal it, especially since the hair industry lacks sufficient safeguards to ensure the ethical sourcing of natural hair. For example, during the Venezuelan economic crisis in 2013 — which saw an inflation rate of 56%—multiple reports emerged of women being held down, instructed to tie their hair in a ponytail, and then having their hair cut off with gardening shears. These hair thieves, known as the “piranhas,” could receive up to $500 in exchange for high-quality hair, as extensions are an appreciated good in the country, with a full head of non-synthetic extensions selling for nearly $1,500 in 2013. Shockingly, the piranhas were mostly women profiteering off of other women’s bodies. Venezuela’s case suggests that a similar phenomenon could emerge in Iran under comparable economic conditions.
Cutting off Hair as Feminine Castration: The Ugly Carnival
Historically, hair has often been synonymous with women’s beauty. Shaving off women’s hair was, therefore, used as a punishment, i.e., to strip them of their femininity. For instance, in post World War II France, women accused of collaborating with the Germans were publicly shamed, shaved, and paraded around the city. Men took justice into their own hands by shearing a woman guilty of supposed “feminine” crimes, rendering her almost animal-like. At least 20,000 women were victims of this gender-based crime in France. Women continue to be easy targets for emasculated men hungry for strength in the wake of defeat.
In 2026, the Iranian government forced families to pay for their kin killed during the protests. In Tehran, the family of a murdered Kurdish seasonal worker had to pay USD$7000 to retrieve his body. The family was unable to pay such a large fee and was forced to leave the body without a proper burial. In order to receive the body, many families are then forced to pay for each bullet used to murder their relatives, ranging from $480 to $1,720 per bullet. The average worker earns less than $100 per month. Various unverified reports say that the bodies are sent back with incision marks and missing organs. However, due to the blackout and lack of independent media, these claims have not been verified. Since many women’s bodies have completely disappeared, it is not improbable to question the link between missing bodies and the large amounts of hair. Thus, there is a plausible link between a regime that profits from the dead and the possible exploitation of their internal organs and hair. Alternatively, the hair may have been cut off as a punishment, either from the bodies of protesters or from the approximately 50,000 individuals currently imprisoned. As of July 2026, we simply do not know.
A Conclusion?
The facts are few but important. For one, the Iranian regime murdered thousands of people. Secondly, the government has been profiting from selling bodies back to their families. There is certainly a plausible correlation with an increase in people killed, the regime selling bodies, and an increase in smuggled hair. Statistics are few and far between, and considering the hair trade’s murky ethics, it is unlikely much information will surface. What is clear, however, is how women and their bodies have been and continue to be used as scapegoats and economic engines. Hopefully, some of these questions can be answered in the near future.
Edited by Abigail George.
This is an article written by a Staff Writer. Catalyst is a student-led platform that fosters engagement with global issues from a learning perspective. The opinions expressed above do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication.
Maia Sunnberg is a U3 student at McGill University. She is currently pursuing a joint-honours degree in International Development and Political Science, with a minor in German. Human rights, specifically labour and minority rights, as well as ethics in an era of globalized trade are her particular fields of interest.