The human body can be a source for material. In India, Hindu temples take donations of waist length hair from women as a gift to the God Vishnu. This hair is then sold to auction houses and sent to the west as 'Temple Hair'. Many natural wigs, hair extensions and possibly eyelashes are made using this supply of hair. However, it is thought that women in very poor areas of India are exploited and forced to sell their hair for little reward or even nothing at all. As such, people purchasing hair based products cannot guarantee that the raw materials have been acquired in an ethical manner. Synthetic wigs (1) and eyelashes (2 - 4) provide an easy-care alternative with good looks and style.
Wigs, false eyelashes and acrylic nails (5 - 6) are often worn to enhance the beauty of the wearer or to provide a change in style. While false nails are worn only for this purpose, wigs and eyelashes are also worn by sufferers of illness and disease, such as alopecia, or by people undertaking cancer treatments. Body image and its effect on self-esteem can be a big factor in physical recovery. The loss of a body part often causes depression, particularly for women who have undergone a mastectomy. This prosthetic breast (7) is placed inside a mastectomy bra restoring the visible shape of the woman's body. The soft silicone material is designed to cause little irritation against the scarred skin tissue.
