When Gautama and I started Perfect Locks, we knew we wanted to build more than a hair company. Every piece of hair you buy from us starts with women in India, and we've always believed our business should give back to them, not just take from the place our hair comes from.
Where I Come From
I grew up in India, and I saw real need everywhere I looked: mothers worried about where their children's next meal would come from, and families with few ways to change that. When people are desperate, others take advantage of them, and the hair trade is no exception. That's a big part of why ethical sourcing matters so much to us.
What breaks that cycle is opportunity: steady work, fair pay, and a way to grow. That's the part we can do something about.
We never wanted to just take from these communities. We wanted to help build them up.
Building Communities and Empowering Women
We wouldn't exist, and you wouldn't have the hair you love, without the women who give their hair at temples during the ritual of tonsure. You can read more about that in From Temple to You. We never wanted to just take from these communities. We wanted to help build them up and support the families of the women who make our hair possible.
I've worked at the factory for 14 years. My salary supports my family.
On a trip home to India with my daughter, we spent a day at our factory meeting the women who make the hair you wear. They are true artists. We talked about our kids, our lives, and their hopes for the future. Every one of them is treated well and paid well for their skills.
The women range in age from 25 to 65, and many of them are family, working side by side and teaching each other. Some sort and wash the hair, and others hand-sew and hand-knot the wefts. Everyone's work is valued, and everyone has a path to learn new skills and move up. For older women, or women managing health issues like arthritis, we make sure there's lighter work so they can keep earning.
One of the women recorded a short video to share with you. In it, she talks about what this job means to her: it's made her independent and helped her provide for her family.
In Her Own Words
Here's what she told us, translated:
How do you feel working here?
"I've worked at the factory for 14 years. Most of us here are women, and we are all very happy."
How does this job help you?
"My salary supports my family - my husband and our two children. It pays for my kids' education and our household expenses."
Is there anything you'd like to say to our customers?
"I feel very, very happy and grateful!"
Why It Matters to Me
I'm so proud to know these women and to work alongside them. They show up for each other every day, and together they're building better futures for their families.
At the end of my day, I sleep well knowing that halfway around the world, food is on the table because of the work these women do, and that you're smiling in the mirror at your beautiful hair. Every purchase you make is part of that. Thank you.
Stay gorgeous,
Priyanka Swamy
