Every man would love to admit that beauty is a relative term, and women unanimously agree that styling wigs is not an easy feat–whether they prefer the curly, natural or pin straight patterns.

One unarguable fact, however, remains that wigs can transform a woman’s beauty or destroy her appearance quicker than ever imagined.

Of course, human-hair wigs and extensions are costly, for example, Kim Lace Front & Monofilament Remy Human Hair Wig by Jon Renau goes for as high as $2,366.40 whereas Vivica A. Fox Human Hair Wig by Carita sells for $19.95 at discounted price. But what has price got to do with wigs?

Kylie Jenner and Genevieve Nnaji love good wigs in their glam rooms, and their stockpiles of human hair wigs don’t come cheap—not because they’re famous, but due to the rising demand for human hair around the world.

Human hair wigs look real; they can be straightened, curled or blow-dried with all heating appliance, yet, the price and quality make a huge difference in terms of confidence and durability. Here’s what you should know:

Human hair wigs are made of human hair and friendly synthetic fiber.
The human hair industry is lucrative and worth billions of dollars.
Human hair is so valued that a gang to attack and cut off hair from a woman’s head in China.
Human hair is also used in making fake eyelashes, hair extension, fertilizers and amino acids used in making dough for pizza.
India and China are the major suppliers of human hair.
Religious people who go on pilgrimages to the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, India, often shave their hair for ritual purposes.
Every five minutes in such temples, hundreds of barbers mow down a new person’s hair, leaving piles of hair strands that are up to 30 inches long. These are sold at auction for about $700 a pound.
Human hair wigs sold at auction are not always in great shape; they have lice, blood and sweat and get worse when stocked in mildew and fungus-ridden warehouses.
It takes a few days to assemble a high-end wig. The human hair is first untangled, sorted, treated for lice infection, washed, dried and dyed before experts weave them into different shapes.
The U.S., Europe and Africa are highest importers of human hair wig.
People with naturally blonde hair can make as much as $1,500 from each sale. According to Priceonomics, an Indian woman got that sum for her natural hair which was then turned into an $8,000-wig.

While a large percentage of human hair wigs come from India and China, only a fraction of this quantity is collected in the temples. In 2006, a regional minister for textiles and commerce in India said, “Where the rest comes from, we have no idea.”

However, human hair wig fans seem not to be bothered about any “mysterious origins” or price difference. Their major concern is: how hygienic is it?