I first heard about this a month or two ago. It seems that there are idolatrous religions in the Far East in which one ritual is the cutting off and donation of hair to their false gods. This hair is then sold for use in wigs that are marketed throughout the world.
If it turns out, as many are claiming, that these wigs are sold in the Orthodox sheitel market, then I believe that we have a serious problem. To my understanding, such wigs fall under the category of takroves avodah zarah and are prohibited to be used or even sold. Even the nullification of the hair’s sanctity by those who sell these wigs to the general public, if that is a nullification, does not remove the prohibition (see Shulhan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah 139:1-2).
This is not a humrah. This is plain vanilla halakhah.
Of course, the facts have to be uncovered and there could very well be circumstances that introduce further questions into the analysis. But the basic premise is serious and should not be considered some new-fangled humrah.
