I am writing as a local woman who has spent the past several weeks trying to purchase a sheitel and finding the experience far more complicated than it should be.

The sheitel market today is thriving. Advertisements appear everywhere: in magazines, on social media, in community papers. The photography is beautiful, the styles are varied, and the prices span every budget. What is conspicuously absent from almost all of these ads, however, is any mention of kosher certification confirming that the hair does not originate from Hindu avoda zara ceremonies in India — the very issue that sent the sheitel world into upheaval over twenty years ago and that many poskim continue to treat as a serious halachic concern.

Like many women, I follow the guidance of my rav, who, along with numerous other rabbanim, advises purchasing only a sheitel with a reliable hashgacha. So I did what any conscientious consumer would do: I started calling. And here is what surprised me. Many of these companies do, in fact, hold a kosher certification. The information exists. It simply isn’t being shared.

I understand that advertising space is limited and that companies want to lead with their most appealing features. But for a frum woman trying to be tznius while also ensuring she is not inadvertently wearing hair that may be assur, knowing the certification status is not a minor detail — it is often the deciding factor.

Every kosher food establishment, from a small takeout shop to a large catering hall, displays its hashgacha prominently.

Sheitel companies should take the same approach. If you have a hashgacha, say so in your ad. List the certifying rav or organization. Make it easy to verify. The women purchasing your product are not asking for anything unreasonable — they are asking for the same basic transparency they receive from every kosher restaurant in their neighborhood.

I hope this letter reaches sheitel retailers and encourages them to make this small but meaningful change.

A Concerned Woman

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.