Biomass Innovation: Exploration of Waste Plantain Pseudo Stem Fiber for the Production of Hair Extension

Abstract

Hair is often seen as an artist’s canvas for style and fashion, reflecting one’s artistic taste, social status, and individuality. Hence, modern Nigeria women spend endless hours in salons in the bid to make their hair beautiful in line with the modern trend. In order to satisfy the growing need of the modern Nigeria women’s desire to be fashionable hair wise, the human and synthetic hair industries provided hair extensions in the form of weave-on, wigs or hair attachments. Advancement in modern technology has enabled the development of wide range of synthetic hair extensions that looks and feels like human hair. However, because they are products of hydrocarbons, they contain high level of metal and chemicals that could be harmful to the human body. They have low heat resistance and tend to tangle easily. They are also non- biodegradable, therefore contribute to environmental pollution when disposed by burning or thrown into the gutters. The study explores the use of waste plantain pseudo stem fiber as a sustainable alternative to synthetic fibers for the production of hair extensions. This will have advantage of being environmentally friendly, with minimal or no adverse health effects for the user as well as budget friendly. To achieve this aim, the fibers were extracted in an ecofriendly manner, the tensile strength of the fibers was tested to ascertain their suitability for the production of hair extensions. Hair Extensions in form of attachments, wigs and weave -on were produced with plantain fibers and the market potential and consumer acceptance of plantain fiber hair extensions were assessed. An online survey of 100% respondents found that 87% were willing to patronize plantain fiber hair extensions.

Keywords: Biomass, plantain, pseudo stem, fiber, hair extension