人髮變時尚布料，挑戰永續材質新想像

隨著時尚產業積極尋找永續替代材料，一種令人意想不到的原料正逐步進入大眾視野：人類的頭髮。來自英國皇家藝術學院的設計學生Javiera Decap，近期提出以「人髮」作為紡織原料的實驗性創作，顛覆大眾對廢棄物與時尚界可用資源的想像。她觀察到人髮與挪威長毛綿羊的羊毛在結構上有許多相似性，並開始探索兩者混合應用的可能性。

As the fashion industry actively seeks sustainable alternative materials, an unexpected resource is beginning to enter the spotlight: human hair.

Javiera Decap, a design student at the Royal College of Art in the UK, recently unveiled an experimental project that uses human hair as a textile material, challenging conventional perceptions of waste and redefining what can be considered viable in sustainable fashion. She observed structural similarities between human hair and the wool of Norway’s long-haired sheep, sparking her interest in combining the two.

在實作過程中，Javiera從倫敦髮廊取得本應被當作垃圾處理的人髮，經過清洗、拉直與特殊加工後，與天然羊毛混合，製作出具有紋理與強度的針織面料。她更使用半永久性與永久性染料進行上色，呈現色彩鮮明的時尚單品。這些服裝在外觀上與傳統面料無異，難以察覺其原料來源。

In her process, Javiera collected discarded hair from salons across London - material that would otherwise be treated as waste. After cleaning, straightening, and treating the hair, she blended it with natural sheep wool to create knitted fabrics with unique texture and strength. Using both semi-permanent and permanent dyes, she was able to produce vibrantly colored fashion pieces that, in appearance, are nearly indistinguishable from traditional materials.

雖然視覺上毫無違和，但她坦言人們在得知衣物由人髮製成時，反應常見「驚訝甚至排斥」，這也反映出社會對頭髮的文化想像。「有趣的是，這些人髮其實比我用的羊毛經過更多加工處理。」

Although visually seamless, Javiera admits that people often react with surprise or even discomfort upon learning the garments are made with human hair - reflecting deep-seated cultural notions about hair. “Interestingly, the human hair I use has gone through more processing than the wool,” she notes.

人髮永續化浪潮不僅止於藝術實驗。新創企業「Human Material Loop」則致力將人髮轉化為可商業規模化的紡織原料。創辦人Zsofia Kollar受訪表示：「我對頭髮這種物質始終充滿好奇，但社會卻普遍將其視為廢棄物甚至厭惡的存在。我想重新定義它的價值。」

The use of human hair in sustainability is not limited to artistic experimentation. Human Material Loop, a startup founded by Zsofia Kollar, is working to commercialize human hair as a scalable textile resource. “I’ve always been fascinated by the materiality of hair,” Kollar explains. “But it’s often viewed as waste or even something repulsive. I wanted to redefine its value.”

該公司研發出一套低環境衝擊的處理技術，可將人髮結構調整為與羊毛相近的纖維，並保留其天然強韌與易染的特性。初步碳足跡評估結果顯示，與棉花相比，使用人髮製成的纖維在「從搖籃到大門」階段的二氧化碳排放量低了近99倍。

The company has developed a low-impact processing technique that converts human hair into a fiber structurally similar to wool, retaining its natural strength and dyeability. According to an initial carbon footprint assessment, hair-based fiber emits nearly 99 times less CO₂ than cotton during the “cradle-to-gate” stage of production.

目前，Human Material Loop 主要透過髮廊回收人髮，未來計畫擴大合作對象至廢棄物管理企業，以建立完整透明的供應鏈。但Zsofia也坦言，人髮產業全球尚未受到足夠的監管，部分地區甚至傳出女性因頭髮被剝削或從事低薪揀髮工作的情況，這也成為人髮永續應用發展過程中不可忽視的倫理議題。

Currently, Human Material Loop sources its raw material from salon waste, but the company plans to partner with waste management firms to build a transparent, closed-loop supply chain. However, Kollar acknowledges that the global human hair trade is underregulated, with reports of exploitative practices, such as women being underpaid or coerced into harvesting their hair. These ethical challenges must be addressed in the development of hair-based sustainable textiles.

「材料本身的潛力是確定的，真正的挑戰來自於人們是否準備好接受這種創新。」Zsofia指出。

“The material’s potential is clear,” Kollar emphasizes. “The real question is whether people are ready to accept this kind of innovation.”

隨著各式永續纖維材料，如蘑菇皮革、海藻紗線等逐漸受到重視，人髮作為一種低碳、可再生且未被充分利用的資源，有望成為下一波綠色時尚革命的關鍵材料。

As other eco-friendly fibers - like mushroom leather and seaweed yarn - gain traction, human hair, a low-carbon, renewable, and underutilized resource, could become a key player in the next wave of the green fashion revolution.