Wigs, hair extensions and hairpieces

• Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — GPSR
• Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 — REACH
• Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 where adhesives or treatments are cosmetics
• Regulation (EU) 2017/745 where marketed for medical hair loss

Who has to appoint one

Sellers outside the Union placing wigs and extensions on the EU market. Bonding adhesives and removers are cosmetics with their own responsible person, and wigs marketed for medical hair loss can be classed differently in national reimbursement systems.

Thresholds and exemptions

None. Synthetic fibres and dyes are the main chemical risk, and flammability of synthetic hair is a recognised hazard.

What must appear on the label

Manufacturer and responsible person details with an EU address, batch identification, fibre or hair content, care instructions including heat limits for synthetic fibre, and warnings where flammability requires them.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces enforce the responsible person. Adhesives sold with extensions have been removed for CLP and cosmetic non-compliance.

Documentation you must hold

Technical documentation and risk analysis covering flammability, skin contact and chemical residues, REACH evidence for azo dyes and formaldehyde in treatments, and for adhesives the cosmetic Product Information File and CPNP notification.

Standards and testing

Flammability testing for synthetic fibre, azo dye and formaldehyde screening under REACH, and skin sensitisation assessment for adhesives.

Language requirements

Care, heat and safety information in the language of each member state of sale.

When it applies

Before the product is made available.

How long records are kept

Ten years.

What happens if you do not comply

Withdrawal and Safety Gate alerts, with flammable synthetic hair a recurring alert category.

Who enforces it

Market surveillance authorities, cosmetics authorities for adhesives, and customs.

Where the boundary lies

Keratin bonding and removal products are cosmetics, not accessories, and need the full cosmetic route. Human hair imports also raise ethical sourcing questions that buyers increasingly ask about.

Questions we are asked

Is the bonding glue a cosmetic?

Applied to the scalp or hair, yes, which requires a responsible person, a safety report and CPNP notification.

Do synthetic wigs need flammability testing?

The risk analysis must address it, and synthetic fibre wigs have been recalled after igniting readily.