As any woman with long hair knows, keeping those tresses long and beautiful is an ongoing challenge. When you’ve finally had enough and are ready to cut it all off, donating those lovely locks are a fun way to give back to the community without adding another item to your to do list. There are a handful of organizations who accept hair donations, all contributing to different causes. Which charity you choose to donate your hair to is a personal decision as each group has unique requirements and a unique set of individuals they serve.
From children with cancer to young women struggling the alopecia, the expense of a realistic, natural hair wig can be outside the reach of a lot of people. Custom fit wigs can cost hundreds of dollars and artificial hair may wear out and show signs of wear more quickly. For families who may not be able to cover the cost of a natural hair wig, charities that provide them free or discounted are a lifesaver.
Wigs made from real hair take up 10 to 12 ponytails to produce, so finding enough quality hair that can be used for each wig is a process.
Which Hair Donation Charities Should You Consider
Locks of Love
Locks of Love is a non-profit donation charity supporting women with medical hair loss. These girls may have alopecia, cancer or any other condition that would result in semi to permanent hair loss. Wigs are provided free of cause to participating clients.
If you wish to donate your hair to a participating Locks of Love Salon, you may be able to receive a free or discounted hair cut as part of your donation. Participating salons can be identified by a Locks of Love decal in their window.
If you choose to have your haircut at a personal stylist, as long as you follow the correct procedure your hair can still be donated. Before beginning to cut, hair must be bundled into a ponytail or braid. Layered hair can be donated as long as the longest layer is a minimum of 10 inches long. If you have multiple layers, bundling each segment in an individual ponytail may help make it easier to donates. While Locks of Love accepts both grey hair and shorter hair, it is important to know that those donations will be sold to offset manufacturing costs for Locks of Love participants.
Locks of Love Donation Requirements
Minimum Donation: 10 inches,
Accepts Grey and Dyed Hair
How to Donate
Download the Locks of Love Hair Donation Form and mail your donation to Locks of Love, 234 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach FL 33405
Wigs For Kids
Wigs for Kids has been providing hair pieces to children with medical hair loss for over thirty years. Wigs for Kids participants receive a customized wig 100% free of charge. To receive a wig, patients must be referred by a medical professional who can confirm the child’s need.
Most requests are for hair pieces 15 inches or longer, so the longer you can wait to donate your hair, the better the impact you can make. To donate your hair to Wigs for Kids, hair must be clean and dry before cutting. Hair can not be permed, color treated or highlighted and if possible, use a Wigs for Kids preferred salon to ensure your hair is cut to best fit their requirements.
Curly hair can be pulled straight before measuring and measurement should stop above layers or split ends. When cutting, hair should be divided into four section and tied into multiple ponytails to ensure the maximum amount of hair from your donation can be used. Wrap the entire donation with multiple rubber bands before shipping and place into a sealed ziplock bag.
Wigs for Kids Donation Requirements
Minimum Donation: 12 inches; prefers 14 inches or more
Accepts Grey Hair
How to Donate
Download the Wigs for Kids Donation Form and mail your donation to Wigs for Kids — Hair Donations 24231 Center Ridge Road Westlake, Ohio 44145
Pantene Beautiful Lengths
Pantene Beautiful Lengths has some of the shortest requirements for donation (8 inches), largely due to that their wigs are not just for children. Beautiful Lengths donations primarily support adult cancer patients suffering from hair loss. Wigs are distributed through the American Cancer Society and at the time of this writing over 42,000 wigs have been donated as part of the Beautiful Lengths.
Each Pantene Beautiful Lengths wig takes 8 to 15 ponytails to product and to ensure that each wig looks realistic, hair is processed and dyed a consistent shade. Grey hair can be donated but may not compose more than 5% of the total donation.
Before donating your hair, use two elastic bands to secure the donation at both the top and bottom of the hair selection. Donations should be sealed in a zipper lock bag and shipped in a padded envelope to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
Pantene Beautiful Lengths Donation Requirements
Minimum Donation: 8 inches
Accepts up to 5% Grey Hair
How to Donate
Mail your donation to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, Attn: 192-123, 806 SE 18th Ave. Grand Rapids, MN 55744
No matter how you want to style your hair after the cut, donating your hair is a good cause and can help a woman or girl in need rebuilt their confidence during a trying time.
