How To Donate Your Hair
There's been a lot of publicity over the past few years related to hair donation, including Hillary Swank's highly public hair cut on Oprah last year. Before you take the plunge and donate your hair, however, make sure you do your homework in choosing a charity, take great care of your hair and have lots of patience!! Hair only grows about half an inch a month, so it takes a while to get those eight-12 inches needed to donate.
I decided to grow my hair out to donate to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program myself. Forty is coming up soon and I plan to chop my hair off when I hit that milestone. So I have the opportunity to grow and donate my hair twice. (First time was Memorial Day weekend! Love my new do!) The program appeals to me because it gives away the hairpieces, and it's the only one I've found that supports adult women. (Of which I am one!)
Below you'll find a list of charities that accept donated hair, tips on growing your hair out, resources for choosing that new hairdo and more!
Three Easy Steps
It's just that simple to donate your hair
Hair Donation: Step One
Choose your charity to donate your hair to. You'll find a lot of options and you might pick based on who the charity helps. Or just on the amount of hair you have to give. But do your homework and choose wisely, based on why you want to donate.
Hair Donation: Step Two
Grow your hair to the required length. This means taking care of your hair and yourself so it's as healthy as possible. Remember, hair only grows about half an inch a month, so this is quite a commitment!
Hair Donation: Step Three
Make the cut!! You can do it at home or have your stylist do it for you. Just be sure to follow all the directions given by your chosen charity. If you don't, they might not be able to use it and all your hard work (and heart) will have been for nothing.
Programs Listed On This Site
Pantene Beautiful Lengths
Wigs for Kids
Locks of Love
Looks Like Me
Children with Hair Loss
Angel Hair for Kids
Childhood Leukemia Foundation
Matter of Trust
Made the cut May 24! Looking forward to enjoying short hair for the summer!
Psst!! If You Buy Anything ...
... on this page, you'll automatically be making a donation to the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, dedicated to cancer prevention and early detection through research, education and community outreach. Doesn't that feel good? Hair Donation: Step One
Choose a group to give to and learn the guidelines
You probably have some specific and personal reasons for wanting to donate your hair. Maybe you had a relative with cancer and got to see first hand the personal side to hair loss. Maybe you are just planning to make a big style change and want your hair to do something better than take up space in the trash. Whatever your reason, step one in making that donation is deciding where to donate.There are several organizations that take donated hair. Most use the hair to make wigs for children with some sort of hair loss, although there is one group that gives to adults and another that uses hair for mats rather than wigs. Make sure you do your homework on any organization before making a decision. Check to make sure their mission resonates with your personal reasons for wanting give.
Once you've decided what group you want to give to, check their guidelines to make sure your hair's long enough and that it's in appropriate condition to donate. This is critical to make sure your donation is usable.
Pantene Beautiful Lengths
Pantene Beautiful LengthsPantene Beautiful Lengths was created to bring people together to share their strength and donate their beautiful, healthy hair to create free wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment.
The Entertainment Industry Foundation and the American Cancer Society have teamed up to distribute the Pantene Beautiful Lengths real-hair wigs for cancer patients around the nation. While this program aims to assist as many cancer patients as possible, ultimately the number of free wigs that become available will depend entirely on the number of ponytail donations received.
As Pantene Beautiful Lengths wigs are created, they are distributed for free through select American Cancer Society wig banks across the country.
Benefits: Women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment
Donation Guidelines:
- Minimum of 8 inches long
- Wavy/curly hair texture is fine-you may straighten hair to measure
- Hair should be freshly washed and completely dry, without any styling products
- Hair may be colored with vegetable dyes, rinses and semi-permanent dyes. It cannot be bleached, permanently colored or chemically treated
- Hair may not be more than 5 percent gray
More information:
- Million-Inch Chain - Campaign kicked off by Hillary Swank. Make a pledge or register your own donation.
- Complete Donation Guidelines
- Hair-Cutting Events - Host your own hair-cutting party, plan a ponytail drive or issue a challenge to others.
- Downloads - Web banners, desktop wallpapers and more to show your support for the campaign.
- Blog
Pantene Donation Videos
Pantene Donation Photos
Wigs for Kids
Wigs for KidsSince the organization began, Wigs for Kids has provided thousands of children with complimentary, custom-made hairpieces to help them look themselves, so they can enter back into the world without the ridicule and embarrassment associated with hair loss.
Benefits: Children who have lost hair as a result of chemotherapy, radiation treatments, alopecia, burns, or other medical circumstances
Donation Guidelines
- Hair must be clean and dry.
- Hair that has been cut and saved is suitable for donations.
- Minimum length of hair donation is 12+ inches. (Pull curly hair straight to measure.)
- Gray hair is acceptable, but hair that has been chemically processed - permed, colored or highlighted - is not
More information on their website:
- Partnership with Girl Scouts
- Salons - Find a salon in your state that supports this program.
- How to Cut a Ponytail for Donation - Directions meant for hair stylists, but great resource for anyone.
Wigs for Kids Donation Videos
One in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in her lifetime and nearly 60% of women regard hair loss as the single worst side effect of cancer treatment.
Locks of Love
Locks of Love
Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.
Benefits: Financially disadvantaged children 18 and younger with medical hair loss
Donation Guidelines:
- Hair must be at least 10 inches (preferably 12") in length
- Hair must be free of bleach. Colored hair and permed is acceptable.
- Hair must be clean and dry
- Hair cut years ago is usable if it has been stored in a ponytail or braid.
- Hair that has been bleached (usually this refers to highlighted hair) is not usable. If unsure, ask your stylist.
- Cannot accept dreadlocks. Also cannot accept wigs, falls, hair extensions or synthetic hair.
- Layered hair is acceptable if the longest layer is 10 inches.
- Layered hair may be divided into multiple ponytails.
- Curly hair may be pulled straight to measure the minimum 10 inches.
- Gray hair will be accepted and sold to offset the manufacturing costs.
More information:
- Documentary Film - If you're planning a donation to Locks of Love, they're making a documentary on the organization and would love to hear from you.
- Volunteer - Host a LOL event or become a participating salon.
- Sponsors
Locks of Love Donation Videos
Locks of Love Squidoo Lenses
A pro and a con from other Squidooers.-
Locks of Love
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Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. They meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to...
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Locks of Love
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Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that claims to provide hairpieces to children under 18 with medical conditions. However, the organization often does not live up to its claims and contrary to popular belief, Locks of Love does not benefit t...
Locks of Love Photos
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Do You Really Want to Donate?
Make sure you're ready before you step up to the scissors!!
Hair is something both personal and emotional for many of us. Which explains why charities that give or discount wigs for children and adults who lose their hair because of cancer and other disease have such appeal. But make sure you're giving up your hair for the right reasons and to the right place to make those reasons valid.
Once you're sure you want to donate your hair, do your homework. Make sure you understand how the hair will be used, who will benefit and the requirements for making a donation. This is a big decision and you don't want to have donor's remorse later. And don't let anyone pressure you into cutting your hair if you change your mind. You'll find many of the organizations will be just as happy with your check as your hair (if not happier!).
Looks Like Me
Looks Like Me
The mission of Looks Like Me is to help children afflicted with hair loss due to medical conditions, live a normal life. With all of the tribulations a child goes through after being diagnosed with an illness, the last struggle they need is to be excluded by their peers for looking "different". Having a hair system that is customized to match their hair prior to the loss gives them a tremendous amount of strength with the battle they are enduring. The hair system is custom designed to the size and shape of each individual child's head so that it can be worn on an everyday basis, including all active sports such as track, swimming, basketball and waterskiing.
Benefits: All donations made to the organization are used exclusively to benefit children in San Diego and the surrounding communities.
Donation Guidelines:
- Hair needs to be clean, dry and placed in a plastic bag.
- Hair must be put in a ponytail or loosely braided.
- Hair may be colored, but severely damaged hair cannot be used.
- Hair of all colors from men and women of all races, young or old, can be donated.
- Hair needs to be 12 inches or longer.
More Information:
Children with Hair Loss
Created as a resource for all children who have medically related hair loss. Mission is to empower these children to become whole again by making hair available to those who may be financially challenged and might otherwise not have a means of obtaining the hair they want and need.
Benefits: Children under age 21 experiencing hair loss due to a documented medical condition
Donation Guidelines:
- Hair should be at least 8 inches in length; longer is preferred.
- Hair must be clean and pony-tailed or braided (this keeps the hair in one direction).
- Non-chemically treated hair is preferred (but any hair in good condition will be accepted).
- Gray hair is accepted.
More information:
There are more than 370,000 hair salons in the US and each cut about one pound of hair a day!
Angel Hair for Kids
Angel Hair for Kids
Angel Hair for Kids provides human or synthetic hair wigs for children from financially disadvantaged families who have lost their hair as a result of the ABC's of hair loss: Alopecia, Burns and Cancer chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Benefits: Financially disadvantaged children with medical hair loss
Donation Guidelines:
- Hair must be clean and thoroughly dry.
- Minimum length must be 10 inches.
- Hair should be untreated - no perms,coloring or bleaching.
More information:
- Special events - Spring gala, challenge events and more.
- Participating salons
- Photo gallery
Childhood Leukemia Foundation
The Childhood Leukemia Foundation is a national non-profit organization that offers a wide range of services at no charge to children living with cancer and their families. Our goal is to make sure children battling cancer know they are not alone.
CLF provides thousands of custom made, 100% human hair wigs with kid-friendly hats (Hugs-U-Wear) to children around the country. Each custom-made hat/hair headpiece costs $150, an expense many families strapped by ongoing cancer-care cannot afford and which isn't covered by insurance.
Benefits: Girls who have suffered hair loss due to a variety of cancer treatments
Donation Guidelines
- At least 12" in length (curly hair can be pulled straight to measure 12")
- Chemically untreated from permanents or hair dye.
- Do not accept gray hair (not suitable for children)
Hair Donation: What's the Buzz?
Bloggers discuss their experiences
- When A Good Cause Gives Me The Push I Need
- Sometime in May, I made the decision to donate my hair. Given my change induced anxiety, it took me another month and a half to make the appointment. In June, Lis made the cut, and started a Flickr Group called Bloggers for Lock of Love ...
- Donate Hair for Disadvantaged Children
- I went into the salon and told them that I wanted to donate my hair. She tied it off into four ponytails (my hair is very thick and couldn't be done in a single pony tail) and measured. Minimum was 8" for Locks of Love but I went with ...
- Gone Baby Gone...
- I told myself that when it got long enough, I would donate my hair. I had also told myself that I would grow my hair out till I got pregnant, then donate it. Well, that never happened, and I didn't want to wait any longer. ...
Matter of Trust
Matter of Trust
Matter of Trust has collaborated with thousands of salons throughout the US and abroad to donate their hair clippings which are made into mats that soak up oil spills.
Benefits: Environment, at-risk youth
Donation Guidelines:
- Please line boxes (recycled shampoo supply boxes work well) with plastic garbage bags.
- Hair can be swept off the floor
- Please no metal pins or clips (actually, try to get nothing but hair if possible).
- Hair can be any length, color or condition
- Pet hair is OK too, but human hair is more efficient
More information:
- Also accept clean, used, runned nylons which are doublee, cut and stuffed with the hair to make "booms" that surround and contain as well as soak up oil spills.
Hair Donation: Great Hairstyle Options
388 Great Hairstyles
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $12.95
Discover a great style for wearing your hair while it's long. Long hair doesn't have to be all one length and there's more you can do with it than just wear it in a ponytail!
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Hair Donation: Step Two
Grow your hair long and strong - You want it the best it can be to donate
You don't want your donation to go to waste, so make sure you put the time and effort into taking care of your hair as it grows out. Keep in mind any requirements your chosen charity might have in terms of chemical treatments (perms, haircolor, etc.) as well as the length to shoot for.Key things to remember:
- Heat is the enemy!! This means blow-dryers, curling irons, straighteners, hot water even. Now, I still wash with warm water (who wants to take a cold shower!), but avoid all other heat sources. I just wash at night now and let it air dry. It's made a huge difference in the health of my hair as it's grown.
- Consider using a special deep conditioner once a week. I've never liked the hot oil treatments that much. I used the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask
for a few months and loved it, then switched to one from Pantene. It takes a long time to use up one of these tubs! I think I had fewer split ends with the Neutrogena product, so I'd definitely recommend it. There are lots of options
for deep treatments, though.
- Careful with the hair products!! Most of them contain alcohol, which is really drying. Unless you desperately need them to keep your hair from becoming just crazy, go lightly here.
- For some people, it is possible that areas of your life such as diet, exercise, hours of sleep, and stress affect hair growth. Healthy habits will promote healthy hair!
- Yes, what you eat can impact how your hair grows. In addition to my regular vitamins, I've been talking extra doses of biotin. Check out the link below for more on the special hair vitamins out on the market.
Hair Donation: Hair Care Aware
Hair Donation: More on Growing Long Hair
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How To Care For Your Hair
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How many times have you had a bad hair day? I hate a bad hair day. It just sort of bring down the whole day, even when I woke up feeling really great. It ruins my mood and it inevitably affects everyone close to me! Am I the only who's like that? I do...
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Long Hair Beauty
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Long hair: you're worth it... Women always catch estimative glances from men. Everything undergoes a thorough examination: face, constitution, pace, clothes... According to statistics, hair is on the 6th place in the "evaluative" lists of m...
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Long Hair
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Long hair! Many people want it, but not to many people have it! Whether you're an aspiring long hair, or tried and true this is the place for you. Long hair is a mystery. It can be awe inspiring, while at the same time it can inspire disgust and o...
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Hair Vitamins
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Hair Vitamins. Healthy hair is a pleasure to behold and should be a person's shining glory. A high-quality hair vitamin supplies the body with the proper amino acids and minerals that you may not be receiving in your diet to help create beautif...
Hair Donation: Why gray, treated or dyed hair is usually not accepted
One-Minute How-To:
Listen to my interview about how to donate your hair.
Styling Long Hair
Long Hair Photos
MADONNA OF ROCKS
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Feeling
Standing
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Addidas
Bathtub
Becky - Attic 3
Hair Donation: Great Tips for Styling
Hair: Styling Tips and Tricks for Girls (American Girl Library)
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $8.95
Blow it straight or jazz up the curls. Stlying tips to make your hair (long or short!) look its best!
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Hair Donation: Step Three
Time to make the cut
Lucky you!! You get to try a new hairstyle! Review the guidelines for your chosen charity, then head for the salon. Or, you can just grab a friend and make the donation cut at home yourself.- Ask if your salon gives free haircuts when you're ready to donate. Some organizations keep lists of participating salons on their websites.
- Know how much you want to cut (and keep in mind how much will be left once you've cut enough for the donation).
- Discuss your new style options with your stylist before he/she starts cutting. Your new dream hairdo might not be possible once you cut off enough to donate or you might need to leave some parts longer than others to make the new look happen.
- Hair should be freshly washed and completely dry. Do not put any styling products into your hair before cutting it.
- Gather your hair into a ponytail. Secure the ponytail with an elastic band. Ensure that the band is tight so as to keep the hair together after cutting it. You can put a second hair band around the middle of the ponytail to help keep the hair together.
- Measure your hair from just above the elastic ponytail to the ends to determine if your hair meets the donation agency's requirements. If you have wavy or curly hair, you may straighten it first before measuring.
- If your hair is layered, separate each layer into its own ponytail. It is okay to submit multiple ponytails of different lengths.
- Follow the mailing instructions of the organization you have chosen to donate to. Be sure to include a piece of paper with your name, address, and phone number so that you can be contacted should there be any questions about the condition of your hair.
Hair Donation on YouTube
Pick Your New Style
Hair Cut Photos
![salon day haircut by [177]](http://static.flickr.com/3055/2683023554_b3a09acd16_s.jpg)
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"Eyes are magic...
You need a haircut,...
Hair All Gone
Grace with her new h...
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Hair Cut Movies
Hair Styling Videos
Donate Your Hair?
Thoughts on this lens? Questions? Planning to donate your hair or have you done it in the past? Let's hear from you!
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youhavegottobekidding
Wow this is really a Great Lens. If I were given the change I would happily donate as much hair as I can and invite my friends and family to join coz it could really help out a lot of people. Posted July 16, 2008 |
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Margaret_Schaut
This is a charitable activity that is so helpful, but so little known, that it was a brilliant idea for a Squidoo lens. Welcome to the Masterpiece Movement Group. Susan, we're proud to have you! Posted July 14, 2008 |
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Lakota429
Great lens!! I know of several kids (girls) in my neighborhood who have donated. It gives them a sense of responsibility and compassion for others. All who have done it were so proud when they came to school the next day and shared their experience. 5 stars to you!!! Annie~ Posted July 08, 2008 |
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creativeness
Excellent lens, excellent cause. Well done. Posted July 03, 2008 |
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Matthew_Ferry
It is really a great feeling to experience knowing that in your simple way you have helped others...great lens... =) Posted June 30, 2008 |
Bald and Bold
Turning Heads: Portraits of Grace, Inspiration, and Possibilities
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 07/19/2008)
The spark for this collection of gorgeous and inspiring photographs of women who've become bald from chemotherapy was film and television writer Hunsicker's initial reaction to her own cancer diagnosis: the fear of becoming bald trumped her fears of mere death. The resulting book is powerful medicine, and not just for women undergoing cancer treatment. Shot by 59 leading photographers, such as Duane Michals, the book features women of all shapes, sizes, colors and nationalities, and they illustrate an important point: their subjects' distinctive talents, interests, identities and personalities. In these bold and imaginative photos, a Florida Supreme Court Justice presides over a court session, a designer lounges astride an elephant in fuchsia formal wear, a doctor's face grins from the center of a rising moon.
All My Lenses
Like this lens? Want to see what else I've done? Here's my lensography!-
SusanVillasLewis
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Well, probably for my mom and my husband. But I guess the rest of you won't love me just for existing. So here's more about me, links to my various lenses, thoughts on future lenses and just the general randomness that is Susan. This will forever be...