Donating your hair to cancer patients

Apr 20, 2008 11:40 PM by Kori Ellis

Posted in SheKnows Cares / Breast Cancer Awareness

Get A Short 'do
& Do Good Too!

Do you want to cut your long locks into a fabulous short 'do? As the weather heats up a lot of women are sporting shorter hairstyles. If you are cutting your long hair, don't just sweep it away into the trash. Instead, you can donate your hair to a worthy cause.

Hair donation

Many patients lose their hair due to cancer treatments. When a person loses their hair, they often lose some self-esteem too. That's why donating your hair to create a natural looking wig for a person in need is such a great idea.

Hilary Swank before or after Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank grew her hair long and healthy specifically to donate it to the cause. She cut it herself (on Oprah, no less) -- and you can see how she looked a couple months before and after in the photos at right!

Donating hair for cancer patients is both easy and rewarding. You will feel good knowing that your short hairstyle has helped out someone who really needs it.

If your local hair salon doesn't have a hair donation program, you can still donate by sending your hair yourself through the mail to a national program.

If you want to donate, here are some hair donation programs that always welcome more contributors.

Locks of Love

Locks of Love takes all different hair colors and types, except grey. Your hair needs to be at least 10 inches long and sent in as a ponytail or braid. Locks of Love uses the hair to create natural looking wigs for children that would not normally be able to afford one. Visit locksoflove.org to watch a step-by-step video on how to cut, package and send in your hair.

Pantene Beautiful Lengths

Beautiful lengths is a hair donation program in both the United States and Canada. Hair must be at least 8 inches long. It can be colored with vegetable dyes and semi-permanent hair color, but it can't be bleached, permanently colored or otherwise chemically treated. It also can't be more than 5 percent grey. Visit the Beautiful Lengths website to learn more about donating your hair to women in need.

Wigs for Kids

This hair donation program creates free wigs for kids. They require at least 12 inches of clean dry hair in a ponytail or braid. Help out a child in need by donating your hair. Check out their website for hair photos and other information about donating your hair.

More cool ideas and information about hairstyles:

Comments

Comments on "Donating your hair to cancer patients"

MY DAUGTHER IS ONLY 2 BUT HER HAIR IS LONG AND ME AND MY HUSABND WANT TO DONATE TO CANCER BUT WE DONT NOW WERE TO GO . MY FRIEND ALSO WANTS TO DONATE MY GRADMA PASS AWAY BECAUSE OF CANCER AND MY DAUGTHER GOD MOTHERS MOM HAS LUNG CONCER PLEASE IF ANY ONE CAN TELL ME WERE I CAN DONATE TO CANCER PLEASE LET ME KHOW THANKYOU.

hi i have about 13'' of hair that i would love to donate to cancer pations i want to know if there are any places where i can just go and take care of this around my area. i live in redwood city california.

my son wants to know how to go about giving his hair to someone in need of a wig due to cancer and he would also like to know how long it would have to be in order to do it?

I just recently found out someone very close to me may be needing chemotherapy. I am planning on going with her to the Salon to cut off all my hair so she doesn't feel alone. I would like to know exactly where to send my hair to donate. I see all these sitesthat tell you what to do but no address.

I'AM GETTING READY TO GO THROUGH CHEMO ON THE 4TH OF APRIL 2012, I WOULD LIKE TO DONATE MY HAIR, BUT IT HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED. DO YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT TAKES CHEMICALLY TREATED HAIR?\ THANKD

LIKE THE OTHERS I WOULD LIKE TO CUT MY HAIR AND DONATE IT TO CANCER PATIENCE... BUT I'VE HEARD ALOT OF BAD STUFF FOR LOCKS OF LOVE. SO NOW I'M NOT SURE WHERE TO TURN. I STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO WITH THE LENGTH. BUT WANT TO THINK AHEAD SO WHEN IT COMES TIME TO CUT IT I WILL BE READY.. HOW DO I GO ABOUT DOING SO. DO I GO TO MY REGULAR HAIR DRESSER OR DO I HAVE TO GO TO THE PLACE THAT I WILL DONATE IT TOO. I'M IN TAMPA BAY FL AREA AND I'M SURE THERE ARE SEVERAL PLACES AROUND HERE THAT WILL BE WILLING TO TAKE IT. I'VE NOT COLORED MY HAIR IN ABOUT 10 YRS SO I'M OK THERE. I DONT DO ANYTHING TO IT BUT CUT/TRIM IT AND WASH IT VERY OFTEN... BUT I HAVE BEEN ON A FEW MEDS THAT HAS MY HAIR FALLING OUT. SO SURE IF IT'S STILL HEALTHY ENOUGH TO USE OR NOT. SO IF ANYONE HAS INFORMATION AS TO WHERE I CAN DONATE IT TO. I WAS THINKING MAYBE THE SHIRNERS ALL CHILDRENS HOSPITAL HERE IN TAMPA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA CAMPUS... JUST A THOUGHT. THANKS IN ADVANCE. DEBS

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2011. This is the second time she has had a lump in the same breast. This time she is undergoing chemo therapy and she is losing her hair now, with the second treatment. I want to find out where I can send my own hair to have a wig made for her that is not really expensive. I made my mom cry when I suggested instead of those wigs at the chemo place that I would like have one made for her with my hair and she said no your hair is beautiful don't cut it. I told her that I wanted her to have beautiful hair again too. Can you help with finding a place that makes human hair wigs for cancer patients that are affordable? Thank you.

Id like to donate my hair to a specific person, How do i go about that?

hi, i want to donate some of my hair its really long, my hair is coloured but in really good condition can i still donate?

If you have hair to donate that is 6-9 inches in length, Locks of Love will take it and sell it to help offset the cost of their wigs. So while it's not being put into a wig, it's still helping the cause. To donate your hair, most salons will do a donation cut for free. If they don't supply the forms and send it in for you, you can download the information off of each program's website. Hope that helps!

I have 6 inches of dirty blonde wavy hair of my son ... He wants to donate where can I send it?? It is clean and dry and in elastics waiting for someone toast for it. It is a shame to waste it as he has been doing this for over a year and all the places want 8 or more inches Thanx Garrett and Debbie

I have mostly gray hair and would like to find a place to donate it when I get it cut. Most places do not want mostly gray hair but cancer patients may want a mixed gray wig if they are older. Is there somewhere that does need a blond/gray ponytail? I don't want to get it cut until I find one.

I started chemo today and my hair will soon start to fall out.My neice wants to donate her long hair so i can have wig made only i cant seem to find place to get it done.I live in San Antonio Tx can u give me any ideas?

i have 2 kids with looong hair ,, im thinking about donate their hair , so please tell me where to go.,,, i live in maryland,silver spring

how long does your hair need to be donated

I have about 12 inches of hair and i was wanting to donate it to a local charity in los Angeles California for cancer patients. If anyone can help menu sure appreciate it. Thank you and god bless you.

I have long brown hair almost to my waist an am going to cut short. Would love to donate but dont know how. Can someone help me out? It is coloured so I dont know if possible to donate. WOuld love to help someone if I can!

I have 7" of beautiful red hair I would like to donate from my friend's daughter...anyone know of a program that I can send it to that would accept it?

I have always highlighted my hair. I would now like to grow it out and donate it. If I continue to grow out my hair and color it instead, continue to get it cut until all highlighted hair has been cut off, then can I donate it?

Hi! I have my hai long and would lik to donate it I eally don't know were to go my hair is long and would like to cut it and I don't want to throw it away instead I would like to donate it to a good cause please let me know were to go or what to do because I want to really cut it already.