How to Donate Your Hair to a Great Cause

by peppypickle

8.2K3415

Intro: How to Donate Your Hair to a Great Cause

What's better than getting a new hair-do? Donating your hair to a person in need! There are several organizations out there that will take your donated hair and help make wigs for people battling cancer. Your hair donation will help make wigs for people that have lost their hair due to chemotherapy - and it's a great way to help others by gifting 8,10, or 12 inches of your hair.

STEP 1: Make Sure You're Ready!

This includes:

1. Making sure your hair is long enough (tip-tp-tip).

8 INCHES

For Pantene Beautiful Lengths, it is an 8 inch minimum. Pantene Beautiful Lengths makes wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer.

For Children With Hair Loss, it is an 8 inch minimum. Children With Hair Loss makes wigs for makes hair available to children under 21 with medically-related hair loss.

10 INCHES

For Locks of Love, it is a 10 inch minimum. Locks of Love makes wigs for kids under the age of 21 who suffer from long-term medical hair loss.

For Childhood Leukemia Foundation, it is a 10 inch minimum. Childhood Leukemia Foundation offers a variety of services to children with cancer and their families, including providing custom-made 100 percent human hair wigs.

12 INCHES

For Wigs for Kids, it is a 12 inch minimum. Wigs for Kids makes wigs for children and teens under the age of 18 who have lost their hair due to medical reasons.

2. Ensuring that your hair is not damaged or dyed (i.e. chemically processed -- perms, color treated or highlights can't be accepted)

3. Make sure your hair is washed and dried.

4. For curly hair - good news - you can straighten it to meet those length requirements :)

STEP 2: Making the Cut!

Get excited! You're about to help create a wig for a person in need!

1. Part your clean and dry hair down the middle.

2. Tie hair into at least 4 sections (6 are even better) around the head for a more generous donation.

3. Measure the amount that you are wanting to cut (with a minimum of 8 inches)

4. Make sure each ponytail or braid is tightly secured.

5. Cut hair above rubber band.

7. Place all your hair into a Ziploc bag

8. Mail the hair in a sealed envelope - preferably a padded envelope.

STEP 3: Mail Your Hair!

Congratulations! You did it!

Now, mail your hair in a (preferably) padded envelope to the organization of your choice.

** NOTE: Many of the organizations have "hair donation forms" that you should fill out when mailing in your hair. This way, they can acknowledge your gift and so you know it got there safely **

15 Comments

EcohippieWorkshop 8 years ago

Great instructable! Just one small adjustment is needed; donated hair CAN be colored or chemically treated as some wigs require color balancing, straightening but Always check with the company or program you wish to donate to first. I have donated my long permed hair and also color treated and highlighted (just not all those chemical processes at the same time of course. I wouldn't have any hair to donate if I did that). Thx for your support of a great cause, Keep up the Hairy work!!

violingirl 9 years ago

I didn't know there are so many places to donate hair to.

I thought there was only Locks of Love.

dpizetta 9 years ago

This is a good action. My girlfriend has just donate some hair for a cancer hospital. As I have (almost) no hair, I couldn't, but I was thinking how to produce (machine) to produce wigs. They say that one of the biggest problem after the donation is find people to produce those wigs. Thanks for sharing :)

ToadMib 9 years ago

This is an awesome instructable, and excellent subject matter. Approved.

peppypickle 9 years ago

Thanks so much for the support, I really appreciate your nice comment :)

BLR_RAVI 9 years ago

well written...i like the nobel cause behind

peppypickle 9 years ago

Thank you for such a supportive comment :)

nell137 9 years ago

I used to work at Great Clips! Thanks for the different donating options. I'm not a fan of Locks of Love, so its nice to see others. Great job on the 'ible!

peppypickle 9 years ago

Thanks very much for the support! I ended up donating my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths!

kainxavier 9 years ago

I would never ever give to Locks of Love. From all appearances, they don't represent anything but greed.

Example:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/05/13/locks-of-love-6-million-of-hair-donations-unaccounted-for-each-year/

I don't represent an interest any company either, and cancer has effected loved ones (one survivor, one not so lucky, and one currently in a clinical - IE a lab rat).

peppypickle 9 years ago

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I ended up donating my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths - but everyone has their preferences.

kainxavier 9 years ago

I just find so much shady info about Locks for Love for someone who is supposedly a nonprofit. Thanks for your donation though. While no relatives have opted for a wig, I'm sure those that do greatly appreciate the sense of normalcy.

tinaciousz 9 years ago

I admire you! I donated my hair to locks of love but I don't know if they ever got it... My salon didn't cut it that way! There should be a way to connect with the person that receives your hair... I think an idea has been born. :)

peppypickle 9 years ago

You're so sweet tinaciousz, I hope your donation was used!

Yeah, awesome idea to have the donor be connected to the recipeient :)