Before You Make the Cut

For many girls, spring comes with a much needed change of weather, but it is also prime time to take the plunge to cut and donate their long locks to a good cause. 

Between Rosamund Pike’s asymmetrical bob, Emily Blunt’s posh style, and Karlie Kloss’s classic cut, short styles dominated on the Red Carpet this season.  What’s better is that getting a chic cut is affordable on a college budget as most salons offer free or discounted haircuts if you tell them that you intend to give to a hair donation charity.  Donating your hair is a quick, free, and easy way to make an impact on an individual’s life and update your look in the process.  What’s not to love? 

Before you decide to make the big cut, be sure to stop and do a little research on where you intend to donate your hair.  The problem is, all charitable organizations aren’t created equally.  In the last several years, headlines have popped up recounting millions of dollars of unaccounted hair donations, personal accounts of cancer patients who were turned away by hair donation groups, and even charitable organizations that charge individuals for their wigs to cover “overhead costs”.  Though many of us think that our locks are going to be given to kids or adults struggling with diseases that cause hair loss, many companies actually have misleading mission statements. 

If you’re looking to help women and children rebuild their confidence and a sense of normalcy, donating your hair is the perfect way to give back.   Although, every year millions of donations are discarded. To ensure your gift won’t be wasted, it pays to choose the right organization and follow their directions. 

Locks of Love

Locks of Love is perhaps the most well known hair donation organization.  Their mission aims to make hair pieces for kids under the age of 21 facing long term medical hair loss and in turn give them back a sense of self confidence and normalcy.  The majority of the kids they help suffer from a condition called Alopecia Areata.  Though they are among the longest running charities that handle hair donation, many children being treated for cancer are turned away as the hair loss from chemotherapy is not classified as long term .  Also if you read the fine print, they aim to help financially disadvantaged children by providing wigs free of charge or on a sliding scale.   Contrary to popular belief, many kids who recieve hair pieces have to pay for them.  They require at least ten inches.  If you are interested in donating, you can find more information here.

Wigs for kids

The goal of Wigs for Kids is to help kids live their lives again by providing free hair pieces for young people under 18 facing any type of medical hair loss including alopecia, cancer, or burn accidents.  On their website, they claim that they never charge families for hair replacements, but rely on both hair and monetary donations.  Because it costs almost $1,800 for one hair replacement, they encourage volunteers to collect pledges from their  family and friends to offset the costs.   They require at least 12 inches.  If you’re interested in donating, you can find more information here.

Pantene Beautiful Lengths

Pantene’s campaign partners up with the American Cancer Society to give both hope and free wigs to women battling cancer.  This organization is very popular not only because it helps adults, but also because it only requires eight inches of hair.  If you want to learn more about donating to Pantene’s Great Lengths, visit their website here.

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