Long Hair, Do Care

Classes are ending, the holidays are coming up, and soon enough we will be ringing in 2013. This time of year is a perfect time to really transform your look and start the spring semester off with a change. One of the best ways to do this is through a hair donation! If your hair is long enough, you can get an awesome new hairstyle for yourself and also really make a difference by helping someone that is in need of a hair donation. There are multiple hair donation organizations to choose from, so keep reading and try to consider all the great benefits of changing your look.

One of the most popular hair donation organizations is Locks of Love. Locks of Love donates hair prosthetics to children under 21 in the US and Canada who suffer from any long-term medical diagnosis that causes hair loss. Locks of Love does have guidelines for anyone donating hair. A few include: donated hair must be sent in a ponytail; 10 inches measured tip to tip is the minimum length; permed or colored hair is acceptable; bleached hair can’t be used. You can get more information on donation guidelines, hair loss, planning a Locks of Love event and other ways to help at their website, www.locksoflove.org.

Another organization you can donate your hair to is Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program. Pantene has partnered with the American Cancer Society and works to provide the funds to turn donated hair into wigs for women with cancer. Pantene sells a Beautiful Lengths collection of hair products such as shampoo, conditioner and finishing cream, so you can help out by buying the products as well as donating hair. Pantene also has guidelines for hair donations, such as donations must be at least 8 inches, sent in a binded ponytail and wavy or curly hair must be straightened before donating. You can find more information on their website http://www.pantene.com/beautifullengths.

A third organization you could donate to is Wigs for Kids. Wigs for Kids provides hair replacements and support to children who have lost their hair to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, Alopecia and other medical issues. You can help Wigs for Kids in many different ways, including making a small financial donation, sponsoring a child or donating your hair. Wigs for Kids’ requirements are that the hair donations to be a minimum of 12 inches, the hair cannot be chemically processed (meaning no perms, color treatments or highlights that don’t wash out), and hair must be clean and dry before mailing. If you’re interested, please check out www.wigsforkids.org.

If you feel hesitant about cutting your hair, just try to think about all the positives that come along with this change — a a stylish new haircut; a rejuvenated look; healthy locks as opposed to dry, split ends; and most importantly, the opportunity to help children and women in need. As someone who has donated hair twice, I would recommend it to anyone because it truly is an incredibly rewarding experience that makes you feel awesome in so many ways.