Are you interested in donating your hair? Then you must look for legitimate places and organizations that accept hair donations. By learning exactly where to donate hair, you can easily decide which one to visit and how to contribute.
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Organizations That Accept Hair Donations
Several organizations are now accepting hair donations for a good cause. In most cases, the donations are for kids and women with challenging conditions like alopecia, hair loss and cancer.
To give you an idea, here are some of the trusted organizations that will let you donate your precious hair:
Locks of Love
Hair loss is one of the most devastating hair issues that people experience, especially kids. In that case, the Locks of Love can help as they accept ponytail donations that they can offer to those in need of them.
These hair donations are made into wigs explicitly meant for kids, especially financially disadvantaged ones. The donations will bring back the confidence of children who need them and make them enjoy easy-to-maintain hairstyles.
You may also want to check out another hair donation organization called Hair We Share. This 501c3 organization requires at least $25 and the hair you donated.
The organization focuses on providing wigs to kids and adults suffering from hair loss for medical reasons.
What’s great about this organization is that they also provide a tracking program, which you can use to look at the final wig made with the help of your donation.
Just ensure you lighten your hair without bleach, as Hair We Share does not accept hair donations that underwent bleaching or chemical treatments. You have to seal your hair in a plastic bag, too.
Wigs for Kids
You can also donate your hair to Wigs for Kids, an organization that has already been in operation for more than thirty years. Your hair will surely be put to good use as it caters to children dealing with extreme hair loss.
It accepts hair with a minimum length of 12 inches. The hair should also be gray and not treated chemically.
Angel Hair for Kids
Based in Canada, Angel Hair for Kids belongs to the Child’s Voice Foundation. This foundation offers a few programs – one is Angel Hair, which caters to the needs of kids who are financially disadvantaged in Canada.
The program recipients will get a personal appointment in salons specializing in wigs.
Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids
This specific non-profit organization services the needs of youth aged 18 and below. It mainly focuses on those who need the program in Michigan since the organization is based in that state, but it notes that it has a far-reaching scope.
Aside from giving children hair systems, this foundation offers holistic and allied health support services. The minimum length for hair donations in this organization is 10 inches.
Also, the strands should not be colored or chemically treated. It should not also have over ten percent gray.
Requirements for Hair Donation
You can donate to the proper organization if you have straight or curly hair or a short hairstyle. Just research the specific requirements when it comes to donating hair in your chosen organization.
In most cases, the requirements and guidelines for hair donation include the following:
- Put the hair in a braid or ponytail – The cut should also be over the ponytail holder.
- Stick to the common hair donation length of around 8 to 12 inches.
- Straighten curly hair first before measuring so it can meet the requirements.
- For layered hair, ensure that the shortest layer meets the minimum length required by the organization.
- Your hair should be dry and clean.
- Donate natural hair without any chemical treatments or alterations – Most organizations do not accept synthetic hair.
- Do not donate hair taken from the floor, as it is generally unusable.
- Pack the cut-off braid or ponytail in a plastic bag with a zipper – After that, put it inside a padded envelope.
Also, even if it is not mandatory, it would still be better if you offered the organization even a small monetary amount as a donation together with your hair. This should help in defraying the cost associated with running the organization.
Ensure that you strictly and carefully follow the instructions for donations, too. By doing that, you have an assurance that your donated hair will be of great use to users, preventing the strands from going to waste. You also have to keep your hair as healthy as possible.
You can protect your hair by avoiding ponytails or make it a point to tie it during the night to maintain each strand’s excellent condition. That way, giving to others as a gift will be healthy enough.
How to Donate Hair
Step 1 – Measure hair first
Starting from the particular point where you intend to cut to that specific area where the thinning of your ends begins. If you have curly hair, you should pull your locks tightly for an accurate measurement.
Step 2 – Wash and dry
Ensure you have clean hair and it is free of all hair products and other buildups. It should be completely dry before cutting, too. After that, wrap your hair using plastic. Ensure it is mold-free; otherwise, your donation will not be accepted.
Step 3 – Section your hair and tie it to form several ponytails
Rather than having one big ponytail, divide your hair into sections, preferably a few ponytails. Several organizations may even request sectioning hair through layers in case there are variations in the length.
Use an elastic to wrap each section, ensuring each one is tightly secured. Also, note that several organizations like ponytails instead of braids, so conduct research before starting.
Step 4 – Start cutting
The cut should be over the rubber band, keeping your hair bound together. This makes it necessary to have an allowance of around one more inch when tying hair into a ponytail.
Step 5 – Pack the hair so you can send it
Collect your ponytails, then wrap everything together while ensuring you tie each ponytail separately. Put hair neatly in a plastic bag with a seal. Do not forget to provide your name and other additional details the company needs.
After that, have it packed in a mailing envelope with padding. After completing the online donation forms, you can finally mail your hair.
Step 6 – Start to donate
Aside from hair donations, the organizations may also need monetary donations to keep them up and running.
Step 7 – Monitor your progress
Fortunately, several organizations will send updates on the journey of your hair. Hair We Share, for instance, operates a ponytail tracking program meant for donors who donated up to $145 more for wig production.
With this particular program, getting updates regarding the manufacturing process and seeing the final result would be easy.
FAQ
Who can donate hair?
Anyone can donate hair, whether kids or adults. Just make sure you study the particular requirements of specific organizations since some won’t accept hair that went through coloring, bleaching, highlights, perming, and dreadlocks.
Can color-treated hair be donated?
It depends on the organization. Some organizations accept color-treated or dyed hair, while others don’t. In your search for the best organization where you can send your hair, study whether they accept color-treated or dyed hair.
If you don’t, you will end up having your color-treated hair turned down.
What hair is not accepted for donation?
Organizations usually do not accept hair donations if the strands are in poor condition. You have to ensure that your hair is generally healthy, so snip off those split ends.
If you have curly hair, you must pull it to straighten it first, promoting ease in accurately measuring the length. Expect hair below twelve inches to be rejected often. Hair that went through bleaching or other chemical treatments is also not accepted.
Are there any risks associated with donating hair?
One thing that may happen to donated hair, especially if it is sent wet, is that it ends up getting moldy. There are also instances when hair will become unusable for wigs because it is already too damaged due to chemical treatments.
Who decides where the donated hair ends up?
It depends on the organization and the specific cause it is supporting. In most cases, the donated hair will be made into wigs sent to sick patients suffering from hair loss because of certain illnesses.
Research several organizations to know whether their cause aligns with whom you want to donate your hair.
Vinnie is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team. He’s also a barber and hairstylist for 15 years now and he has a kick-ass beard of his own, so he surely knows what makes a magnificent beard and hair and how to achieve them. He’s our go-to guy for all the latest beard and hairstyle trends and he always has a tip or two on how to grow and style a thick beard fast.