I donate hair, and here’s why you should consider donating yours too!
Have you ever heard of hair donation? I always aim to donate hair these days. It’s such an easy thing to do that helps others and makes me happy!
There are several charity organizations that collect hair donations, turn them into wigs, and give them to children and/or adults who have diseases or cancer treatments that cause them to lose their hair.
I wanted to do it early last year, but my hair wasn’t long enough so I waited. Before I knew it, I haven’t cut my hair in over 20 months thanks to the pandemic, and it was down to my waist. So I went to the hairdresser the other day. I told her I wanted to cut 9 inches off and to please have the hair in a ponytail as I wanted to donate it.
She wasn’t sure what I meant, and asked her boss what’s 9 inches of hair like. The boss handed her a 12-inch ruler. She measured 10 inches just in case, showed me where it would be. It was around my shoulders. I approved, she cut it, and handed me my hair.
20 months of hair.
This is the second time I’ve done this and it still threw me off to hold my cut ponytail in my hands. For some reason, it always feels strangely alive. It just doesn’t feel the same as an inanimate object. It’s an organic thing, an intimate part of me I cared for that I’m now giving away.
When I measured the length of hair at home, it wasn’t 10 inches, it wasn’t 12 inches, it was 15 inches! I waited for the anger or sadness to rise, but it didn’t. I guess part of me knew she had done me a favor. I’ve always wanted to donate a longer length of hair because that’s in greater demand.
The longer the length they have to work with, the longer the wig can be! Wouldn’t it be nicer for the recipient?
Without her mistake, I would never have because I’m vain! So thank you, Miss Hairdresser.
Why Donate Hair?
Maybe the better question is, why not?
We grow our hair for those who can’t
Those of us lucky enough to have healthy scalps and reasonable healths naturally grow hair that we cut after they get long and unruly. These hair gets swept away at the end of the day and thrown in the landfill.
Why not grow them out and harvest them for people who are battling diseases that cause them to lose their beautiful hair?
Hair isn’t the most important thing but it does to a great deal to a persons’ self-esteem.
It makes our day
The act of giving generates good feelings.
Knowing that my hair can support someone in their difficult health journey makes me happy.
It’s a wonderful feeling to gift a part of you that’s so closely linked to self-image to help with someone else’s self image. When I think about it, it’s ridiculous to be able to feel such joy from giving away a part of me that I would’ve left on the salon floor.
It’s almost free
It doesn’t cost us anything grow our hair. We always need hair cuts anyway. In fact, it’ll force us to not go for so many trims since we’re actively growing our hair out, so that would help us save money!
All you need to pay for is the postage. It’s like donating blood, except it doesn’t hurt or make you feel tired afterward.
It also doesn’t take as long as I expected it to. I’ve donated two ponytails in 3 years.
Wigs made from real hair looks more natural
You may ask, why do I need to donate hair when people can get real pretty synthetic wigs these days? I had that question too.
Wigs made from human hair have several advantages. Naturally, they look more natural! According to this site, they can be styled and dyed just like real hair, and they last longer.
Then again, I feel like the thought counts in this case. Yes, there are synthetic options, but I donate my hair because I can. And because there are organizations out there making wigs for people who need it. Once again, why not?
Better for the environment?
As someone who’s conscious about the environment, I think it’s always better to use natural fibers and to divert waste from the landfill. Donating hair does both! Of course, I would never oppose the use of synthetic wigs if someone who needs a wig prefers it. Synthetic wigs are cheaper! And there are only so many charity organizations providing free wigs.
A wig made from human hair can last a year or more, while synthetic wigs last 3 to 6 months! If you look at it from a sustainability point of view, human hair wigs are better!
How to donate hair?
How you donate hair depends on where you want to donate to. In general, these are the steps:
- Look for an organization you trust
- Read their instructions and requirements
- Cut your hair and put it in a zip lock bag or in accordance with the organizations’ instruction
- Mail it in a padded bag!
Some hair salons are partnered with such organizations, so you can leave your hair with them. But always check with the organization to prevent the salons from selling your hair.
Things to note
Don’t cut your hair until you find out what’s the minimum length they require and what their requirements are. For instance, some places need donated hair to be at least 12″, others have a minimum of 6″.
Some organizations only make wigs for kids so they either don’t accept hairs with gray hair or would sell them for funds. Also, most organizations wouldn’t accept overprocessed or bleached hairs.
Always donate hair that’s clean and completely dry.
Where to donate hair?
This depends on where your location is. A quick seaerch on Google should give you an idea of what’s available in your area.
If you’re in the United States, here are several places you can donate your hair to:
I donated to Hair We Share the previous time because I was in the United States and they accept gray hair, which I have a tonne of.
Since I’m in Singapore this time, I’m donating my hair to Locks of Hope Association, an organization based in Malaysia that serves ASEAN countries.
Donating hair is so easy yet rewarding. It helps those who lost their hair from diseases in a very tangible and personal manner. What’s more, you can give your hair a second life and reduce the need for synthetic hair! I especially love that at a time when I don’t have much to donate financially, I can still do a little something for others.
By the way, it takes 10 to 12 donations to make 1 wig and it only lasts 1 to 3 years, so please do consider donating your hair.
What do you think of hair donation? Is it something you do too? Or something you’ll consider doing in the future? Let me know in the comments!
- Read about my no-poo to low-poo journey – I wash my hair with detergent-free bar soap!
I recently had about the same amount of hair cut and wish I had known about donation! I often grow my hair long and then cut it short so I will remember this for the next time — thanks for this information!
Yay glad you like this idea too! Thanks for reading!