How to Donate Hair for a Kid's Wig
Locks of Love provides hair pieces to disadvantaged children age 21 and under who experience long-term hair loss as the result of a medical diagnosis. As a non-profit organization, they depend on donations to create high-quality prostheses. Your ponytail donation of 10 inches or more in length can restore the confidence of a child.
The manufacturer with which Locks of Love partners requires hair donors to take some steps before submitting their ponytail. Locks of Love implements exclusions and restrictions on donations due to the difficulty underlying the actual manufacturing of the prostheses.
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Instructions
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Donating to Locks of Love
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Schedule an appointment at a local salon or barber shop. Inform the stylist or barber you or your child wants to donate to Locks of Love. They will measure your dry hair to see if you have the minimum 10 inches of length to donate.
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Place your hair in a ponytail with a rubber band and cut above it, making sure you hair is dry. Ask the stylist or barber for the ponytail so you can mail it in yourself to receive individual recognition for the donation.
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Wrap the ponytail in foil or plastic prior to mailing. Place the wrapped ponytail in a bubble mailer. Include a completed donor information card--available on the website--or write down your complete mailing address and contact information to receive a certificate of recognition and thank you card.
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Mail the completed package to Locks of Love.
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Tips & Warnings
Visit locksoflove.org to find out more about the donation process prior to your appointment.
If your hair is shorter than 10 inches you may still send in your donation. Locks of Love accepts shorter lengths as long as they are in a ponytail. They sell these shorter pieces to other manufacturers to off-set the cost of wigs.
There is a rumor that Locks of Love only accepts "virgin" hair (in terms of chemical processes). Locks of Love states specifically on their website they do accept colored and permed hair. They cannot, however, accept bleached hair in any form (even with color applied over it). Bleached hair does not survive processing.
Donors with thick hair should split their donation into smaller ponytails.
Do not send wet ponytails. They will mold in the envelope before Locks of Love receives them. Let the ponytail air dry or request the stylist or barber cut your ponytail dry.
Razor and feather cutting techniques drastically alter the shape of the hair shaft and make processing difficult. Avoid hairstyles that require such methods.
Do not send loose hair. Locks of Love only accepts donations in the form of ponytails, braids or locks of hair held together in some way.
References
Resources
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