Page Contents
Ever thought of hair donations as a way of helping those suffering from hair loss and cancer? This is one of the things you can do to help humanity.
According to the Cope With Cancer blog:
Unfortunately, there are many people that suffer from major hair loss due to disease or other problems. From cancer treatments to alopecia, many people, both children, and adults deal with not just the loss of their hair, but also the struggles that surround remaining bald for long periods of time.
While many simple hair problems could be combated with dietary supplements like the ones reviewed on Review Critic, these health concerns remain unresolved, no matter the intervention.
With no way to stop the hair loss, many of these patients struggle from self-consciousness due to strangers constantly staring at them.
Fortunately, in the last 20 years, a solution has come out to help those suffering from these problems that have become quite popular, and is “hair donations.”
Men and women with long hair can now donate their hair to organizations that turn them into wigs for both cancer patients and those with alopecia.
While each organization sets its own rules as to how to donate, you typically need a minimum of 7-10 inches of healthy, strong hair that you are willing to cut off.
In order to get to a place where your hair is thick and long enough for donation, read our article to learn techniques to make sure your hair donation can go to help someone regain their livelihood.
Hair Donations | Combating Hair Thinning
Thin hair can be a disaster if you are trying to grow it longer for a donation. Not only can your hair break easier, making it harder to lengthen, but thinner hair means it will also give less hair for the actual wigs.
Additionally, easily breakable hair can also be quite difficult to work with, making it harder for the wig makers to do their jobs.
Many times this hair thinning is caused by low levels of ferritin in the bloodstream. Ferritin is an indicator of the levels of stored iron in your blood, so low levels could point to anemia.
Taking iron supplements could, in turn, help to replenish those stores, which leads to thicker, stronger hair growth.
Ways To Grow Your Hair Faster For Donations
With stronger, thicker hair, you will start to see naturally faster growth. In addition to helping your hair stay strong and thick, there are a few ways to help ensure you reach your goal of a hair donation sooner:
1. Take Care of Your Scalp
Hair growth starts from inside your head, so taking care of the scalp and hair follicles is step one to faster-growing hair.
When shampooing your hair, you should make sure to lightly massage the scalp, allowing any stuck-on dirt and oil to free itself.
The massage will also wake up the blood vessels that supply your hair follicles. With more nutrient-rich blood flooding to your scalp, your hair will have plenty of nutrients to help itself grow.
2. Choose the Right Hair Care Products
Most people are blissfully unaware that many hair care products don’t actually do what they advertise. While some claim to offer stronger hair, it is important to do your own research to know exactly what your hair type needs.
Look for products that are specifically targeted at helping the shaft of your hair. Typically, the hair will split at the bottom of the shaft, commonly known as a split end.
But, once this occurs, the health of the entire piece of hair is compromised, which can immediately stop the growth of that piece.
Using the correct products can help to keep each individual piece of hair healthier, which will prevent splitting.
3. Getting Regular Haircuts
While this seems to go against the overall goal of long hair, going to your local hair salon regularly goes hand in hand with choosing the right hair products. As stated above, split ends can affect the health of all of your hair.
By going in for a haircut approximately every 8 weeks can prevent those split ends from damaging the rest of your hair. With healthier hair, you will naturally see more hair growth.
4. Combing Wet Hair
A little-known fact about hair is that when wet, it is more likely to break or split. Therefore, professionals suggest letting your hair dry completely before running any styling tool, like a brush through it.
As we all know, once your hair is a certain length, you need to detangle your hair when wet or be left with something resembling a rat’s nest on the top of your head.
For this reason, stylist suggests only using combs on wet hair. A comb is more gentle than a brush, and you are less likely to pull a comb hard through your hair as you would a brush. This allows a more gentle detangle, keeping your hair shafts intact and strong.
5. Take Vitamin Supplements
Certain vitamins and minerals are essential for longer hair growth. If you find you are not getting enough of these nutrients in your diet, by adding a dietary supplement to your daily routine, you could supply your hair with the nutrition it needs to live. Omega-3s contain special fatty acids that help your hair follicles stay healthy.
Especially when paired with Vitamin D, these two combine to supercharge your hair follicles. Biotin, which is a type of B Vitamin has also been called a miracle supplement for those wanting stronger hair, nail, and skin growth. Over time, taking a biotin supplement will help your hair remain healthy and strong.
Proper Hair Donation Techniques
Once your hair has finally reached the proper length, there are a few things that need to happen to prepare for your donation.
Remember that a minimum of 7 inches will be cut off, so make sure you have enough length left over for a hairstyle that will please you.
Shop around a few different hair salons. Even if you always go to the same hairdresser, if they are not knowledgeable of the right techniques to cut your hair for donation, it may be worth it to find someone new, at least for this cut.
One important note is to check whether or not your chosen donation place will accept dyed hair, as some of them will only take the virgin hair.
Furthermore, before cutting, make sure your hair is clean. Donations also need to be dry, but the hair can dry once you have cut it off.
Your hair should be split into 3 ponytails, one on each side of your head and one in the back. When collecting all of the hair into one ponytail at the back of your head, some of the length from the sides can get lost.
Using three cuts will ensure the proper length all around. Each ponytail should also be tightly secured so that after they are cut from your hair, they stay together. Typically this means you should place two to three hair ties around each ponytail.
After your hair has been cleansed and split into three ponytails, the time for cutting has come. Your stylist should make one clean cut across the tops of each ponytail. Once the hair in the ponytails is dry, you can send them to your chosen donation spot.
Choosing the Right Place For Donation | Hair Donation Organizations
These places will take in donations to make wigs that they turn around and sell for a profit.
Additionally, some of the most popular donation places end up throwing away more than half of the hair they receive because they do not have enough manpower to process all of the hair.
However, with a little bit of research and checking reviews of the different hair donation organizations, you can easily find a place that fits your needs.
1. Pantene Beautiful Lengths
This organization focuses on helping women who have lost their hair due to a battle with cancer.
To date, they have created over 42,000 wigs for women in need. These women are able to collect a wig without needing to pay for it.
2. Wigs For Kids
Working to help kids with any type of hair loss, this organization offers hair donation for kids to helps them get specially fitted wigs that can withstand the normal activity level of a child.
3. Hair We Share
One of the few organizations that help both children and adults, this group creates wigs especially for people with financial struggles. They target those that could not normally purchase a wig of their own.
There are many more hair donation organizations available out there. While we tried to pick a range of places, it is important to do research of your own.
This research can help you find an organization that aligns with your beliefs and that works with the specific target community you want to help.
Conclusion
Being able to cut your hair for these organizations can help give someone their life back. Just by following these steps for healthier, longer hair growth, you could be on your way to donating your hair.
