How to Donate Hair for People With Cancer or Other Hair Loss

Several organizations collect donated hair and arrange for it to be made into wigs for children or adults who lose their hair during cancer treatment or due to other illnesses. Different organizations have different guidelines for accepting hair, so it's a good idea to know what criteria you need to meet before cutting your hair for donation.

This article explains why you might consider donating your hair, how the hair is used, and what you need to know about the agencies that collect hair to be used to help people dealing with hair loss.

Woman holding her hair that she plans to donate to a cancer patient
Image Source / Getty Images

Why Donate Your Hair?

Hair loss is a common side effect of cancer treatment. It can be caused by chemotherapy or by radiation to the head.

Not everyone who undergoes these treatments loses their hair. When it does happen, though, the hair begins to thin one to four weeks after the first chemo session or within four weeks of radiation. This can be very stressful. If a person is already feeling weak, ill, and scared, seeing a radical change in their looks can cause more worry and despair. Those feelings can rob an individual of strength and hope just when they need both to get well.

Other conditions that result in hair loss include:

  • Alopecia areata: An autoimmune disease causing one or more defined areas of hair loss
  • Trichotillomania: A hair-pulling disorder that causes recurrent urges to pull hair from the scalp or parts of the face and body
  • Telogen effluvium; Usually temporary hair loss due to stress, illness, trauma, medications, or pregnancy.
  • Trichodynia: Known as burning scalp syndrome which causes hair loss and a burning or itching sensation which may increase to pain when the scalp is touched
  • Thyroid disease: Includes both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause hair loss.
  • Female-pattern baldness: Thinning hair that occurs over the top or crown of the scalp

You can help those who experience hair loss by donating your hair for use in wigs. Wigs aren’t just about vanity. They help those suffering from hair loss to appear healthier, feel more like themselves, and be more comfortable in public. Donating your hair costs nothing (except maybe the price of a haircut) and takes very little time, but can greatly impact someone else's quality of life. 

What Hair Can Be Donated?

If you're interested in donating your hair, it's important to contact the organization(s) you are considering to find out about specific donation requirements.

These vary, but the following are some common hair donation guidelines:

  • Hair needs to be clean, dry, and placed in a braid or ponytail before it is cut. You should not apply any hair products, such as gel, mousse, or hairspray.
  • Your ponytail or braid needs to be a certain length to be accepted. Curly hair can be pulled straight to make the measurement. Requirements usually range between 8 and 14 inches.
  • Some organizations accept gray hair, and some do not.
  • Some organizations accept bleached hair, but highlighted hair is usually not accepted.
  • Some organizations accept hair that has been permed, whereas others do not.
  • For privacy purposes, donors are not linked up with recipients.
  • Most organizations allow you to have your hair cut at your regular stylist and then send it to their location.

Check ahead, as some organizations can recommend a salon that will offer a discounted cut for those who are donating hair.

How to Pack Hair for Shipping

Hair donations should be washed, dried, tied neatly into a ponytail, and placed in a sealed plastic bag before shipping.

What Hair Is Usually Not Accepted?

The majority of hair donation organizations do not accept hair that has been:

  • Conditioned or treated with styling products
  • Color-treated
  • Highlighted
  • Permed
  • Relaxed

Keep in mind that gray hair is also not accepted by many organizations and hair that is shorter than the length specified won't be accepted.

Organizations That Accept Donated Hair

A wide variety of organizations have sprung up to help people with hair loss have access to wigs if they want them. When donating to any charity, make an effort to select a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.

Locks of Love

Locks of Love provides hair replacement for children who have suffered from medically related hair loss. They accept hair that's at least 10 inches long in a braid or ponytail. They do accept gray hair, which is sold to help defray their costs, as well as hair that's been permed and hair that is colored (but not bleached). 

Pantene Beautiful Lengths

Pantene Beautiful Lengths is a program sponsored by Pantene and the American Cancer Society. It provides wigs for people who have experienced hair loss from the treatment of any form of cancer. Their minimum length is less than some other organizations at 8 inches. Hair may be colored with vegetable dyes, rinses, or semi-permanent dyes, but not permanent dyes or bleaches.

Children With Hair Loss

Children With Hair Loss also provides hair replacement for all children with medical hair loss and requires only 8 inches of hair. Gray hair is accepted, and they prefer non-chemically treated hair. 

Wigs for Kids

Wigs for Kids provides wigs for kids who are living with cancer as well as those who are suffering from alopecia areata. They require 12 inches of hair but recommend that you have 14 inches to spare.

Chai Lifeline

Chai Lifeline requires 14 inches of hair and provides wigs to children with cancer.

Hair We Share

HairWeShare provides wigs for people who have medical conditions that cause hair loss. This includes cancer and burns. They require only 8 inches of hair and accept hair that has been dyed (but not highlighted).

How Hair Is Turned Into a Wig

Creating a wig with human hair takes about 20 donated ponytails. Thus, many people need to donate. Multiple ponytails are sewn together and tied into a cap that's specially measured to fit on a person’s head. The hair can then be colored, cut, permed, and otherwise styled. The result is a wig that’s unique and personal.

People with hair loss can also choose a wig made with synthetic (non-human) hair. These are less expensive, but they don't look and feel as natural as human hair wigs. It’s also easier to style real hair in different ways.

Summary

By donating your hair, you can help people who are dealing with cancer or other medical conditions feel stronger and better able to focus on their health. To have your hair donation turned into a high-quality wig for those with hair loss, contact one of the organizations that specialize in this mission.

Usually, these groups require your hair to be at least 8 inches long, but some only accept hair that is 10 inches or longer. There may also be restrictions on accepting hair that has been dyed or permed. Check with the specific organization for detailed requirements.

2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Watanabe T, Yagata H, Saito M, et al. A multicenter survey of temporal changes in chemotherapy-induced hair loss in breast cancer patients. PLoS ONE. 2019;14(1):e0208118. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0208118

  2. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Hair Loss and Your Cancer Treatment.

Additional Reading

By Lynne Eldridge, MD
 Lynne Eldrige, MD, is a lung cancer physician, patient advocate, and award-winning author of "Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time."