聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Many people are affected by cancer each year. The treatments can take a toll on the human body and as a result hair loss is a typical side effect. Thus, charities have established hair donation sites to create wigs.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 According the Canadian Cancer Society鈥檚 website approximately eight to 15 ponytails are needed to create one real-hair wig.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Locally, Kelly Running, the editor of The Observer, grows her hair to donate: 鈥淚 let my hair grow, and every two years it鈥檚 long enough that I am able to cut and donate it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which is partnered with the Canadian Cancer Society.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Pantene Beautiful Lengths was created in 2007 by Proctor & Gamble Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society. Pantene Beautiful Lengths accepts hair donations, then makes and distributes real-hair wigs to Canadian Cancer Society wig banks across the country at no cost to the Cancer Society or to the individual鈥檚 receiving the wigs. Since 2007, over 70,000 ponytails have been donated through Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 However, Pantene Beautiful Lengths requires a minimum of eight inches of hair, it cannot have been chemically treated (bleach, colour, or perm), and must be no more than five percent gray. For many people who like to colour their hair, this becomes a problem for donating it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There are other charities, which also work with donated hair including Angel Hair For Kids, which requires at least 12 inches of hair and cannot be chemically treated; or Locks of Love which does accept coloured or permed hair except for bleached hair, and they require a minimum of 10 inches to create a hairpiece.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Look into the one best suited for you: Pantene Beautiful Lengths - , Angel Hair For Kids - , and Locks of Love -
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When donating to any of the sites hair must be clean (shampoo and/or condition), gather hair at the nape of the neck and put it into a ponytail 鈥� keep the band tight as hair that comes out of the band or is swept up off the floor is not accepted 鈥� cut your hair just above the elastic. Feel free to place a second tie to ensure hair does not fall out of the ponytail. Then place the ponytail, with elastic band, once dry in a zipper-locked bag and seal tightly. Place that in a padded or plastic envelope and send to the charity of your choice.
