Share Your Hair

[crosses]

LocksOfLove.org

Locks of Love is an organization that provides hairpieces or wigs for those with cancer and who can't afford to purchase them themselves. They gladly accept
financial donations, as well as hair donations! Here is what they accept in hair donations:

***We accept 10" minimum hair length (tip to tip), not wigs, falls, or synthetic hair
Please bundle hair in ponytail or braid.
***Hair needs to be clean, dry, placed in a plastic bag, then padded envelope.
We need hair from men and women, young and old, all colors and races.
***Hair may be colored or permed, but not bleached or chemically damaged (if unsure, ask your stylist).
***Hair swept off the floor is not usable.
***Hair cut years ago is usable if it has been stored in a ponytail.
***Hair that is short, gray, or unsuitable for children will be separated from the ponytails and sold at fair market value to offset the cost of manufacturing.
***You may pull curly hair straight to measure the minimum 10".
***The majority of all hair donated comes from children who wish to help other children.
***Layered hair may be divided into multiple ponytails for donation.

[dagobah_19]

My niece did this a few months ago, and it made the local newspaper. Very interesting, I never heard of it before that...

[shawni]

I do this every couple of years when I get it long enough. As an added bonus, my salon and many others offer to cut your hair for free if you are donating!

[Bluezy]

My hair is below my waist. Should the time come to cut it I know I will be donating. However, I do know of several men and women who have cut their long hair to donate. It's a wonderful gesture.

[Andi1422]

What a good cause!

[MonkeyMama]

My SIL & cousin-in-law do this regularly. Grow and chop. My sister just did too.

My hair does grow pretty fast overall but I have little tolerance for long hair I guess. Doubt I will be so giving myself. But have always admired that their hair is little more than charity to them.

[scfr]

I donate my hair to Locks of Love every time it gets long enough to cut off 11-12" (I always add an extra inch or two just to make sure it's enough). It means a very simple hairstyle (straight & long, usually pulled back in a pony tail). Unfortunately the occasional gray hair is starting to creep in and I have no interest in dyeing, so my days of "using my head as a growing station for a sick child" are probably just about over.

Many hair salons, including big chains, will cut your hair for free and even mail off the hair for you. I believe you can do a search for a stylist in your area on the Locks of Love web site. Or just call any salon in your area and ask them. ***Even tho' the cut is free, please do consider tipping the stylist as you would if you were paying full price!***

[baking23]

I've done this quite a few times over the years and it always makes me feel good.

[Scamper]

Does anyone know how to curl the back of one's hair, so it isn't flat when combed out?
Do you roll the rollers down, up, or sideways?

Does she need more rollers? Maybe small ones?

How do you tease? Been hearing about this.

How do you cut into the hair in the back? Some say this will help.

Don't want hairdressers in this town. We have had our fill.
Too many want to hide afterwards. So we try to do each other's.

Her hair is medim fine, and shoulder length.

All I know is from the crown down it is flat. Looks terrible from both sides and back.

Please help. Don't have the foggiest what to do.

Thanks sooooooo much guys.

[PrincessPerky]

Is it healthy?

Is it weighted down by 'stuff' (gel, spray, mousse. leftover shampoo/conditioner, smog...etc.)

Is it dry or soft? Using a hair dryer or hot rollers on it will tend to umm train it not to try and do it's own thing, and hair generally likes to head away from each other as its own thing, which means flyaway or body, depending on health and genetics. also all those things and products dry out hair, which makes most pile on stuff to make it shiny/not flyaway....meaning pulled flat...meaning you head for more 'stuff'..bad cycle.

Have you tried brushing it/washing it upside down...sounds odd, but it tends to add body.

Also combing lines up the hairs and lays them flat....after you get the knots out if you want body, ditch the comb and use your fingers, bigger spaces between hairs, and you can loosen up the top most hairs to add even more air pockets without too much trouble....though it takes time..haven't put that much time into my hair since I got married.
Teasing will damage the hair in the long run, actually it damages in the short run too, but my point is no style is worth damage IMO. (would you scrape up your skin to fit in? nope, so why do it to your hair?

Any cut that will encourage body will also grow funny and mean maintenance cuts...not that you can't, just that lazy ole me sticks with straight across...

[Scamper]

Hey Perky thanks. She washes it in tap water. Sprays a leave in conditioner in it. Towel dries, and uses a diffuser to blow dry. Proceeds to use a spray gel, and rolls it. But lightly sprays the gel on her hand first, than wipes it on her hair to roll it.

It's the comb out in back, that's causing the problem. It sinks in bad at the crown area.

Yes she removes all products from her hair with baking soda before washing it.

She's setting it on the rag rolls. Their smaller in width than the smallest sponge roller.

I've even suggested permanent rods for that area. Just use the papers and wet the hair.

It just isn't as full back there as the top and sides.

[Fred333]

I participated in this charity it was very fun. I did it at the beginning of the summer so I had a great haircut for the beach.

[ScrimpAndSave]

I think I am going to do that after my wedding when my hair is Waaaaay long.

[PrometheusIV]

As an ex-military guy, I can honestly tell you that I keep my hair too short to donate. However, my wife has already made plans to donate her hair when she gets her Summer hair cut this year!

[mit5]

well my hair is about 2 feet long and i really need to cut it and i dont just want to see go to the floor like that i want to donate it

[carshelpingveterans]

Wow, this will help bald guys feel needed. Jk. Bald guys: Donating hair for a cause. Now, what women would not find that sexy?

[MamawW]

Synthetic vs. Human Hair
Most women prefer synthetic hair. It's easier to maintain and less expensive. Most synthetic wigs have their style molded into them, but some can be reset. The advantage to style-able wigs is that you can change their look, just as with real hair. The disadvantage is that they have to be reset every time they're washed. Synthetic hair also dries faster than real hair. Well-made synthetic wigs may look real, but they never totally feel or move the way real hair does. Nor can you treat them like your own hair -- they literally fry when exposed to heat. So no curling irons or blow dryers unless they are specifically designed for wigs. Hot rollers can be used, but only at low settings. And avoid exposing the wig to any intense heat sources such as an oven. The blast of heat will cause frizzing.

Wigs made of human hair will obviously look and feel more like your hair, but are expensive, starting at $1,000, and are far more time consuming. You can use heated appliances on them for touch-ups, but you'll probably want to take them to a professional to be washed and styled. There are three types of real hair used in wigs: Asian, Indonesian and European. The most readily available and least expensive is Asian. It is also the heaviest and least like the hair found on Western European women. Indonesian is slightly finer and considered a mid-grade hair. European is the finest and most rare, and is priced accordingly. Since all these wigs are cleaned, stripped, dyed and possibly permed, it is often difficult to tell what type of hair a wig is made from by the color or the curl alone

[preciouslove]

My boyfriend in college did this - had the most luscious thick wavy surfer hair, but when pulled straight it was almost 10inches, so he grew it out a bit and donated. Really stellar guy, miss him loads.

[crazyBMB]

I have donated my hair many for years. Takes me about 10 months to grow a 15in ponytail

[esterdsl]

Its really a good cause but honestly speaking I have never heard of it before.