Hair Donation 101: Here's What You Need To Know

When you’re thinking about making a major change to your hairstyle in the form of cutting your hair, there’s more than just picking the right cut to consider. If you’re making a big enough cut, you also may want to donate your hair. Hair donation allows you to give the gift of healthy hair to someone else. Here, we’re answering common questions about hair donation and going over how to donate hair.

WHY YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER DONATING YOUR HAIR

Hair donation is a beautiful and selfless act. It allows you to help individuals who are experiencing hair loss due to alopecia, cancer treatments, and other conditions.

WHERE TO DONATE HAIR

If you are interested in hair donation, the first step is determining where to donate your hair. There are various hair donation companies that are ready and willing to accept your gift. You’ll want to take this step first instead of cutting because different organizations will have different rules and guidelines. The hair donation length at one organization may vary from the next, so do your research and pick one you would like to support.

HOW TO DONATE HAIR

You need to know a few things to ensure that your hair can be eligible for donation. Keep these seven tips in mind.

1. Meet the minimum donation length. If you’ve been asking yourself, “How long does your hair have to be to donate it?” it’s time to listen up. Typically, most hair donation organizations require your hair to be at least 12 inches long. However, some accept hair donations starting at 10 inches.

2. Keep your locks clean. One of the keys to a successful hair donation is to ensure that your hair is clean and dry. Wet hair can get damaged during the shipping process and may end up getting tossed out, and that’s the last thing you want.

3. You can donate layered hair. Layered hair doesn’t count you out from donating your hair, but you’ll need to make sure the shortest layer meets the hair donation length requirements—not just the longest.

4. Split your hair into sections. While it’s standard to send over a hair donation in a ponytail, it’s essential to divide your hair into sections before cutting. Hair that is cut in one big section results in a smaller donation. Four to six sections are actually ideal.

5. Cut your hair the right way. Before cutting your hair, you’ll want to make sure that your ponytail is banded to prevent hair loss during shipping. Once your banded ponytail is in place, cut your hair above the rubber band, making sure to keep the acceptable length in mind.

6. Go to the salon. Speaking of cutting your hair, this isn’t supposed to be an at-home process. You should have your hairstylist cut your hair. They can also help with the measuring and banding process.

There are certain salons that are affiliated with hair donation organizations that will be extra familiar with the whole process, but you can also tell your go-to hairstylist your plans and fill them in to make sure they can assist.

7. Package your donation correctly. Place your ponytail in a sealed plastic bag before shipping your hair.

CAN YOU DONATE DYED HAIR?

When it comes to the topic of hair donation, “Can you donate dyed hair?” is one of the most-asked questions. While you may have heard having colored hair rules you out, that isn’t quite the case. This is another topic that is impacted by the organization you choose. It’s true that the majority of hair donation companies don’t accept color-treated or highlighted hair and permed or relaxed hair. This is because chemically-processed hair can’t be sanitized. However, there are some organizations that do accept dyed hair; you just need to make sure that your hair is in good condition.

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