Quite a few of my friends have lengthy-haired daughters who, seeking to brighten the day of children struggling with most cancers, snip off their ponytails and donate them to “Locks of Really like”, “Pantene Wonderful Lengths” and equivalent organizations which reportedly use the hair to make wigs for these young children. I have recognised rather a few adult women also to have donate their extensive hair in this way, and due to the fact I interpret in many cancer hospitals, I have observed “hair drives” in action.

(For these who don’t know, “hair drives” are all-day marketing situations wherever anybody with a minimum amount of 12 inches to spare can clip it off donate it and wander away pondering they have accomplished a good point. Hair salons also host these activities, donating the ponytails specifically.)

Regretably, really number of women I have spoken to appear to be to know what really takes place when you donate hair. I have researched this myself, as A) I have waistline-length hair B) each time I go for a trim, the hairdresser asks me if I program to “donate” my hair and C) I have viewed a number of people today I like die of cancer. It can be not that I am unfeeling, or extremely-hooked up to my hair. I am undoubtedly not looking for excuses to dismiss cancer (or alopecia) sufferers. I just think that folks should know the fact about this “small business”, and form out properly-this means fantasy from truth before they decide to lower off their hair and consider they are really aiding an individual.

Fantasy: Locks of Appreciate is a Non-Financial gain

A cleverly-worded web-site under no circumstances in fact promises that it is a non-financial gain group, but the strategy that it is appears rooted in general public notion that it is a charity. Immediately after all, if they are asking girls to donate their hair, does not it stand to purpose that they are not turning a financial gain on the wigs they develop? Erroneous.

Fact: “Locks of Enjoy has been given criticism of lousy accountability methods. Forbes and The Huffington Put up report that up to million of hair donations are unaccounted for by the charity.

Locks of Love has been given criticism for its practice of providing donated hair, fairly than using it in wigs as the donors expect. In accordance to the Locks of Enjoy site, some unusable hair (bleached, highlighted, grey, or shorter than 10″) is bought to offset the price of manufacture of personalized-created wigs.

In accordance to its tax returns, the organization manufactured million from hair revenue from 2001 to 2006, and took in a further million in donations.”

Myth: “If I donate my hair, it will continue to go to a good cause – it will be applied in a wig by an individual who requirements it.

Fact: Not essentially. Locks of Really like (as well as Pantene) acquire so several donations that roughly 90% of them are dumped on eBay and marketed in accordance to length and excellent. This more drives down the rate (the international hair market place is large. Top top quality dark hair arrives from India, although Siberian women reduce their extensive blonde braids for as very little as $50).

If you definitely want to slice your hair for charity, I recommend you do so – and promote it oneself on eBay. The past time I took the time to check out this, the common inquiring price tag for a 12-inch ponytail was about $80. An 18-inch ponytail was truly worth about 2 times that ($160-$180) while everything above 22 inches would fetch about $280-$300. (I investigated this two years in the past, so these relative values may well have altered). Stay clear of web-sites that promise you $800 for each ponytail, such as the now-defunct hairtrader.com – they are ripoffs.

Fantasy: These corporations “donate” (examine: give, free of charge of charge) the wigs they make to kids struggling from most cancers.

Reality: Once again, the companies talked about previously mentioned make no these declare immediately on their web-site this is a little something of an city legend. In actuality, most of the wigs go to adult recipients who are struggling from alopecia but regardless of who uses them, they are paying very good funds. To look into this, I downloaded an “application” type from LoL’s site. The opportunity receiver is expected to fill out a W-2 and other proof of cash flow kind, and the selling price of the wig is identified by money means (in other words and phrases, it is sold on a sliding-scale foundation).

A further group, “Wigs for Youngsters”, does in truth donate the wigs – all to children less than 18 who are undergoing chemotherapy. The patients’ family members are never charged. If you are decided to donate your hair to enable most cancers individuals, I would motivate you to take into consideration “Wigs for Young ones” somewhat than “Locks of Adore” (I have not totally investigated them, and do not know if they are a 501(c) — this is purely primarily based on their site information and facts).

It would seem irresponsible at best that organizations these types of as Pantene and Locks of Appreciate allow for business donors and persons to imagine they are supplying to a charitable bring about, when in actuality you are lining the pockets of these companies. Clever advertising indicates, but does not explicitly condition these claims. This implication shapes the organizations’ public impression, though trying to keep them in the very clear legally. Whilst not precisely “false advertizing”, such practices perform on the compassion of superior-hearted women of all ages who actually want to support somebody. Be knowledgeable do your exploration just before donating anything at all and then make certain an conclusion-person is definitely staying assisted!