Locks of Love

My husband (who has very long hair) cut about 12+ inches of his lovely locks off over a year ago. He has since grown every inch back (much to his delight) and he donated his hair to Locks of Love.

You've all probably heard of Locks of Love. They take donations of human hair to make wigs/hairpieces for disadvantaged kids (under 18) who have lost all or part of their hair due to some medical issue. They provide an amazing service--giving children the chance rebuild their self-esteem and confidence while dealing with serious medical conditions.

When my husband gave up his hair, the hairdresser told him that Locks of Love has strict guidelines for the hair they accept. Now, the good folks over at Nexxus are working with Locks of Love to show people exactly what they need to do to donate their hair. Click here for the site and video about donation.

Here are the guidelines Locks of Love follows:

GUIDELINES FOR ACCEPTABLE DONATIONS

• Hair that is colored or permed is acceptable.
• Hair cut years ago is usable if it has been stored in a ponytail or braid.
• Hair that has been bleached (usually this refers to highlighted hair) is not usable. If unsure, ask your stylist.
• Hair that is swept off of the floor is not usable.
• Hair that is shaved off and not in a ponytail or braid is not usable.
• We cannot accept dreadlocks. Our manufacturer is not able to use them in our children’s hairpieces. We also cannot accept wigs, falls, hair extensions or synthetic hair.
• Layered hair is acceptable if the longest layer is 10 inches.
• Layered hair may be divided into multiple ponytails.
• Curly hair may be pulled straight to measure the minimum 10 inches.
• 10 inches measured tip to tip is the minimum length needed for a hairpiece.
• Please Note: Shorter hair will be separated from the ponytails and sold to offset the manufacturing costs. Although the shorter hair cannot be used in the hairpieces, it still greatly helps to reduce costs.
• Gray hair will be accepted and sold to offset the manufacturing costs.

And finally, here is information on how to donate:

• 10 inches measured tip to tip is the minimum length needed for a hairpiece.
• Hair must be in a ponytail or braid before it is cut.
• Hair must be clean and completely dry before it is mailed in.
• Place the ponytail or braid inside of a plastic bag, and then inside of a padded envelope.
• Fill out the hair donation form, or write your name and address on a separate sheet of paper and include inside the envelope.
• All hair donations must be mailed to Locks of Love at:

  2925 10th Avenue N, Suite 102
  Lake Worth, FL 33461-3099