Overview
Amidst the global effect of cancer being a colossal force that affects millions, emotionally stressing those with it. Focused on providing comfort to those battling cancer, they're asking for people to join in by donating hair. The Chennai-based organization Copes with Cancer reports receiving around 250 hair donations annually. The Bengaluru-based Ashwini Hair Foundation collected 40 kilograms of hair in 2023 alone.
Donating hair is the best way to support people with cancer. So give your hair to those who have lost theirs.
Lots of people lose their hair temporarily during cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation or due to accidents and illnesses. If you want to help make a positive change in their lives, this article is just right for you.
Here, we'll explain how you can donate your hair to help cancer patients. We'll also talk about the organizations that take hair donations and how they do it.
So, if you have decided to give your hair for donation, this article will guide you about all the prerequisites of hair donations in India.
Why Should You Donate Your Hair to Cancer Patients?
Just imagine: your little help can change someone's life, giving them the confidence to face the world and handle criticism. When you donate hair, it's not just about helping others; it brings you a satisfying and happy feeling inside. Hair donation is a short-term compromise but a lasting source of help for someone else.
Did you know that people with alopecia (hair loss) often face emotional challenges? Studies say seven out of twelve kids with alopecia deal with anxiety. That's a lot, right?
So, when you donate hair for conditions like alopecia or cancer, you're not just giving hair – you're stopping people from facing mental struggles that affect their quality of life.
By donating hair to cancer patients, you are:
● Enhancing someone's appearance and looks.
● Improving someone's mood, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
● Taking patients on the road to recovery.
● Giving someone strength and hope to live.
● Preventing adults and young souls from mental disorders.
● Bringing back innocent kids to life.
● Improving people's quality of life and making them think they matter to the world.
● Helping someone to cope with emotional and physical hardships.
● It gives a more natural and realistic look to people with cancer that artificial wigs can't.
Where Can I Donate Hair For People With Cancer?
Many organizations and hair donation charities in India collect hair from people willing to donate and then use hair donations for cancer wigs.
The details of the best hair donation organizations where you can donate your hair are given below:
1. Hair Crown
Hair Crown is one of the leading hair donation organizations in India that aims to return the self-confidence of cancer patients experiencing hair loss. Mr. Ram Arshith established this organization in 2012.
They provide the highest quality hair wigs to cancer patients free of cost.
They also hold campaigns and motivational presentations for persons dealing with life-threatening medical conditions.
2. Cope with Cancer
Cope with cancer is also the best place for hair donation in India. They donate free wigs to cancer patients. The organization's objective is to assist cancer patients in achieving their confidence and self-esteem by providing wigs that are natural, comfortable, durable, and sturdy. Moreover, the cap of the wigs is made of soft material, specifically designed to suit sensitive scalps.
Cope With Cancer inspires, motivates, and creates awareness among people to donate healthy hair. The motto of Cope With Cancer is that if we can cut our hair for styling or religious purposes, so why not donate?
Criteria for hair donation:
- Your minimum hair length for donation in Cope With Cancer should be 12 inches.
- To confirm that your hair has reached the organization, you must mention your name, mobile number, and email address while donating to receive confirmation.
3. Adyar Cancer Institute
Adyar Cancer Institute is also known as The Cancer Institute WIA. It is a non-profit cancer treatment and research institute.
Criteria of hair donation:
- The minimum hair length should be 15 inches to donate to Adyar Cancer Institute.
- You can send your hair by courier or send it to their address by hand.
4. Cherian Foundation's Campaign 'Gift Hair Gift Confidence'
Cherian Foundation donates wigs to poor cancer patients. They realize the fact that long hair is regarded as an essential factor of women's beauty and that's why most underprivileged women coming from a conservative society stay away from cancer treatments in fear of losing hair.
In this consideration, 'Gift Hair Gift Confidence' aims to encourage underprivileged women to step forward and avail of cancer treatment.
They work in collaboration with Adyar Cancer Institute and other organizations to distribute the highest quality wigs to cancer patients, keeping into consideration the sensitive scalps of patients.
Criteria for hair donation:
● Fill out the hair donation consent form on their website
● Wash hair thoroughly.
● Make a ponytail and tie it with a rubber band.
● Measure your hair and make sure it is longer than 10 inches.
● Cut the rubber band.
Place your hair in a clean zip-lock bag and courier it to the given address.
5. Shair - Hair And Wig Donation Initiative
Hair and Wig Donation is a salon for hair donation. The Green Trends unisex hair and style salon donates natural wigs to the needy by organizing hair donation programs and camps. The camps are conducted so anyone can donate their hair freely in a well-organized open environment.
Criteria of hair donation:
- If you have 10 inches or above hair, you can donate your hair at Hair And Wig Donation.
- They are one of the top unisex salon chains to execute hair donation campaigns across India.
6. Aarogya Seva
Aarogya Seva is a nonprofit organization in Bengaluru. Share Cut, an initiative by Aarogya Seva, aims to make natural wigs for patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
Their objective is to donate wigs free of cost to low-income communities. Specifically, the women and children cannot afford commercially available wigs costing above 5000 INR.
Criteria of hair donation:
- To donate hair at Aarogya Seva, you must register online and your hair must be of a minimum of 6 inches measured from tip to tip.
- The rule for measuring curly hair at Aarogya Seva is that it should be pulled straight and then have a measurement of 6 inches.
7. Ladies Circle India
Ladies Circle India is an organization that collects hair for donation, makes wigs, and sends them to Cancer Institute Chennai.
They understand that cancer is a debilitating disease and many people lose their self-confidence while encountering the treatment.
In an attempt to bring their self-confidence back, Ladies Circle India collects hair from individuals and works with organizations to make wigs for cancer patients and donate them to women with poor economic backgrounds.
8. OncoHappy
OncoHappy is a social initiative to provide holistic care to cancer patients.
They provide integrative cancer care awareness, curated information, and therapy-based mind-body healing experiences.
Criteria of hair donation:
- The minimum hair length should be 10-12 inches.
- Hair can be dropped off or couriered at their registered office from the 26th to the 28th of every month.
- They do accept colour and treated hair
- Collected hair from the grounds is not accepted.
9. 'Sprarsha' Program of CODP (Canara Organisation for Development & Peace)
CODP is a development organization that works to meet the needs of poor and marginalized people. It was founded in 1974. Child labour, forced work and bonded labour are all addressed in these programs.
Sparsh is one of their campaigns for hair donation for needy people. They periodically organize hair donation drives.
Once it is done, donated hair is transferred to the Hair Bank in Thrissur, where it is used to make wigs for needy cancer patients.
Criteria of hair donation:
The Minimum required hair length is 12 inches.
10. Even A Cut Can Heal Club
Even A Cut Can Heal is a hair donation club by the Addlife Foundation. It is one of the non-profit hair donation organizations that gift hair wigs to women cancer patients after incorporating your donated hair into human hair wigs.
11. Inventive Helping Hand Society
Inventive Helping Hand Society is an NGO-registered organization. They host hair donation occasions and donate that hair directly to chemotherapy patients.
12. Hair Bank Miracle Charitable Association
Your hair must have a length between 10 to 14 inches to donate to the Hair Bank Association. They collect hair from people, organizations, and churches and use it in wigs to donate it to poor cancer patients.
13. Natural Wig Works
Natural Wig Works is addressed by Kumar Wig Maker. He collects hair of 12 inches in length and incorporates it into wigs. The wigs are then sold at low prices.
14. Hair For Hope
You can contact Hair For Hope for any hair donation event hosted in India.
Hair For Hope is a campaign that creates awareness about hair donation in India.
15. For You Trust
For You Trust is a hair donation organization in India located in Kannur, Kerala.
Criteria for hair donation:
- Their requirements for donating hair include that your hair should be 10 to 15 inches in length.
- Moreover, you should not send your hair that is picked from the ground.
What Are the Criteria for Donating Hair for Cancer?
Of course, you cannot donate whatever hair you wish, and there are some criteria to meet if you want to donate hair to cancer patients.
In this section, we will discuss all the rules for donating hair. The criteria for donating hair include:
● The hair should be clean, dry, and tied in a ponytail or braid before cutting.
● No hair products, for example, spray, gel, or mousse should be applied to the hair.
● The hair length for donation should meet certain criteria. The required length is usually between 12 to 15 inches, but it can vary from organization to organization.
● Some organizations accept colored hair while some do not. Hence, this factor depends on the hair donation organization.
Let's take a look at the steps to be followed while donating hair for cancer patients.
How To Donate Hair To Cancer Patients In India?
The Six Simple Steps To Follow for hair donation for cancer patients.
If you plan to donate hair to cancer patients, follow these six simple steps and ready to donate.
- Step 1: Find And Choose A Hair Donation Organization
The first step for hair donation is to choose a hair donation organization near your locality. Then read all their requirements and prerequisites for hair donation. Make sure you follow them all or else they won't accept your donation.
- Step 2: Wash Your Hair
The second step is to wash your hair thoroughly with shampooing and conditioning and ensure no products remain on your hair.
- Step 3: Dry And Tie Your Hair
After you've washed your hair, let it dry naturally. Then make a ponytail or a braid. Next, tie the second end of your hair with another rubber band.
- Step 4: Measure Your Hair Length
The 4th step is to measure the length of your hair and make sure the length matches the required length of the hair donation organization you have selected. If the length doesn't match, you can encounter rejection.
- Step 5: Cut Your Hair
Now place three fingers above the first rubber band and cut your hair where the top finger is placed.
- Note: Apart from these instructions, don't forget to ensure that your hairstyle and haircut match the donation cut instructions.
- Step 6: Pack Your Hair And Donate
Pack your hair safely in a zip-lock bag. Attach your name, mobile number, and email address to the bag and send it to the organization.
Note: Make sure to follow any other steps or guidelines mentioned by the organization.
Do's And Don'ts Of Hair Donation for Cancer Patients:
You certainly don't want your efforts for hair donation to go in vain. Make sure to follow these dos and don'ts if you are planning to donate hair to get accepted and reach the needed ones.
Do's:
● Research a hair donation organization whose requirements are easy and accessible for you.
● Submit hair that is clean, dry, trimmed, healthy, and matches the organization's requirements.
● Follow the shipping instructions of the hair donation organization you have chosen.
● If you are having difficulty matching your organization's requirements, visit a salon for hair donation. They will help you cut and tie your hair according to your chosen organization. Search "hair donation salon near me" to find an accessible salon.
Don'ts:
● Don't send hair that is mixed with multiple people's hair in your house.
● Don't send short hair.
● Don't send unhealthy or unwashed hair.
● Don't send multiple people's hair in one shipment.
● Don't donate grey hair for wigs or dyed hair as a precautionary measure. Grey hair is acceptable in some organizations so you can check to confirm.
● Don't send hair that is bleached, permanently coloured, lightened, or chemically treated. For example, hair that has undergone treatments like rebounding or keratin treatment should be avoided for sending.
By overcoming challenges like awareness, quality control, and accessibility, hair donation can bring hope and dignity to countless lives impacted by cancer. So, do you want to be a part of hair donation and make a difference in people's lives? Then what are you waiting for? Let's get started today.
