Let’s Keep it Cool This Summer!

As summer continues to heat up, everyone's looking for ways to cool down. One good way to stay cool during hot, sweltering days is to get a haircut. Shorter hair is a lot easier to manage and keeps you cooler. However, another benefit can come from getting your hair cut — you can donate it. You can make children who have lost their hair feel beautiful and give them more confidence in their appearance by donating your freshly cut hair to Locks of Love.

Locks of Love is a nonprofit public organization that “provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.”

You can donate your locks at any participating hair salon across the country, or you can do it yourself and mail your hair to Locks of Love. However, there are a few guidelines that need to be followed in order to donate. The minimum requirement for a hairpiece is 10 inches from tip to tip, and the hair must be clean, completely dry, and in a ponytail or braid before it is cut. For further instructions on mailing in hair donations, visit this website.

In addition, a few more important details from the Locks of Love website need to be considered before making the decision to chop off the locks for donation:

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.Locks of Love cannot accept dreadlocks. It 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.

Locks of Love is a wonderful organization that helps kids deal with the loss of their hair and also makes them feel great about how they look. Even though it took me a while to grow my hair out to the appropriate length for donation, I am proud that I donated my hair to Locks of Love because the satisfaction of helping children feel and look good made the experience well worth it. So if you have long hair and might be considering shedding those locks during these hot summer months, why not donate the locks and help make someone’s day.