Member since:
August 8, 2006

Have you ever donated your hair for a good cause?

February 12, 2007 03:40 PM EST

views: 96 | comments: 32

Today I was reading about "Pantene Beautiful Lengths", which is a program that inspires women and men to donate their healthy hair to create wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment.

You can learn more about their program here: http://www.pantene.com/en_US/beautifullengths/index.jsp

There are a few different ways that you can participate. As long as your hair meets the requirements, then it will be used to craft real-hair wigs by their partner, HairUWear, and then it will go to women who have been affected by hair loss due to cancer treatment at NO COST to her!

Donated hair must be a minimum of 8 inches long (measure hair from just above the elastic band of the ponytail to the ends).
Wavy/curly hair texture is fine—you may straighten hair to measure.
Hair should be freshly washed and completely dry, without any styling products.
Hair may be colored with vegetable dyes, rinses and semi-permanent dyes. It cannot be bleached, permanently colored or chemically treated.
Hair may not be more than 5% gray. Here's why:

–	It takes at least six ponytails to make a Pantene Beautiful Lengths wig; in general, each ponytail comes from a different person and is a different color. Even though some hair colors may look similar, including gray hair, each is completely unique.
–	For a realistic-looking wig that has consistent color throughout, donated ponytails must be processed and then dyed to the same shade. It is critical for each ponytail to absorb dyes at the same rate in order to create wigs of consistent, natural-looking color.
–	Gray hair, as well as some chemically-treated or permanently-colored hair, does not absorb dye at the same rate as other types of hair. It is much harder to color and, once colored, fades more quickly.
–	Most permanently-colored hair, once it is processed and re-colored, is too fragile and breakable under the rigorous processing required during the production of a Pantene Beautiful Lengths wig.

Too bad they won't accept hair that's more than 5% gray, because even though I'm only 31, my hair is getting pretty darn close to that 5%, if it isn't already OVER 5% gray!

If you're not quite ready to donate your hair because it's not long enough or you just don't meet the requirements yet, the site even provides excellent tips to get your hair where it needs to be to make that donation. Here are those tips:

DO use a conditioner after every wash to help keep hair moisturized and strong.
DON'T use a brush on wet hair when you step out of the shower; once hair is washed and conditioned, use a comb with smooth, wide-set teeth to gently detangle hair, working from tip to root.
DO use a spray, leave–in conditioner for extra protection when using heated hair appliances.
DON'T attempt to blow–dry soaking wet hair immediately; to expedite your blow-out process and help prevent thermal damage, towel wrap your hair for 10–15 minutes to remove excess water before using a blow-dryer.
DO look for new technology in your drying and styling tools to help minimize damage.
DO use a root lifter spray to achieve volume; avoid excessive teasing of hair, as it can uplift cuticles, making them fragile and susceptible to breakage.
DON'T over-brush hair; despite the common myth that 100 strokes a day are good for hair, this can lead to breakage. Regular, gentle brushing promotes hair health and natural oil distribution.
DO use deep conditioning treatments once a week, or as often as needed, to help minimize split ends and keep hair in top condition.
DON'T wait more than eight weeks to get hair trimmed; regular salon visits are essential in keeping hair healthy and beautiful.