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Why I donated my hair, and why you should too

Why I donated my hair, and why you should too

Sarah Kirwan

Recently, I cut fourteen inches off my hair and donated it to the Rapunzel Foundation. There are so many people around the world in need of wigs, and the Rapunzel Foundation helps them in many different ways.

What is The Rapunzel Foundation?

The Rapunzel Foundation is a charity dedicated to helping people suffering with hair loss. They raise awareness, fundraise and accept hair donations. They have established a hair donation program with many hair salons throughout Ireland, where they will cut and style your hair free of charge when you donate it through their program. For additional info, you can check out the Rapunzel Foundation’s website.

Why I Donated My Hair

When I was younger, I always had short hair. As much as I disliked it sometimes, I was so used to it, it was almost a part of me! Three years ago, I decided I wanted a change so I began growing it out. After hearing about people who donated their hair, I decided that I wanted to do the same!

After researching different organisations, I decided to donate my hair to the Rapunzel Foundation. Three weeks ago, I finally cut my hair. I sent it to the Rapunzel Foundation two days later. Donating my hair made me realise that I can help others. Many people won’t think twice about cutting their hair and just throwing it away, but people don’t realise is that they can make a huge difference to someone’s life by doing something so simple like donating their hair.

Why Should You Cut And Donate Your Hair?

There are many benefits to cutting your hair, both for yourself and others.

  • You can make a big difference to someone else’s life. Being able to wear a wig made from human hair can help people suffering from hair loss feel more comfortable with themselves.
  • It takes 20 to 25 ponytails to make one wig! So every ponytail is very precious. We who have hair take it so much for granted, think of the feel good factor you’d get knowing you could help someone have hair!
  • It’s so much easier to wash, dry and style your hair. Personally, I’ve noticed that I’ve been using less hair products, my hair dries naturally much quicker and I no longer spend ages in the morning trying to figure out what to do with my hair, only to throw it up into a ponytail ten seconds before I leave the house.
  • In the warmer months of the year, having long hair can be really annoying, between having to constantly tie it up out of your face and the humidity ruining your perfectly straightened, long hair. With shorter hair, these issues are practically gone (trust me, I’ve noticed).
  • It’s different to what you’re used to. People are meant to adapt and to change, but yet, sometimes we can find ourselves getting stuck in the same old cycle, again and again. Sometimes, changing your appearance is exactly what you need to break out of that cycle.
  • You might find a hairstyle you really like! Even if you don’t, experimenting with your appearance is an important part of discovering who you are.

What You Need To Do To Donate Your Hair

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind if you are thinking about donating your hair…

  • Hair needs to be min 14″, preferably one length (no layers).
  • Chemically treated hair or coloured hair cannot be used most of the time, Some companies do accept it though.
  • There is no age requirement to donate hair, if you’re under 18 you just need permission from your parents.

Changing your hair can be nerve-wrecking, and that’s okay!

I had been looking forward to donating my hair for weeks, yet as soon as I sat down in the chair at the hairdressers, I was overcome with nerves. ‘What if it looks weird?’ ‘What if I hate it?’ These were some of the few million thoughts running through my head at that moment.

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It’s totally okay to be nervous about cutting off your hair! After all, we tend to place a lot of our worth in our appearance, which is completely understandable. However, just remember that your worth is not based on your outward appearance, and anyone that judges you based on your hairstyle is not worth your time.

Would you ever donate your hair?

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