Medically reviewed by Franco Cuevas, MD. Last reviewed July 2026.
Donating hair is a genuinely kind thing to do, and it helps to know a few practical facts before you cut. It takes five to nine ponytails to make one wig, plus more than 50 hours of hand-tying, which is why organisations often say a cash donation helps more than hair does. Requirements differ substantially: minimum lengths run from 8 to 12 inches, and some organisations refuse coloured or bleached hair while others accept it. Pantene Beautiful Lengths, still listed on many sites, ended its programme in 2018. Here is who is still accepting hair and what each one needs.
Where You Can Donate
| Organisation | Minimum length | Coloured or permed | Grey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children With Hair Loss | 8 inches | Yes, including bleached, if not brittle | Yes |
| Locks of Love | 10 inches | Coloured and permed yes, no bleached | Accepted but sold, not used |
| Wigs For Kids | 12 inches | No, must be unprocessed | Yes |
| Hair We Share | 12 inches | Natural colours and perms yes, no bleach | Yes |
Children With Hair Loss has the lowest length requirement and the most permissive rules on treated hair, which makes it the easiest option for most people.
Hair We Share runs a Ponytail Tracking Program, a paid option that lets you follow your specific donation through to the recipient. It also accepts 8 inch donations through that programme.
How to Prepare It
The requirements are similar across organisations, and getting them wrong is the most common reason a donation cannot be used.
Hair must be clean and completely dry before cutting. Damp hair can mould in transit and becomes unusable.
Secure it in a ponytail or braid before cutting, and cut above the band. Hair We Share prefers several small ponytails rather than one large one, and asks you not to braid.
Place it in a sealed plastic bag, then in a padded envelope. Hair swept off the floor cannot be used, so make sure your stylist knows before they start.
The Practical Reality Worth Knowing
This context is missing from most articles on the subject, and it changes how you might want to help.
A single wig requires five to nine ponytails, more than 50 hours of hand-tying, specialised materials, and shipping in both directions. Processing one ponytail costs around $150.
The finished wigs are expensive. Children With Hair Loss puts each wig at about $1,500. Wigs For Kids estimates total annual support per child, including the wig, maintenance products, and services, at around $2,600.
The implication is straightforward: hair is the cheapest input, and money is the binding constraint. If you want to maximise your impact, a financial donation does more than a ponytail. That is not a reason to skip donating hair if you were going to cut it anyway, but it is worth knowing.
About Locks of Love
Locks of Love is the best-known name in hair donation and has attracted sustained criticism. It deserves a fair account rather than either endorsement or dismissal.
The criticism. In 2013, critics estimated the organisation received around 104,000 donations a year, enough for over 2,000 hairpieces, against 317 custom wigs produced in 2011. That works out to roughly 3% of donations reaching a finished hairpiece, with the remainder valued at several million dollars.
The organisationās response. Locks of Love states that about 80% of donated hair is unusable for a childās wig because it is grey, over-processed, bleached, too short, or poor quality, and that unusable hair is sold to fund the mission. This is disclosed policy rather than concealed diversion. The organisation also states it does not count or catalogue donations, which is the root of the accounting dispute.
An independent assessment. Fact-checkers have found the claim that Locks of Love sells donated hair to be technically true but misleading in framing, since selling unusable hair is disclosed and legitimate, and tax filings show no income consistent with improper sales.
What the filings show. Recent IRS filings report revenue of roughly $1.56 million against expenses of about $601,000, with total assets around $8.26 million. A large asset reserve relative to annual programme spending is a reasonable question for a donor to ask.
A fair summary: the substantiated concerns are weak record-keeping, low output relative to donation volume, and a large reserve, rather than fraud. The 3% figure is a criticās estimate, not an audited number. If you want certainty that your specific donation becomes a wig, Hair We Shareās tracking programme is the option designed for that.
Do Recipients Pay?
No, at the four organisations above.
Wigs For Kids provides wigs at no cost and commits to support through every year of childhood hair loss. Children With Hair Loss provides customised wig packages annually at no cost to recipients under 21. Hair We Share provides free custom human hair wigs to both children and adults. Locks of Love provides hairpieces free to children up to age 21.
One note: much of this work serves children with alopecia and other permanent hair loss conditions rather than cancer specifically. Chemotherapy hair loss is usually temporary, and many adult cancer patients use synthetic wigs, which are cheaper, lighter, and easier to care for. Improved synthetic wig technology is the reason Pantene ended its programme.
If Your Hair Does Not Qualify
Give money instead. It is the actual constraint. Hair We Share offers a $150 sponsorship, Wigs For Kids has tiers from $25, and Children With Hair Loss runs a Sponsor A Child programme.
Donate a used wig to a hospital or cancer centre wig bank, checking their policy first.
Volunteer. Stylists can train through Wigs For Kidsā provider programmes, and salons can host cut-a-thons.
Support patient services such as hospital wig banks or transport and lodging funds, which often help more patients per dollar than wig manufacture.
Hair Donation FAQs
How long does my hair need to be?
It depends on the organisation. Children With Hair Loss accepts 8 inches, Locks of Love 10 inches, and Wigs For Kids and Hair We Share 12 inches. Measure from the tie to the tip.
Can I donate coloured or bleached hair?
Children With Hair Loss accepts coloured, bleached, and permed hair if it is not dry or brittle. Locks of Love and Hair We Share accept coloured and permed hair but not bleached. Wigs For Kids requires unprocessed hair.
Can I donate grey hair?
Children With Hair Loss, Wigs For Kids, and Hair We Share all accept it. Locks of Love accepts grey hair but sells it rather than using it, since it makes childrenās hairpieces.
Is Pantene Beautiful Lengths still running?
No. The programme ended in December 2018 in the US and Canada, because improved synthetic wig technology reduced demand for real hair wigs. It still appears on many outdated lists.
How much hair makes one wig?
Five to nine ponytails, plus more than 50 hours of hand-tying. Processing a single ponytail costs around $150, and a finished wig costs roughly $1,500.
Should I donate money instead?
If you want maximum impact, yes. Hair is the cheapest input in wig-making and funding is the real constraint. If you were cutting your hair anyway, donating it costs you nothing and still helps.
