Locks of Love

[Sha-na-na]

Has anyone ever donated to them? I was planning on donating 12 inches, but then I discovered that the cost to the child for a new wig is astronomical ($1000 plus) - even considering the donation. It makes me wonder how much this organization profits....

[Soniasonia]

Wow that is INSANE. I'm sure It's difficult for them to afford it with all they're already dealing with medical expenses.

Yeah, they must profit insane amounts of money.

[Ursula]

If you do some searches for "Locks of Love" around here, you'll find that most of us don't have much respect for them. The main problem, to my mind, is that the vast majority of hair that they get, according to numbers from their own website, isn't (can't be) going into wigs. According to their numbers, they were getting up to 2000 donations a week, needed 6-10 donations to make a wig, and couldn't have been providing more than 1000 wigs a year. If you do the math, that is no more than 1/10 of the hair winding up in wigs. Possibly much less - they didn't say how many wigs they provide per year, only how many kids they've helped over their 10+ year existance, and to give them the benefit of the doubt, my numbers assume every one of those kids got a wig this year, even though many of the kids from the early years have probably aged out of the program, making the number of wigs in a given year much lower.

[Flaxen]

You might want to read this article. NY Times on Locks of Love (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/fashion/06locks.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin)

[BranwenWolf]

Please check the Times article. Very enlightening.
An alternative program is Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. I'm not sure of the integrity of that organization but I know Locks of Love is not what they seem.

I donated back when I was 17 and while I liked trying short hair for a while, I regret supporting LOL.

[Sha-na-na]

Wow, thank you all for the info. I have seriously changed my mind. Does anyone have and info on alternative means of donating? Wow.:(

[Sha-na-na]

An alternative program is Pantene's Beautiful Lengths.

TY, I will look it up.

[Speckla]

I'm not going to donate hair but I want to find a place to donate money to. Thank you.

[kirky]

When are you looking to make the donation?

[Sha-na-na]

When are you looking to make the donation?

I was going to do it this summer.

[kirky]

Oh ok. I was just wondering because I'm having the "cut my hair urge" right now too.

[Nyghtingale]

My son, who is a long hair also, is planning on cutting soon and has decided to donate to pantene's program. they look pretty good. But who knows.

[Helen Baq]

I just found this nifty charity. While it might not be someplace you'd want to donate long, wig-worthy pieces to, they take any length, so trimmings would be fine. http://www.matteroftrust.org/ They don't make wigs for sick children or cancer patients, but they do work to help clean up the environment and help save wild animals from oil spills. :)

[AmyJorgensen]

I went to that Matter of Trust website. I wonder if they can use shed hair collected from a hairbrush. I'm sure I shed hair enough for it to accumulate. I'm going to email them about it.

[sandigirl]

I don't donate anymore. When I found out that the 24" I donated went to a beautician's own personal wig collection I stopped. My hair is so thick they told me they had enough for two wigs. One other time I donated and found out they charged the sick person a fortune. No more donating for me. And not one ounce of feeling bad about it. I also don't grow it that long anymore. I am keeping it at bsl.

[Helen Baq]

I went to that Matter of Trust website. I wonder if they can use shed hair collected from a hairbrush. I'm sure I shed hair enough for it to accumulate. I'm going to email them about it.

I'd be interested in what you find out. I'll bet they do, since they really aren't picky at all. They seem to only care that it's clean, which makes me wonder if they'd accept some of the hair critters that collect in the dryer...

[AmandaPanda]

Someone close to me donated to wigs for kids (based on my recommendation) after I told him about locks of love.

[marialena]

If you want to donate, donate some money to a family that you know that has a cancer patient. Your donation will be more useful for the patient this way. It doesn't matter how much money you are going to donate, even 10 dollars, ( euros whatever) can make the difference for those who strangle to get money for their medicines.

In my opinion all this kind of charities, like Locks of Love etc, are made for publicity and commercial reasons. Your hair, if you donate it them, won't go to wigs that will be given as a present ( or something like that ) to patients, but will just increase the gains of the company that makes the campaign.

And in the end cancer patients don't need wigs but medicines because they are not ill in their outside ( their looks ) but inside them..And that is a thing that can't be fixed with just a wig you know..

[Gypsygirl]

I absolutely second that. And did you know that people going through chemo can't usually wear wigs made of real hair at all for hygienic reasons?

[Speckla]

I absolutely second that. And did you know that people going through chemo can't usually wear wigs made of real hair at all for hygienic reasons?

They generally don't give wigs with real hair to chemo patients because their hairloss is only temporary and will grow back. The wigs are more often given to children with diseases that cause permanent or long time periods of hairloss. Colored hair, highlighted hair, grey (mine has a lot - that's one reason I wouldn't donate) are not used for children's wigs but often sold to offset the cost of production.

[marialena]

You're absolutely right Gupsygirl! I totally agree with you.

My feeling is that we are living in a world that forgets people real needs but cares more for the looks and the appearance.
Some of you, might tell me that by sacrificing OUR good looks we are sharing someway the problem that a cancer patient has. But this is completely wrong. Because if someone wanted to understand how a cancer patient feels, what he/she afraids etc., he/she would have to share their disease and I'm sure that this is something that nobody wants to.

So by the time that we are not in their place, ( fortunately), the other thing that we can do is to aid them, by helping them to be healthy again, giving them the chance to have the appropriate treatment and be next to them to support them psychologically.

Charity is not a matter of publicity, and is not something that has to do just with the appearance. Charity has to do with the care and compassion for other people problems and those qualities can't get to the people that need it, through hair.

[practikalmagik]

Personally I feel that donating hair is done more to make the person feel like they are doing some great sacrafice for others. It'd be more effective to donate money to RESEARCH charities to help stop Cancer having such a devastating effect on people in the first place. Unfortunately that doesn't get your the same publicity.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for wanting to help kids, but lopping off 12 inches of (most likely unusable) hair seems a little more like a way to have a haircut and a clean conscience. Why not donate money and if you wanna cut your hair, donate it somewhere it's going to actually be used (like Matter of Trust).

In the end, it is everyone's personal choice how/if they donate and as along as a person is INFORMED then their choice is valid.

[marialena]

[...]
In the end, it is everyone's personal choice how/if they donate and as along as a person is INFORMED then their choice is valid.

I agree with you. But are people informed ??
Do this girls look like informed ones??

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/fashion/06locks.html

( and anyway what is a company doing in a high school?? I mean it's supposed that children go to school to be educated not to follow corporate campaigns...)

[LovingLife]

Thats horrible, but I would donate to locks of love, not only because of the many sucsess stories I've heard but because hair is sometimes the most feminine part of you, and not having it might rip you apart!

[firenze]

Personally I feel that donating hair is done more to make the person feel like they are doing some great sacrafice for others. It'd be more effective to donate money to RESEARCH charities to help stop Cancer having such a devastating effect on people in the first place. Unfortunately that doesn't get your the same publicity.

I actually started growing my hair to donate it but I had a lot of damage from a perm so it has taken a long time to get to healthy, virgin hair. Anyway, the last time I went to get a trim I told the stylist I wanted to keep as much length as possible because I was going to donate it. She was really supportive and kept talking about how amazing it was that I was going to do that. Even the shampoo guy was going on and on about how great it was that I was donating it. They made me feel amazing.

I think that's when I realized that donating seemed like a great thing but I was getting a lot out of it, too. I kept doing more research about it and realized I'd feel better donating money to a research organization rather than donating my hair and not knowing if it actually ended up helping anyone.

Don't get me wrong, I still think the idea behind it is great and I think giving, whether it be money, time, food donations, running a marathon and raising money, etc. is great and makes people feel good about themselves. But when it comes down to the realities and logistics of hair donation, I think I'm more comfortable making different donations or supporting organizations in other ways.

[xeternalsilence]

I just found this nifty charity. While it might not be someplace you'd want to donate long, wig-worthy pieces to, they take any length, so trimmings would be fine. http://www.matteroftrust.org/ They don't make wigs for sick children or cancer patients, but they do work to help clean up the environment and help save wild animals from oil spills. :)
I had never heard of them before now. Thanks for posting that.
I think they'll be getting my trimmings from now on. :)

I agree with some of the others. I'd rather donate money to a research organization that's actually going to try to stop a disease rather than donate my hair.

[Beatnik Guy]

“We created this monster because people get so much from it,” said Madonna Coffman, the president of Locks of Love. “They get the attention. They get a warm and fuzzy feeling. They feel they’re going to help a child.”

“A check would be easier for me,” Ms. Coffman said. “But would the donors get out of it what they do? No.”
From Elizabeth Hayt's NYT article, September 6, 2007

[practikalmagik]

I agree with you. But are people informed ??
Do this girls look like informed ones??

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/fashion/06locks.html

( and anyway what is a company doing in a high school?? I mean it's supposed that children go to school to be educated not to follow corporate campaigns...)


Thats the problem though, I'm not sure many people are informed. Which is when it becomes a problem. If a person was well aware of LoL's policies and still wanted to donate then that's ok, even I don't agree. I cant help thinking these kids are doing it cos it's "cool and helping others!"

Meh.

Those quotes you posted Beatnik Guy are the reason I wouldn't even do something showy. I think it's kinda superficial to do things to get something from it yourself. That's not an altruistic act, that's a mutual benefits situation.

[Gypsygirl]

I think it's kinda superficial to do things to get something from it yourself. That's not an altruistic act, that's a mutual benefits situation.

Yeah, that's how I feel... Although the lines probably tend to be blurred, if that makes sense. ;)

[Sha-na-na]

Yeah, that's how I feel... Although the lines probably tend to be blurred, if that makes sense. ;)

Some would say that all altruism is always laced with some benifit to the giver - even if altruism just makes the giver feel good.

There are many charities that may be "better to give to" but we all do what we can. I say, as long as we are giving and thinking, one should never belittle anyone for giving; selfish or not.

[Fifty-Five]

I was surprised to see that so many others supported a monetary donation rather than folical. When I mentioned that around my circle of friends, they dang near strung me up and beat me right there. Personally, I just think donating money going to help more in the long run.

A wig is a temporary thing for the short run, and I think, too, that it sort of sends the wrong message to a child who is losing their hair, and then given a wig to hide it. The child may even feel silly to be wearing someone else's hair to hide their scalp, you know? I may sound like I'm coming out of left field, but I've known a lot of children, a lot of them girls, while growing up who didn't like the idea of a wig at all. They preferred bandanas most of the time, or going without.

Something else that caught my attention was a story a friend of mine told me. Her friend was going through cancer treatments and was almost certain to start losing her hair, so my friend said she was going to cut her BSL hair off for a wig. Her friend told her not to, because she'd feel really guilty and would be happy with a hug and some sunscreen as a gift. This was years ago, too, so I think the girl was only 13 or so, which I thought was something else, since it seemed like such a mature decision. =3

[Sha-na-na]

I totally get what you are saying Fifty-Five. It does feed into stereotypes. But hair is also sublimely feminine and unfortunately makes some people feel beautiful. I do not want to speak for everyone, but I am quite sure that we would not be growing our hair just for the joy of growing it; it is beautiful!!!
When I heard of a little child losing that beautiful hair, I wanted to give mine up. But since reading all of these posts, my opinion has changed.
And I do NOT want to feed into the stereotype that little girls should be pretty and feminine - but society makes it so that they may feel inadequate. Yes, we should just get at the root cause of inaccurate perceptions of beauty.

[morguebabe]

I think if you really want to cut your hair to donate you should cut it, sell it and donate that money to a cause you deem worthy.

[earthdancer]

I can't figure out how LOL gets away with it:
http://www.squidoo.com/locksoflove

In 2002, LoL received enough hair to make approximately 10,000 hairpieces. What a huge difference this would make to those under 18 with hair loss. Yet give.org cites they only made 113 wigs from human hair in that same year along with 61 other pieces for a total of 174 hairpieces. Where did the other 9,826 potential hairpieces go? Also, according to give.org, LoL does not open their financial records to the public like any reputable charity should. They have since remedied this as of 2007.And actually, they haven't remedied it, according to the Better Business Bureau:
http://charityreports.bbb.org/Public/Report.aspx?CharityID=1839

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information on the organization’s finances and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard for Charity Accountability: 13.They make millions every year, and give less than half a million to research according to the most generous reports I found. Where does the money go? Nice racket.

[heidi w.]

Wow, thank you all for the info. I have seriously changed my mind. Does anyone have and info on alternative means of donating? Wow.:(

The NY Times article lists Pantene Beautiful Lengths and I believe it shows their official website, and you could type in the URL on your internet and read more.

Be sure to also look at the Better Business Bureau's Charity side of the site for any charity you are thinking about contributing to. The BBB also lists basic information for people to read about what parameters to consider before donating (or for that matter a for-profit business). It may help you make a decision on other things that you think about in the future.

heidi w.

[LisaButz2001]

I feel sorry for the girl with red hair in that picture. It may just be a trick based on the timing of the photograph, but she looks like she's praying for courage to go through with it.

[marialena]

I can't figure out how LOL gets away with it:
http://www.squidoo.com/locksoflove
And actually, they haven't remedied it, according to the Better Business Bureau:
http://charityreports.bbb.org/Public/Report.aspx?CharityID=1839
They make millions every year, and give less than half a million to research according to the most generous reports I found. Where does the money go? Nice racket.

Let me guess.. Locks of Greed ??!! :D

[Rebelkat]

I feel sorry for the girl with red hair in that picture. It may just be a trick based on the timing of the photograph, but she looks like she's praying for courage to go through with it.
That's what it looks like to me, as well. She also looks like she might have been crying at some point before that pic was taken. She appears not to be taking it well at all (which of course I can't blame her!).

[viking_quest]

I just found this nifty charity. While it might not be someplace you'd want to donate long, wig-worthy pieces to, they take any length, so trimmings would be fine. http://www.matteroftrust.org/ They don't make wigs for sick children or cancer patients, but they do work to help clean up the environment and help save wild animals from oil spills. :)

I absolutely recommend this or selling your hair and donating the money.

And AmyJorgensen, I'd like to know what they tell you as well. I have so much shed hair that I feel bad just throwing it away.

[AmandaPanda]

also note that the blond girl in that article appears to have highlighted hair. I wonder if they told her "It cannot be bleached, permanently colored or chemically treated" (from their website).

She looks rather tan, so I could be wrong...maybe it's lightened from the sun

[Fifty-Five]

I totally get what you are saying Fifty-Five. It does feed into stereotypes. But hair is also sublimely feminine and unfortunately makes some people feel beautiful. I do not want to speak for everyone, but I am quite sure that we would not be growing our hair just for the joy of growing it; it is beautiful!!!
When I heard of a little child losing that beautiful hair, I wanted to give mine up. But since reading all of these posts, my opinion has changed.
And I do NOT want to feed into the stereotype that little girls should be pretty and feminine - but society makes it so that they may feel inadequate. Yes, we should just get at the root cause of inaccurate perceptions of beauty.
I definitely see where you're coming from, and don't dispute it. It's a rather touchy subject for a good reason. Hair is so very important to a lot of people, and the proof lies in how much is spent on haircare each year, but then you look at some other details, and it's a tough call. I guess, though, it means there's really no wrong choice?

...or I could totally be reading things wrong. o.o It's 1:01 am, and it's really dark, so I'm feeling a tad paranoid and distracting me from my response =D