Help with Hair Donation

[KLin]

I need help. My 6 yr old son has wavy/curls down to his waist and is ready to cut and donate. He wants to cut it. I asked him to wait and be sure, and he is. He has 10 inches to cut. I would like advice on where to donate.

I know lots of people to not like locks of love - but I don't know why.
I don't know anything about Pantenes Beautiful lengths.
I have heard of Pink Hearts for children, but do not know anyone that has donated to them.

Please let me know what you think.
Please let me know some positive experiences.
Thanks.

I want his hair to help a child with need. It was grown with love, trimmed of splits, and no cones. He is a precious boy and I will be sad to see is beautiful healthy hair cut. He is going for a shoulder length, so it will still be long for normal 6 yr old standard.

[Alix]

Locks of Love people don't like because they still charge for the wigs, albeit on a sliding scale, they also go to people with alopecia, not cancer, because alopecia is often non reversible.

I've heard wigs for kids is good.

[Panth]

I think some of the issue people have with Locks of Love (from reading posts on LHC) is that they say they will take any hair (or don't overtly say they won't take certain sorts of hair) and so people donate their (coloured/bleached/overly heat-styled/grey/whatever) hair and then it is just chucked.

The other issue with them is definitely that there are a large number of vocal strangers who seem to think that if you have long hair you must be growing it for Locks of Love and if you aren't then you are evil and greedy and vain and blahblahblahblah.

[NotInPortland]

I read something about locks of love a while back, I believe the main issue many have is that a lot of the hair apparently isn't used to make wigs for cancer patients and such and given to them free or at a good price which is what many people are led to believe is going to happen to their hair when they donate, I think they sell a lot of the hair that is donated to external wig making companies or whatever and locks of love keep that money. At least that is what I have heard around anyway.

edit: Here's just a piece from wikipedia on critisims of the group:

Locks of Love has received criticism for its practice of selling donated hair, rather than using it in wigs as the donors expect. They refer to the hair they sell as "unusable material," but the buyers are using it to make wigs. According to a 2003 report by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, in 2002 alone Locks of Love had raised over $150,000 by selling donated hair and had received another $213,000 in charitable contributions and grants, but provided only 113 human-hair wigs. Their 2008 IRS Form 990 reported over $1,925,000 in total revenue but stated that they gave only 401 hairpieces / wigs to Locks of Love recipients.
Locks of Love representatives are frequent guests on The Oprah Winfrey Show and other daytime television shows, where they provide haircuts to guests and audience members. Though the representatives and show hosts normally suggest that the hair collected during the show will go into a wig, that the wigs are given free of charge to children with cancer, neither of these outcomes is guaranteed. [3][4][5] The organization was formed to help people with the illness of alopecia, not necessarily to help cancer patients.[5]
[edit]

[fluffybunny]

Did you consider saving it? I have an envelope of hair from a cut when I was around 6. I'm so glad my mom saved it for me.

When I hear about these services that supposedly give hair to children who need wigs I'm just skeptical that it's appropriate. I would think children are better off with a synthetic wig anyway. Much more durable and easy care for the parents.

[kwaniesiam]

http://www.wigsforkids.org/ is good. Pantene is also a decent program.

[KLin]

We are sending to Pink Hearts foundation.

Oh, and both my sons have cut from Waist to shoulder. My older son will be 9yr next month and my younger son turned 6 yr in Jan. They each have three braids to donate.

I am so proud of them. They want to help a child that is sick and are writting notes to send with their hair. They kept the cut blunt and all one length so they can grow again.

I cried, because I am that mom.

[heidihug]

It takes about 6 to 10 cuttings of thick adult hair to make a human-hair wig. Baby hair - that lovely soft and fine hair from when a child is a baby through about 5 years old - unfortunately, is not what hair donation charities are looking for. I have gleaned this information by doing quite a bit of research, at a friend's request, regarding her daughter's hair donation (she decided to donate to Pantene Great Lengths, as her hair is very thick and was long enough to meet their standards). I also talked to a stylist who has made wigs who affirmed this information.

I hate to rain on your parade, but I doubt that your son's hair will be used in an actual wig. I'm sorry. It might be a better idea in the future to encourage your child to have a fundraiser to donate money to a desired charity - that way you know for sure his donation will be being used for the purpose that you desire.