Donating your hair? Bring it to the cancer foundation

If you're considering cutting and donating your hair, but aren't sure where to send it, there's a simple solution — bring it to the Northern Cancer Foundation.

The cancer foundation has two different organizations they send donated hair to.

One of them is Continental Hair in Toronto, which provides wigs free of charge to cancer and alopecia patients (alopecia is an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss, by the way).

“We investigated a lot of different places, and what we found was Continental Hair will guarantee us nobody will be charged for a wig for which we send donated hair,” said Northern Cancer Foundation executive director Tannys Laughren.

To be used by Continental Hair, hair donations must not be dyed, she said.

Although dyed hair can't be used for wigs for those with cancer or alopecia for medical reasons, the cancer foundation does accept donations of dyed hair.

Such donations are sent by the cancer foundation to Pantene Beautiful Lengths in the United States, and are used for those who have experienced hair loss, but are not medically compromised.

For all hair donations, a minimum of eight inches of hair is required. It's best if the hair is held together with elastics and stored in a Ziploc bag.

The cancer foundation sends out certificates to those who make hair donations, Laughren said.

Although the organization has accepted hair donations for 20 years, it's something that's become much more popular in recent years. Some people even collect pledges for a cancer charity before braving the scissors.

“It's a really amazing thing,” Laughren said.

Receiving a free wig is a great thing for cancer patients, as wigs can cost up to $800, she said. Laughren said the cancer foundation also has a small stock of donated used wigs Northeast Cancer Centre patients can access.

The Northern Cancer Foundation is located at the Northeast Cancer Centre. The office is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

To learn more about making a hair donation, phone 705-523-4673 or visit www.ncrfsudbury.com.