For a lot of people, donating their hair is a quick procedure. You pop into a salon, cut off your locks, and leave feeling good that you did something to help someone else. But there’s a lot more that goes on behind the scenes when you donate your hair.
1. Hair is sent to an organization for sorting and inspection. In order for human hair to be used for wigs, it has to meet strict requirements. First, hair strands should be between 8 and 10 inches long. Second, they shouldn’t be bleached or over-treated. This means hair that’s recently colored or processed.
2. Hair that makes the cut is sent to the wig manufacturer. Once it arrives, it’s brushed and shorter pieces are removed, so that only the longer strands that are more ideal for the wig will be used.
3. Pontytails are sewn together. Afterwards, they’re treated to a chemical bath. Many human hair wigs can require 20-30 ponytails to create a full wig.
4. A custom-made cap is created based on the wig wearer’s head measurements. Then, the ponytail pieces are blended together to create a natural looking color, and hand sewn into the cap to create the wig.
Watch a video of the hair donation process from start to finish here:
To see how hair stylists should cut hair for donation, watch this video:
And, if you really want to see something that will tug on your heart strings, watch this adorable video of a little girl donating her hair:
