The Duchess of Cambridge reportedly donated her hair to a charity that makes real hair wigs for children fighting cancer.
The Little Princess Trust announced that the Duchess of Cambridge was thought to be the latest in an ever-growing list of generous donors.
According to the Little Princess Trust, the Duchess’ donation was made anonymously - although Kensington Palace has said it could not comment on this. They did, however, confirm that the Duchess supports “several children’s charities.”
Celebrities such as Jessie J and Amber Le Bon have also undergone the Big chop in the name of charity. And you don’t have to be famous to make a difference.
HuffPost UK reporter Natasha Hinde wrote about her own experience when she donated her hair to the charity in January 2017. She said she “could not recommend (doing) this enough.”
“Your hair would only end up in the bin otherwise and by doing a bit of forward planning and asking your stylist to cut your hair in a way that it can be donated, you will quite literally change someone’s life,” she explained.
So, if you’re feeling inspired, here are a few tips on how to go about donating your hair to charity:
Hair Condition
Ensure your hair is clean and in good condition (no split ends).
The LPT welcomes hair from any gender. Hair can also be straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened and may contain the odd grey strand (as long as it’s less than 10%).
You can donate if your hair has been dyed, bleached/highlighted, as long as the dyes are of a natural colour.
They also accept ponytail(s) cut a long time ago, as long as they have remained in good condition.
The Chop
Make sure you explain to your hairdresser what you plan on doing.
Have your hair washed and dried, then let them braid it into a plait with the hair tied at the top of the braid and also at the bottom.
They will then proceed to chop it off above the hair tie - leaving you with a neatly trimmed plait ready to be sent to the charity of your choice by post.
The Donation
After you’ve placed the braid in an envelope, send it to a charity that is seeking donations and they’ll take care of the rest.
In the LPT’s case, your hair will be sent to China to be woven into a wig.
It’ll then be given to a child who is undergoing cancer treatment or who has any other condition that would require a wig to be worn.
It’s well worth the effort as Hinde explains:
“Not only do you come out of the salon feeling good about your new hair, you feel good that you’ve done something worthwhile too - and nothing beats that.”