Locks of Love

Locks of Love Hairpieces

The hairpieces and wigs provided by this charity are made from donated hair and hand-crafted to be of the highest quality. Each hairpiece uses approximately 150,000 strands of hair and is custom-made to fit the recipient as well as to incorporate their preferences for color, length, and style. Because of the meticulous nature of making these hairpieces, between six and ten suitable donations are needed to create one wig, and the manufacturing cost ranges from $3,500 to $6,000 each. It takes up to six months to craft a single hairpiece, though shorter styles can usually be finished more quickly.

While the majority of these hairpieces are made from donated human hair, some circumstances require synthetic wigs instead. Children under six years old who qualify for hairpieces receive synthetic ones because they are less expensive and younger children will outgrow them more quickly. Similarly, individuals with only partial hair loss may receive synthetic pieces that can more easily match their remaining hair.

Applying for a Hairpiece

Unfortunately, there are many more children in need of hairpieces than can possibly be provided for by this organization, and applications are required. To qualify for consideration, the recipient must be under the age of 18 and be suffering from medical hair loss, either from a disease, skin condition, hereditary cause, or medical side effect. The majority of children who receive hairpieces suffer from alopecia areata, a genetic condition that may result in partial or total hair loss, and in extreme cases may result in total hair loss over the entire body. The conditions is not contagious but it may be hereditary, and there is a great social stigma for children, particularly girls, to lose their hair.

To apply for a hairpiece, the parent or guardian must fill out an application (available online at LocksofLove.org) and include the child’s medical background and diagnosis of the hair loss as well as financial information (tax forms or aid benefit statements) to demonstrate financial need. Applications must also include personal information about how the child could benefit from the hairpiece as well as letters of recommendation concerning their eligibility and need.

Applications are generally processed in less than a month, and if approved, the process to create the hairpiece will begin immediately. Depending on the demonstrated financial need, recipients may receive a hairpiece completely free of charge or on a sliding scale relative to their financial situation.

Donating to Locks of Love

The concept of hair loss is emotionally devastating to many people, particularly when it involves children and the stigma may follow them through very turbulent years. There are many ways that concerned and caring individuals can help support the charity, from donating hair themselves to helping raise money to pay for the manufacture of the hairpieces.

Hair

Hair donations are the most common way to support Locks of Love. Donated hair can be any color, from any race, and from men, women, or children, so long as it meets the following conditions:

• Hair must be at least 10 inches long. Several inches are lost as the hair is made into a hairpiece, and because several donations are needed to make a single wig, longer hair is likely to be more suitable. Curly hair can be stretched straight in order to measure.
• Hair must be clean and dry, and bundled in a braid or ponytail before cutting to keep it properly aligned. Do not unbind the hair after cutting.
• Hair cannot be chemically damaged or bleached, and it cannot be swept off a salon floor (the alignment will be destroyed).

Not all donated hair is high enough quality to create hairpieces for children. Gray hair, as well as hair that is too short, can still be useful, however: it is sold to help pay for the wigs’ manufacturing.

Financial Contributions

Financial donations are always welcome to support the administrative costs of the organization as well as to help pay manufacturing and shipping. Donating money doesn’t have to cost individual contributors anything, however: Locks of Love has a partnership with Albertson’s grocery stores and portions of qualifying purchases are donated to the charity automatically if the shopper is registered. Other ways to financially contribute include annual or estate contributions or organizing local fundraisers to raise awareness of this worthy cause, such as cut-a-thons to collect hair as well as donations.

Local Salons

Many hair salons also support this worthwhile charity. Ask your stylist about the salon’s support, or look for decals in salon windows that proclaim them a partner with the charity. Many of these salons may offer free or discounted cuts for individuals able to donate 10 or more inches of hair to the cause. A salon does not have to be affiliated with the charity in order to provide hair to the cause, however, and any stylist can help.

For More Information

For more information about the charity including how to apply for a hairpiece or how to support the organization, visit the website at LocksofLove.org, call toll-free at 1-888-896-1588, or write:

Locks of Love
2925 10th Ave. North, Suite 102
Lake Worth, FL 33461