Have you been growing out your hair, and you suddenly just want to cut it? Don’t just yet—consider donating your hair! Donating your hair is a great way to bring joy into someone’s life. There are numerous national donor organizations across America that accept hair donations, and each organization has a specific audience they make wigs for. For example, Locks of Love and Wigs for Kids create wigs for children, while Chai Lifeline accepts donations for patients with cancer. Here are the steps to donating your hair:

Meet the requirements

Each operation has different requirements when it comes to accepting hair. Some only accept undyed hair, but some accept dyed unbleached hair. Others require donated hair to be at a specific length. When you decide on where you want to donate your hair, check the prerequisites and make sure you meet them.

Make sure your hair is healthy

Prior to donating your hair, be sure you don’t have any dead or split ends. Most organizations are looking for at least 8-10 inches of healthy hair. So, go in for a trim to insure you are donating your best, healthy hair.

Find a donation salon

These hair salons are familiar with the hair donation process, so they will be able to correctly cut your hair to the requirements of the organization. If you are unable to find a donation salon, make sure to communicate with the hair stylist that is cutting your hair.

Sending your hair

Now that you’ve cut your hair, it’s time to actually donate it! Most of the hair donation organizations accept it through mail-in. Carefully package your hair and ship it out!

According to Business Insider, “it actually takes about 10 to 12 ponytails to make one wig.” That’s because not all the donated hair in a ponytail can be used since some pieces are often times too short or unhealthy. Despite all these requirements, even if only some of your hair is used towards a wig, it’s still a good deed to do. Having hair to style is something we often take for granted. By donating hair, you can bring back confidence for patients, and they can live actively and confidently!