Hair donation and wigs
This page tells you about hair donation and wigs. We are often asked about hair donation - both by people who are having their hair cut before chemotherapy and by people who would like to donate hair for people with cancer to have made up into wigs. You can find information on
Human hair wigs are not actually the first choice for most people whose hair falls out due to chemotherapy treatment. People who have long term hair loss (alopecia) that is not related to cancer are more likely to buy wigs made from human hair.
There are 2 main reasons for this. The wigs have to be made to order and this can take up to 2 months. Most people don't know 2 months beforehand that they are going to have chemotherapy, so they want a wig sooner than that.
Human hair wigs are also very expensive. They can cost anywhere between £200 and £2000, compared to a synthetic wig, which costs between £50 and £200. Many people cannot afford real hair wigs, especially when they are only going to be wearing it for a few months - until their own hair starts to grow back. Not only that: you actually need 2 wigs, so that you have one to wear while the other is being cleaned. Human hair wigs need to be cleaned regularly and this is a specialised process that takes time.
Some people do prefer human hair wigs as they often look more realistic. So you may want to still consider donating your hair but remember there is no guarantee that your hair will be used for a wig that a cancer patient will use. And cancer patients are not given human hair wigs for free, which is a common belief. Patients do get given 1 free synthetic wig if they are being treated on the NHS. If they want a human hair wig, they will have to pay for it.
Your hair needs to be at least 6 inches long for it to be of any use in making a wig. It must be clean and in a pony tail when it is cut. If you are still interested, contact Banbury Postiche on 01295 757400. They will explain to you about having your hair cut and will pay you for it. The fees are £3 per ounce if your hair is 6 - 12" long and £5 per ounce if it is more than 12" long. They have asked us to point out though, that no one is going to get rich by selling their hair!
Little Princess Trust are also able to accept hair donations from anyone wishing their hair to be used to help children suffering hair loss due to cancer treatment and other causes. Your should have at least 10 -12" of clean, good condition hair. For more information call 0845 094 4509 or visit www.littleprincesses.org.uk
Banbury Postiche is the only company that we know of that buys hair from individual people. There are hair merchants, but they advise us that they buy in bulk from abroad and cannot buy from individual people. If your company offers this service, let us know. We can add your details to this page.
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