Make the Kindest Cut of All - Pantene Beautiful Lengths

When you make a Pantene hair donation to Beautiful Lengths, you are contributing your hair to women who have lost their hair during their battle with cancer.  Making a Pantene hair donation is a wonderful way to help women struggling with cancer feel a sense of normalcy in one aspect of her life.  I recently donated hair to this wonderful cause and wanted to make my readers aware of this program:

http://www.pantene.com/en-us/beautiful-lengths-cause/default.aspx

ABOUT PANTENE BEAUTIFUL LENGTHS

Pantene is committed to helping all women feel their best, which inspired us to draw people together and make a difference for women facing cancer. That's why we are the proud founder of the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program which encourages women and men to grow, cut, and donate their hair to make real hair wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments. A woman's healthy hair is an incredible instrument of self-expression, defining her self-image in a way that almost no other physical attribute can.

So what does hair loss mean to a woman? Hair loss can strike an especially crippling blow to women fighting cancer. In fact, a recent study revealed that nearly 60 percent of women consider hair loss the most dreaded side effect they face when undergoing chemotherapy. Real-hair wigs can cost as much as $1200 and are often only partially covered by health insurance.

Donating your hair is a heartfelt and life-changing act of women's cancer and breast cancer support. When you're ready, make the kindest cut of all and donate your healthy hair to make free wigs for women who have lost their hair to cancer.

Thank you for participating in Pantene Beautiful Lengths. Our campaign is the first in the country to encourage women and men to grow, cut and donate their healthy hair to make wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments.

Hair provided by generous volunteers like you will be used to craft beautiful, high-quality wigs by our partner, HairUWear®. Then it will go to a woman affected by hair loss from cancer.


Here’s everything you need to know about participating.

Hair Requirements
* Donated hair must be a minimum of 8 inches long (measure hair from just above the elastic band of the ponytail to the ends).
* Wavy/curly hair texture is fine—you may straighten hair to measure.
* Hair should be freshly washed and completely dry, without any styling products.
* Hair may be colored with vegetable dyes, rinses and semi-permanent dyes. It cannot be bleached, permanently colored or chemically treated.
* Hair may not be more than 5% gray. Here’s why:

o It takes at least six ponytails to make a Pantene Beautiful Lengths wig; in general, each ponytail comes from a different person and is a different color. Even though some hair colors may look similar, including gray hair, each is completely unique.

o For a realistic-looking wig that has consistent color throughout, donated ponytails must be processed and then dyed to the same shade. It is critical for each ponytail to absorb dyes at the same rate in order to create wigs of consistent, natural-looking color.

o Gray hair, as well as some chemically-treated or permanently-colored hair, does not absorb dye at the same rate as other types of hair. It is much harder to color and, once colored, fades more quickly.

o Most permanently-colored hair, once it is processed and re-colored, is too fragile and breakable under the rigorous processing required during the production of a Pantene Beautiful Lengths wig.

hair donation instructions
Note: It is helpful to have someone cut your hair for you.

* Hair must be clean, shampooed and/or conditioned, without any styling, hairspray or additional hair products.
* Gather hair at the nape of the neck.
* Create a ponytail with an elastic band. Ensure the band is tight around the hair to keep the hair together after cutting. If the hair comes out of the band, it will not be usable. A second hair band can be placed around the middle of the ponytail to help keep the hair together.
* Ensure that the elastic band is just below where you want to cut your hair.
* Measure the length of the ponytail from the elastic band to the tips, ensuring hair is at least 8 inches long. Donations shorter than 8 inches will not be used, as it’s too short for making a wig. If your hair is not 8 inches, continue to grow your hair out. There is no maximum length requirement.
* Cut the hair just above the elastic band such that the elastic band remains on the ponytail after cutting and keeps cut hair together. Do not wash or style the ponytail in any way after it has been cut off.
* Place the ponytail, kept intact with the elastic band, in a zipper-lock bag and seal tightly. Please ensure the ponytail is complete dry before sending.
* Place the plastic bag with the ponytail in a padded or plastic envelope and send to:

Pantene Beautiful Lengths
Attn: 192-123
43 Butterfield Trail Suite A
El Paso, TX 79906

* If you would like written acknowledgement of your ponytail donation, please remember to include your full name and return address with your hair donation.

Thanks for your generous donation and for participating in Pantene Beautiful Lengths.