Since 2011, I have dreamed of donating my hair. I don’t know where I got this idea back then but since I have been working towards it.
In 2011 I had a long hair that I decided to cut much shorter in the late summer / early autumn before starting in a university of applied sciences. I wanted a change since I had always had long blond hair. I told hairdresser about my plans to donate the hair and asked her advice on how to do it. She convinced me that it is not possible in Finland and so my hair was left to the hairdresser’s floor. After a week, one of our family friends told me that yes – it is possible, some hairdressers in Helsinki do that. I started to look more information about hair donation. At that time I read that hair should be in natural condition: not bleached, coloured, you should not have used any heat treatments etc.
In 2014, after spending over four months in Erasmus exchange without colouring my hair during my time in there or in summer after, I decided to try to grow my own colour. It took a while to get all blond-coloured parts off since I didn’t want to cut my hair super short. In autumn 2016, I cut a long bob, and all hair was finally in my natural colour, that is also blond, just a bit darker.
So started my hair growing project. I think at that time I had already heard about Little Princess Trust that provides “real hair wigs to children and young people with hair loss.” On their page, it says that hair needs to be in natural colour. They accept also dyed/bleached/highlighted hair, but again, in natural colour. Even though the minimum length for donating is 17 cm, it is preferable to let the hair grow so that you can donate minimum 30 cm if you are growing your hair to donate it, as I did.
Without this donation project, I would have cut my hair many many times. I think that long hair is beautiful but difficult to take care of, and often on the way. However, I wanted to wait until my hair was long enough that if I cut 30 cm it at least almost reaches still my shoulders. Now, this Monday, it was finally time to make my dream come true.
I sat on the hairdresser’s chair, she put my hair on ponytails, and I gave permission to cut. I even asked to cut a bit more than I had first planned. In the end, my hair got 35-40 cm lighter. On Tuesday I sent the hair to Little Princess Trust. I could not be happier. I got a new fresh haircut, I got to end my hair project and fulfill my dream, and some kid or young will get the hair they need. I have always said that hair is a renewable natural resource, it grows back if you cut it. But unfortunately it is not like that for everyone, and that is why I’m happy that I could donate my hair and help.
Photos: Iida Ruoko / edit: me
You don’t have to grow your hair to donate, not everyone can or want, and that is okay. But if you are going to get a new hairstyle and cut minimum 17 cm at once, why not to do something good and give the hair for someone in need instead of throwing it into the trash. More about hair donation and Little Princess Trust here.
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