Anyone done Locks of Love?

[BrerLizzie]

I'm growing out my hair for it now It's about 3/4 of the way down my back, but I'm going REALLY long because I look awfull with short hair. My ends are sorta bad too, so I'm using a shampoo and condintioner to help strengthen my hair.

 

[SueM in MN]

My youngest DD donated 12 inches of her hair a year ago. Mine won't grow long enough to give them 10 inches, so I can't donate mine (plus I'm getting a little old to have hair long enough to cut 10 inches off).
When DD got her hair cut, the salon wrapped it up for us and we mailed it in with the information form printed from the website. She did get a Thank You card, but it took a long time.

 

[staci]

I donated after I had ds (the prenatals made my hair grow very fast). I havent cut it since (2 years next month), and am back on the prenatals again. I plan on doing it again at the end of this pregnancy.

Although I like my hair much longer than how it looks after the 10 inches come off, I feel so great about doing it for such a worthy cause. I feel like it is a gift from me and my child, as without the pregnancy it would take me forever to get my hair that long.

I did give the hairdresser my info, but never recieved a thank you. But I got it cut at a training salon, and it may have just gotten misplaced and not sent with the hair. Thats okay, everytime I look in the mirror I was reminded of how much I missed my hair but also how much a little child must be enjoying it .

 

[tkd lisa]

I do this on a regular basis now. One of my tae kwon do students told me about it. I had been cutting about 8 inches at a time, so now I just let it grow an inch longer, and cut it an inch shorter. I've donated 3 or 4 times. The first few times, my salon sent it in. The last time, they said that they had stopped doing it, so I printed off the info from the website and sent it in myself. I don't think I've ever gotten a certificate, but we moved a few months after I sent in the last one.

My hair does grow fast. I usually am able to do this every 20 months or so. And it's good to know they'll take colored hair now. My DD has beautiful, thick curly hair, but she colors it. I think she's going to be ready for a major cut soon, and I was thinking it would be awesome hair to donate.

As far as actually donating it, just look at their website. Frankly, the looks on those kids faces would make me do much more difficult things than cutting my hair shorter than I normally would!

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I've done it.

Hair has to be natural color with no treatment in it.

I've had people offer me money to grow and sell my hair because of the color. No thanks.

DW Lauri has had people from theaters ask her the same thing. They said her hair is worth a lot because of the color (red and curly) and it's never had any chemical treatments in her life. They asked her if they could purchase it. I'm sure they got the evil stink eye from her.

She lost almost half her hair a few years back from a low level chemo treatment for her AOSD so she said if she ever has to do the chemo again, she's donating the length of her hair before the treatments start.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I've done it before, and have received a nice little post card/certificate. That's great that your little girl is excited about donating!

My DD sent 17 inches of her red hair in 18 months ago. I was going to say that the certificate she got was more of a postcard than anything else. She had hers done in a salon because she was so scared about the haircut. (She was 18 at the time and it was right before her high school graduation.)

 

[DVCLiz]

DD17 donated hers two years ago. Just a word about the "certificate" - when you have children and they are involved in various activities, you get used to seeing a certain type of certificate come home. It seems that even the local gymnastics lessons eventually send home a certificate. These are usually 8 1/2 x 11 pieces of paper, printed on heavier cardstock, and also usually (not always) hand lettered in calligraphy. I can't tell you how many of these DD has, ranging from kindergarten graduation to National Honor Society!! So that's what we were expecting when she made what she thought was a big gesture in cutting her hair. Instead, what we got was just a postcard - I literally almost threw it out as junk mail.

DD would have done it anyway - she set it as a goal for her high school years, but just in case you are expecting soemthing a little fancy, don't be disappointed that what you're probably going to get is just a postcard that's filled out in blue ink and sent through a postage meter!!

 

[tubachick]

I have done it twice, and have been happy to do it. Once a certificate was mailed, and the other one was emailed.

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

I'm so glad I found this thread! DD has had a goal of growing her hair LONG because she's wanted to donate to LOL for a long time. She talked to a friend at school, and was under the impression the hair had to be 14 inches. Now, that I've finally looked at the website thanks to you DISers, she might be able to do it now, I know its over 10 inches.

Congrats to all of those who have donated, I know it means so much to the recipients and their families, and it is a nice thing to do something selfless for others.

 

[chell]

Wanted to add that if your hair is thick you may even get two ponytails out of a single cut. Both times I did this my hairdressers were shocked and happy because they were able to get two full ponytails out of my hair.

 

[PaulaSue]

I'm so glad I found this thread! DD has had a goal of growing her hair LONG because she's wanted to donate to LOL for a long time. She talked to a friend at school, and was under the impression the hair had to be 14 inches. Now, that I've finally looked at the website thanks to you DISers, she might be able to do it now, I know its over 10 inches.

Congrats to all of those who have donated, I know it means so much to the recipients and their families, and it is a nice thing to do something selfless for others.

Make sure when you measure you leave 2-3 more inches so once it is evened out it will be long enough for the new style she wants.

 

[pjlla]

I haven't read through all of the replies, but after "thinking" about it for a long time I finally donated my hair this past June. About 14 inches, if I recall correctly. I love my new look (had long hair for YEARS). I think it took 10 years off of me, if I do say so myself!! So it was all good.... hair went to a good cause and I look better! Yahoo! ................P

 

[bigmerle1966]

I've actually had my hair sent 3 or 4 times. I used to have really long hair and would get it cut every few years. All of the times it has been cut the salon has actually asked me if they could send it, I didn't even need to ask.

And a note about them selling the hair, someone I know who had breast cancer bought a real hair wig and it cost her $500, and this was almost 15 years ago. So it is costing these people a lot to make these wigs and if they are offsetting the cost by selling what they can't use, let them. It is benifiting this program.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

DW Lauri has had people from theaters ask her the same thing. They said her hair is worth a lot because of the color (red and curly) and it's never had any chemical treatments in her life. They asked her if they could purchase it. I'm sure they got the evil stink eye from her.

She lost almost half her hair a few years back from a low level chemo treatment for her AOSD so she said if she ever has to do the chemo again, she's donating the length of her hair before the treatments start.

Mine is red and straight. If I'm ever in the situation where I'll lose my hair I'll donate it first.

 

[musicalSaranader]

I've donated my hair to Locks of Love twice, for a total of 23 inches. The best part was that a few months after the second donation I met a girl at my college who wears a wig from Locks of Love, and it made us both very happy. That was all the thanks I needed I'm now growing out my hair again to donate some more (although next time I think I'll wait till my hair's a little longer so it's not so short when it gets cut...lol).

 

[SC Minnie]

DD did this last Dec. She is growing it out to do it again this summer-- this is from a year ago

Before

After

 

[disneymom3]

Holy Cow, SCMinnie--how on earth do you brush her hair out everyday?? DDs tangles so much it drives me crazy. For awhile there, I was making her sleep with braids.

 

[PaulaSue]

My oldest DD hair looks just like that. If her's is the same as my DD's it is very silky and not tangles at all. My middle dd's is a little thicker and doesn't tangle much but def. not silky like Nicole's.

I will have to figure out how to post pictures. I just measured my oldest pony and itself is 24 inches, Emma's is 18 inches. Someday they will tire of it but I never will.

 

[disneymom3]

Well, maybe that is our problem. DD and I both have very thick, wavy hair and it def tangles. The nice part is that we will be able to provide A LOT of hair to them! I actually used to have much thicker hair but over the summer my thyroid went haywire and my hair started falling out it major handfuls. It is back up some, but not near as thick as usual. Maybe DD and I will make this a regular thing.

 

[Liana]

@ SC Minnie

Wow her hair must have been knee length , it's a really a pity to cut hair which is sooo long. Probably your daughter will never reach such an amazing length again.

Although it is for a good cause it is still sad to see such Rapunzel like tresses being cut.