How to Prepare Your Hair for Donation

It was suggested to me by a friend, when I mentioned cutting my hair, that it could be donated to children who have lost their hair to cancer or other conditions. I had heard of this , of course, but had never really taken it into consideration before. My hair has always been very long, and at the time it was the longest it's ever been, down to my thighs. I was pregnant and on bed-rest, and was constantly trapping myself in my own hair. I love my long hair, and was reluctant to cut it, but it was getting to be an uncomfortable nuisance.

But I would do it, I decided, for those poor kids. So I started researching Locks of Love and other donation programs. It turned out however, that my hair was in too poor of condition that it probably wouldn't be accepted. It had multiple split ends and damage from perms, and was very dried out. But I still wanted to do it. They are always in need of red-toned hair, because it is a rare color, and mine is about as red as hair gets. So I started to research how to get my hair healthy and in nice enough condition to be able to donate.

First I had to cut off about ten inches to get all the split ends taken care of. I used to get my hair cut only every few years, but now I get it trimmed regularly. It grows faster when its healthy and trimmed anyway. Then I stopped using the cheap bargain shampoos I've always been fond of. I only wash it every other day, so it doesn't lose its natural oils and dry out. Here are some tips to keep your hair healthy:

Proper diet and nutrition--if you're healthy, your hair will have a better chance to be healthy too.

Shampoo--use a pH balanced shampoo that is designed for your type of hair .Get advice on what you should use for your hair from a professional hairdresser.

Brushing--only use a wide-toothed comb when its wet.

Drying--don't use a blow-dryer. Let it air dry instead.

Try to minimize sun damage by wearing hats, and wear a bathing cap when swimming in a chlorinated pool.