Last year was a really hectic year for me, so busy that I couldn’t really find the time to go to the mall for a 30 minute haircut.

I’ve always kept my hair short and low maintenance because I had no time nor patience to maintain a long mane but before I knew it, I was already sporting shoulder length hair. I still couldn’t get it cut. I finally chanced upon an article about donating human hair and it immediately triggered a Eureka moment in me. Sure, I still had to grow my hair for several more months to meet the length quota but unlike before, I didn’t mind tying back my hair in a ponytail. I grew impatient not because I was annoyed at having to wait for my hair to dry. I was impatient because I wanted to have my hair cut for a cause.

When I did my research, I found that in the Philippines, there is an organization that collects human hair to make wigs for cancer patients who have lost their natural hair from rounds of chemotherapy sessions. The organization is called Cuts Against Cancer and they have partnered with Papelmeroti to act as their collection agents to make it more convenient for hair donors to drop off their chopped manes. After the hair is dropped off at Papelmeroti branches, they are forwarded to the organization who then make the wigs and distribute them to cancer patients.

Why is this organization making human hair wigs instead of simply donating synthetic wigs to the cancer patients? Its simple, really. Human hair makes for better quality wigs because it looks more natural compared to synthetic hairpieces.

So naturally, if you’re going to donate your hair, taking care of your hair is a given to ensure the quality of your donation.

LENGTH

Minimum length is 10-12 inches but the longer the hair, the better it will be. Quick Tip: Measure your hair with a ruler. A full length ruler is exactly 12 inches so if you reach the length, you’re good to go.

HOW TO GO ABOUT IT

• Before getting your hair cut, inform your hairdresser about what you plan to do with the hair. Make sure that the hair is clean and dry and then gather it in a ponytail or braid before having it cut.
• Place the ponytail or braid inside a ziplock bag.
• With a marker, write down your name, email address and contact number on the ziplock bag so your certificates can be mailed to you. It may take a while.
• Deliver the ziplocked hair to Papelmeroti branch nearest you and they will take care of your donation.

Its actually pretty simple. But wait, there’s more. After I posted on my Facebook and Instagram my hair donation experience, people wanted to know more and became interested in doing the same. So, the last step is actually SPREAD THE WORD. Lets cut our hair for a cause, and help these cancer patients in whatever small capacity we can.