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Image / Editorial

Follow Kate Middleton’s Lead: Donate Your Hair To Charity


By Geraldine Carton
31st Jan 2018
Follow Kate Middleton’s Lead: Donate Your Hair To Charity

Just when we thought we couldn’t love the woman any more…

Do you remember when the world went mad over Kate Middleton’s extended lob back in the summer of 2017? Well, news has leaked that the Duchess of Cambridge secretly donated seven inches of her hair when she got that chop.

According to sources, Kate suggested to her hair stylist Joey Wheeler to donate her infamous locks to the Little Princess Trust (which is an organization that makes wigs from real hair and donates them to children post-chemotherapy). What’s more, in an effort to differ attention away from herself, she did so in secret so that all the charity knew was that it came from a female donor in the Kensington area.

A spokesperson for The Little Princess Trust said, “we are not aware of having any donation made by the Duchess of Cambridge, but if she had sent us some hair, she may have decided to make it anonymously, understandably after the attention given to the donation made by Harry Styles”, referring to 2016 when a frenzy ensued after Harry Styles cut off his signature man bun and donated it to the same charity.

Getty Images

Kate’s actions will undoubtedly spur people on to follow her lead when they next take the plunge, so if you want to do the same in Ireland, these are the charities that you can donate to:

The Rapunzel Foundation

Based in New Ross, COunty Wexford, The Rapunzel Foundation only accepts 14-inch ponytails of hair (and it must not be dyed in any way)

Little Princess Trust

Minimum length: 7”/17cm in length, but there is more chance of it being used now if it measures more than 12”/30cm. You can post donations directly.

Roches

Whilst the Dublin-based company does not cut the hair or make the wigs themselves, Roches do accept donations and forward them to a relevant charity, depending on the quality of hair.

Pink Heart Funds 

In the US accepts donations of all types of hair.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Guidelines to follow when donating hair:

  • The hair must be washed, dried and tied into a ponytail, secured at both ends
  • Hair needs to be at least seven inches in length (although this can vary between charities). Long hair is also on trend amongst young girls at the moment, so the longer you can grow it before you chop, the better.
  • Hair must be free of any styling product or conditioner
  • Loose hair from the floor is not accepted (as it quickly becomes matted)
  • Hair must be in good condition
  • Some charities accept hair that has been dyed as long as it was done using natural colours, but check in advance
  • A few grey hairs is fine, but grey, in general, is not used

 

Main image credit Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images