There is already an organization called "Wigs for Kids" (http://www.wigsforkids.org/) that accepts hair from anybody (minimum 12 inches) and makes it into wigs for kids that lost their hair from chemotherapy treatments. I think this is a great idea and i wish i had known about it when i cut my hair from long to short all those times.
My idea, which may already be happening, is to ask the adult cancer patients with long hair that will be lost due to chemotherapy if they would consider donating it for children going through the same thing.
I think it is my parental instincts of "protect the young innocents" or making sick children as comfortable as possible that inspired this idea. Adults may have less comfort/emotional/self-image needs for having hair than children. I am not basing this on actual facts or conversations, it is merely speculation based upon my inner feelings.
The spectre of death is a grim reality to face for any age and nobody should ever be pressured to donate - this would be strictly volunteer only. If you take exception to this idea, please remember that i suggest it with the best of intentions, but i do not (currently) have any close friends or family with cancer, so i can't bounce the idea off of them, first.-- cameron, Feb 01 2003 Wigs for Kids http://www.wigsforkids.org/Donate your hair to kids who have lost their hair from cancer treatment [cameron, Oct 21 2004] scalp cooling prevents hair loss during treatment http://www.scsii.co.il/english.html [FarmerJohn, Oct 21 2004] Hospital Afro http://www.halfbake...dea/Hospital_20Afroby AfroAssault [my face your, Oct 21 2004] + for good intentions. They must already do this, surely?-- snarfyguy, Feb 01 2003 I hope they already do do this, but i couldn't find any info on it being done. On the off chance they don't already do this, i thought i should suggest it.-- cameron, Feb 01 2003 [BinaryCookies] According to the FAQ at Locks of Love, it takes 10 - 15 donations to make one wig. Of course it would be a good idea for the patient to cut it before it falls out, so it can at least contribute to a wig.-- scad mientist, Feb 03 2003 Hang on, why not collect the hair that falls out of the kids and use it to make a wig for the kid it fell out of? Same goes for the adults.
Admittedly, it'd be funny to see a kid in hair scalped from a grey, permed granny.
Much as I applaud the idea of seeing kids with old peoples' hair, it crosses my mind that maybe they have enough to worry about without being mocked for their barnets.
r.-- robstott, Aug 01 2004 I'm kinda with Rob here. Although kids need the priority here, why not wig their own hair? It makes perfect sense. I can understand that in these situations things like wigs can get forgotten about while more important matters are seen to, but they shouldn't really.-- wagster, Aug 01 2004 You know, there is a flaw in all of the hair donation programs for cancer patients. Natural human hair wigs are a horrible waste of time and require lots of care. Most synthetic wigs today are so easy to care for, look exceptionally real, and usually are more comfortable and breathe better than human hair wigs. Human hair is very easy to damage, especially after it's been removed from the body - have you ever noticed how crispy the hair in your hairbrush is after a week or two? I only really know about this from a friend who is a cancer survivor - I have ass length hair the same color as hers was, and I offered to donate my hair to her. She told me not to bother, because she preferred the two synthetic wigs vastly to her natural wig, and most of the people she knew who were in similar situations felt likewise. It's true that people want to give of themselves to people they love who are suffering from illness, but unlike blood or bone marrow, sometimes hair donation is more trouble than it's worth.-- bwv61, Aug 02 2004 random, halfbakery