50 People Before And After Cutting Off Their Long Hair To Donate It

Bored Panda got in touch with the Little Princess Trust to learn more about what they do and what people can do to donate. First and foremost, we wanted to know more about their activities. 

“The Little Princess Trust provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair to cancer treatment or to other conditions like Alopecia. Thanks to its supporters who not only donate their hair but also fundraise, The Little Princess Trust provides around 2,000 real hair wigs every year to children and young people up to the age of 24. It was set up in 2005 in memory of Hannah Tarplee. A year earlier, she had been diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor and the loss of her hair was especially traumatic.”

“Her parents felt the most fitting tribute to the five-year-old would be a charity dedicated to providing wigs to children who had lost their own hair through cancer treatment and other conditions. The Little Princess Trust was born, and the charity has now provided wigs to more than 15,000 young people of all genders. The charity is also one of the largest charity funders of childhood cancer research in the UK.”

There are people who wonder why resources are spent on making wigs, ostensibly aesthetic items, so we wanted to hear actual experts' opinions on the matter. “We know from speaking to the young people who receive our wigs the difference the real-hair wigs make at what can be a really distressing and challenging time.”

“The wigs help to give a little sense of normality to a child when so much else is changing and they can also help to restore a young person's confidence and identity. The words below are from three of the young people who have received a wig from The Little Princess Trust:"

“My biggest fear when I found out about having cancer was losing my hair and what I was going to look like. Having this wig gave me my confidence back and has made me feel like me again.”

“Losing your hair can be quite intimidating and signals that everything in your life has changed. So getting a wig fitted and styled helps to bring back some sort of normality and boosts your self-esteem.”

“Before I had a wig, I was a completely insecure and different person. But after receiving the wig from The Little Princess Trust everything has changed.”

From these testimonials, it's pretty clear that a wig is more than just an accessory.

We also wanted to know how people could help right now. “There are many ways that people can support the work of The Little Princess Trust. The most common way is for people to donate their long hair to us and ask friends and family to sponsor their big cut. That way they not only support us by sending hair but also help with the cost of making, fitting, and styling wigs.”

“We encourage all supporters to try to donate a minimum of 12 inches of hair to help us meet the demand for our popular longer wigs – and hair must be dry when it is cut. Many people set a target of £700 as that is the average cost of providing a wig to a child or young person with hair loss,” they shared with Bored Panda. 

“We understand that there are lots of people who cannot donate their hair – or would prefer not to – and there are many supporters who help us in other ways by taking part in sporting events or holding parties to fundraise for our charity. Anyone wanting to request a free wig can do so by emailing wigs@littleprincesses.org.uk or calling 01432 760060. Meanwhile, those wanting to support our charity can visit www.littleprincesses.org.uk and request a free fundraising pack.”