On Friday March 21st Tiffany did something most women would never think of doing, she donated her hair to Wigs For Kids.

Wigs For Kids is a non-profit organization started by Cosmetic Therapist™ Jeffrey Paul, who since 1980 has been serving children suffering from hair loss. When children lose their hair, whether as a result of medical treatments, health conditions, or burn accidents, they don’t just suffer physically. The change in their appearance can drastically hurt their self-image and have a major impact on their self-esteem.

Wigs for Kids has provided thousands of children with complimentary, custom-made hairpieces to help them look themselves, so they can enter back into the world without the ridicule and embarrassment associated with hair loss.
Each individually custom designed hair system is $1,500 and takes 60 to 85 hours to produce. The hair prosthesis is custom designed to the child’s request. Every prosthesis is hand-tied and is made completely from human hair to make sure they look just like a child’s own hair. Since the hair is supposed to be the child’s real hair the wig is made so it won’t come off on the baseball field, or the play ground. They child is also able to swim, sleep and shower with it on. It takes 20-30 ponytails to make one hairpiece. A blend of six to eight ounces of hair in varying shades of color is needed to ensure the natural look and feel of the child’s new hairpiece.

Tiffany started growing her hair out three years when she saw a couple articles on people donating their hair to kids with cancer. “I’ve been to India twice and both times I went to ceremonies where people shaved their heads for religious reasons and was blown away by the self sacrifice and lack of vanity they had about it. So I thought initially I should shave my head – but…I’m not going to be that extreme – yet! Maybe some day I will shave my head, but for now I’m just going to give what I’ve got to someone who needs it more than me.” It is people like Tiffany who make wigs for kids possible. She enjoys contributing to a cause bigger than her and understands she can just grow her hair back, unlike children who have lost their hair altogether. Tiffany said, “Its much easier for me to be comfortable in a short hair style than it is for a child going through the biggest battle of their life. Hopefully my locks can make their battle a little easier. I definitely have a soft spot for charity…we all have so much to give, there is no reason not to do anything we can for someone in need.” I think most would agree with Tiffany’s beliefs. For more information about Wigs for Kids please visit their website at http://www.wigsforkids.org/