Saloon Hair Color Specialists announces it has joined with hair salons nationwide in offering free hair cuts to anyone who donates their hair to Locks of Love, a Florida-based charity that collects hair donations from the public and makes them into custom-fitted hairpieces for children and teens with permanent or long-term hair loss.

"One of our stylists (Kate) heard about the program and suggested that Saloon add its name to the database of participating hair salons listed by state and region on the organization’s web site," said Frank Arcabascio, owner of Saloon. "So far, the response has been terrific - we've had 55 individuals donate their hair at Saloon in the span of only three months."

There can be several reasons for hair loss in children, according to Susan Stone, Executive Director of Locks of Love. However, the most common is a disorder known as Alopecia Areata, which causes the hair follicles to shut down. Burns to the scalp and radiation treatments on the brain stem can also cause hair loss.

Embarrassed by their lack of hair, many children withdraw from the world - refusing to participate in after-school activities or go out to public places like the shopping mall, said Stone. "Thanks to the public's generous donations, these wigs help children without hair feel normal again."

Facts to keep in mind if you would like to donate your hair: All donations must be at least 10 inches long (that's because some of the length is used in the manufacturing process) and hair should be clean, dry and free from chemical damage. Bleached hair is not acceptable.

Hair Donations at Saloon . . .

Astoria resident Lori Nicholas, 30, hadn't had a haircut in seven years when she stopped into Saloon recently to have her almost waist-length hair cut off. "I figured if I'm going to cut it off in one big chunk let me do something that's useful to help somebody else," said Nicholas, who traded her long chestnut mane for a breezy, summer hairstyle just below her ears.

Five-year-old identical twins Andrea and Gabriella Carcamo of Elmhurst, NY decided to donate their hair to LOL after their mother showed them a picture of a young girl with no hair on the Locks of Love website. The twins were featured donating their hair at Saloon in a Queens Life cover story in Newsday this August.

Children like Andrea and Gabriella comprise over 80 percent of Locks of Love's donors, making this one charity where children have the opportunity to help other children, said Stone, who added that children's hair is optimal for wig making because it hasn't been chemically treated.

It takes 10-15 ponytails of hair to make one hairpiece, said Stone. The manufacturing process involves threading each hair individually through a silicon cap that was created using a plaster cast of the recipient's head. When the child receives the wig, it is all one length so they can have it cut into whatever style they want.

Tomislav Podreka of Long Island City donated almost 24 inches of hair to Locks of Love!

Unlike synthetic adult wigs, LOL hairpieces don't require the use of any adhesives to keep in place. They can be worn during all kinds of physical activities such as swimming, athletics and showering. Hairpieces of this kind retail starting at $3,500, but Locks of Love manufactures each for $1,000 and provides them free of charge to children with financial need.

Locks of Love has provided 1,000 hairpieces to children since it was founded in 1997 and hopes to provide at least 250 more this year.

For more information about the Locks of Love, visit their web site at www.locksoflove.org

To make a hair donation at Saloon Hair Color Specialists, call 718-956-3366.

Appointments preferred, Walk-ins welcomed!

Saloon Hair Color Specialists article By : Kathy Gerber