It’s Easy to Take For Granted
Imagine if you couldn’t grow your own hair. Even worse, imagine battling a life-threatening illness, and undergoing treatment that caused your hair to fall out.
Mikayla was seven years old when suddenly, over a three-day period, all her hair fell out. While she was too young to fully understand she’d been diagnosed with alopecia, she quickly realized she was different, getting teased and bullied for wearing a bandana on her head.
Adam got used to people staring at him in public for two and a half years while he lived with much of his hair falling out.
Sarah was just three years old when she was diagnosed with acute lymphblastic leukemia and lost her hair to chemotherapy treatments.
These are just a few of the millions of children and adults who live with medically-related hair loss. Growing your own hair can be easy to take for granted, but for these kids who just wanted to live a normal life, the painful effects go far deeper than just cosmetic.
The problem is, a customized human hair replacement system, along with proper care and maintenance can cost up to $5,000 a year. For most families, it’s an expense they can’t afford.
Covering Young Heads to Heal Young Hearts™
That’s why Children With Hair Loss™ was established, a Michigan-based non-profit organization that provides customized human hair replacements at no cost to children and young adults facing cancer treatments, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns and other medically-related hair loss.
Through CWHL, each recipient child receives a FREE customized human hair replacement & care kit annually until the age of 21. Each complete package can cost up to $5,000. CWHL is the only charitable organization of its kind that provides all products and services completely free of charge, with no hidden fees, financial reporting or required appearances.
CWHL’s primary focus is on the needs of each child, and to help replenish their self-confidence and self-image, which are so important to children. A child facing medically related hair loss is confronted with a loss of self-esteem, self-confidence, and social acceptance . The essence of normalcy in their life is devastated. Often, friends become bullies, casual glances become uncomfortable stares, and once happy social interactions become insurmountable challenges. Under the weight of such unhappiness, many children, even if their health permits it, are unable to carry on with regular schooling.
Since 2000, Children With Hair Loss has helped more than 3,500 children face their everyday lives with confidence and self esteem, providing customized hair replacements, care kits, support and education, all for free.
For the kids they help, it’s the difference that helps them live a normal life.
A Community With A Cause
Since The Longhairs was established in 2014, we’ve come to learn about the men and boys in this community who grow their hair for the very reason to donate it. Many of them grow their hair for their moms, grandmas, aunties, sisters, daughters and friends who have been affected by cancer or other ailments.
Growing hair for most of us is as normal as breathing, but for these children, having hair of their own can change their lives. That’s why The Longhairs established Longhairs Do Care, and we’re proud to announce our partnership with Children With Hair Loss.
Longhairs Do Care started with our inaugural donation of $100 in December, 2015, and since then The Longhairs has donated $1 from every sale to a charity supporting those affected by hair loss. We now proudly donate to Children With Hair Loss, kicking off our new partnership in 2017 with a donation of $1,620.
Going For the World Record
We’re not just putting our money where our mouth is, we put our locks on the line too.
In March of 2019 we hosted The Great Cut, where we broke the Guinness World Record for most hair donated to charity in a 24 hour period.
How Can I Help?
Glad you asked. Here are several ways you can support this righteous mission.
Shop In The Men’s Aisle
Every time you shop in The Men’s Aisle, whether you buy Hair Ties For Guys™, headbands, hats, or anything else in our shop, 1% of your purchase with be donated to Children With Hair Loss.
Start Growing Your Hair Out
Have you ever thought about growing your hair out? What better reason than this??
Not only will it provide you with just cause to grow your hair out (the intrinsic value is just in itself, but from the standpoint of external perceptions it may prove useful to cite a cause greater than simply “letting it ride for the chicks”), but Children With Hair Loss has these epic t-shirts allowing you to formally and publicly display your commitment to the cause.
Share The Love
Support our partner organization directly. Sign up for their newsletter, become a salon partner, follow them on social media, shop in their online store, attend an event or donate directly. #cutpasslove
If You Do Cut Your Hair…
First, no one here is telling you to cut your hair. If you’re asking us you should let it ride and join us for The Great Cut. However, if you’re ready to donate sooner than later, Children With Hair Loss has specific requirements for donating. Visit their website and read their guidelines carefully before going under the shears.
Lastly…
Share Your Story
Have you or your loved ones dealt with hair loss? Have you donated your hair in the past? Do you grow your hair for the purpose of donating?
We’d love to hear your story in the comments.
Comments
Just found you guys… I’m a year into growing my hair out in remembrances of my uncle that I lost last year to prostate cancer. Thanks for what you do 🖤
Glad to have you here Adam, and here’s to your uncle!
I LOVE long haired men. It is a lost art and I’m so stoked to see you are responsibly and generously supporting this most amazing movement. I see you Longhairs and I fruggin love you!!
Hells yes AC!
Did you break the world record ? I’m 53 and have donated 4 3 foot ponytails and I’m ready to donate again .. thanks for all you do
We did it man! Full recap here: https://thegreatcut.us/
That’s amazing you’ve donated three times. Hope you will join us for The Great Cut in 2024!
I think I met one of the guys that started this site at a crawfish boil in San Diego few years ago. Dude gave me his card and told me to check it out and asked me about my hair, why I keep it long. Told him I like to chop it and donate it every other year. So stoked that these dudes are being awesome and uniting with a good charity for the great goodness! Good luck with the adventure!
Yes man! We went to the crawfish boil several years in a row just as we were starting this whole thing. Glad you’ve stuck with us, and thrilled to learn that fateful day has led us to this moment.
That being said…are you ready to cut again? Will you join us for The Great Cut?
https://www.facebook.com/lisa.boynton.7/videos/vb.1208888350/10211426222070433/?type=3
This is the video of my son, Oliver, cutting his hair to donate to CWHL. He does it to honor his friend, Dyllan, who lost his battle with leukemia in August of 2015 at the age of 8. He’s 11 now, and ready to donate at any time, but happy to grow it longer. If we are able, we’ll make the trip for The Great Cut! Oliver would love to be a part of a Guinness World Record!!!
Hey guys, this is El Kellarinsky. Hahaha after i saw your names i gave myself this name to join the brothers of longhair. I am 48 yrs old and have been growing my hair since i was 12. I was born and raised in San Diego. I am now supporting longhair on cape cod Ma. Where i live here are not many of our longhair kind here. So i am the east coast longhair representative. Hahhahaa. I found your site yesterday and signed up immediatly. Now i am watching and reading everything. I am now going to start planning my trip to donate some of my lovely locks at the great cut. Thanks for everything you guys are doing and it it so awesome to make our man wearing longhair community strive for the good. My hair is down to my waist and i think with all your cool new man hair products i can get it even longer for the event. I donated hair before and its a great feeling to help. Thanks so much guys !
Kelly——
Yo EK! Glad to have you here, and also repping it in Cape Cod.
HELL YES! Super pumped you’ll join us for The Great Cut. This is going to be big man. We will be pumped to have you there.
Alright, stay tuned amigo, more coming your way! Thanks again for writing in.
I love growing long hair but I have heavy hair loss problems please suggest Me some remedies
I have a question. For the Great Cut in 2019, do you have a venue/area of town you are targeting? I am looking to plan my trip there all the way from Connecticut with some friends, and want to start flight and hotel watching ASAP. I LOVE CWHL and donated 15 & 17 inches in 2015.
Funny you should ask. We went scouting locations yesterday, which you’ll see in our video this week. You can 100% count on this happening. Plan to arrive Friday afternoon and depart any time on Sunday, or stay a little longer, you know, enjoy the sights.
It’s awesome you’ve already donated. We sincerely hope you will join. And we’re recently started to grasp the kind of monumental effort this is going to require.
They don’t call it a world record for nothing.
Longhairs, I’ve been growing my hair out for 14 months. My parents agreed to let me grow it to shoulder length, but now I’m there and I want it down to my nipples because I’m missing out on cool braids and styles. My dad now has a problem with that because of the braids. Can you provide me with convincing reasons to braid long hair or facts about the origins of braiding to help me prove that it is masculine. At the end of day no one will force me to cut it unless I’m unconscious because it means to much to me, but I’d like to have my family on board or at least see where I’m coming from.
-Alex
Yo Alex,
Thanks for writing in and great question man!
This is a sensitive topic, and really deserves a full post.
First off is being respectful to your parents under any circumstances.
Talk to your parents about it. Ask them what bothers them about your long hair (in this case, braids). There could be any number of reasons, but really listen to them.
The next step is to demonstrate a high level of personal responsibility. That could mean getting good grades, doing your chores, always being on time for things, making it home before curfew, helping with responsibilities around the house, holding down a job, submitting your college applications, keeping your room clean and hundreds of other things. If you can show that you have taken ownership over your life and your responsibilities, the topic of long hair becomes secondary. Or at least it gives you a strong platform for your long hair argument.
We advocate for men with long hair. We claim that you can be a successful businessman, working professional, family man, or anything you might want to become with long hair. The only reason we need to make that claim is because there is a pervasive stereotype that men with long hair are lazy, slackers, hippies, slugs and slack-jawed wasteoids. Unfortunately generations before us might have perpetuated that sterotype. But the only way we can break it is by actually demonstrating we’re not those things just because we have long hair.
Clearly demonstrate a high level of responsibility, and most parents will soften up on the long hair.
As for the braids? Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg come to mind. There is also a strong culture surrounding long hair and braids in Native American culture.
Hope this helps, amigo, keep lettin it ride.
ER
This was an amazing response. You guys truly do rock. And the community you speak of, I’m feeling it. Just when I’m needing to. Thanks.
I’m sort of experiencing what Alex has described, except it’s in my home and it’s my husband who has admitted to having a problem with my hair. With HAIR!!
Anyway, your response to Alex helped me. (I have being essential the well being of many during this pandemic on my side).
Congratulations on your deal on Shark Tank! With Mark Cuban’s help, I expect we’ll be seeing your products in the retail market soon.
GREAT idea! Just saw this on Shark Tank.
So many of my “man bun” clients will love these ties…I shall pass the word on about The Great Cut too.
Good Luck
Thank you Jackie!
Just found your site and love it.
I had been growing my hair out for the last couple years, and living in Phoenix it was it a bit much, but didn’t want to get rid of the long hair.
My girlfriend pointed out a performer at the RenFest who’s hair was undercut on the sides and long in the middle, basically a mowhawk, but he just wore it pulled back. This is similar to Ragnar on the Vikings TV show, without the braid. I decided to try it out. I ended up donating the side cuts to the organization that the place I got the undercut done at supported. I now have the best of both worlds, long hair, not as much of it to hold in heat, and can braid it for a cool mowhawk when I want. Also have the long look when it is down.
Also ordered a set of your cards.
Rocking the longhair at 50+
James, yes man! Great to hear from you, we especially appreciate the 50+ longhairs writing in. Glad to hear you donated too. Welcome to the team!
When I was 17, I joined the military and they cut my long red hair off and donated it to locks of love. Now, at 54 years old, my hair is LONGER than it was then. Glad to see that there is a place for this and glad that these two cats have made a wonderful something from pretty much nothing. Well done, Sirs. Glad to be in the mix.
Glad to have you here Jonathan! Thanks for sharing man!