• THE TRAUMA OF LOSING HAIR
• THE HAIR DONATION PROJECT
• WHICH HAIR IS SUITABLE?
• HOW DO I DONATE MY HAIR?
• WHERE DO I GET MY HAIR CUT?
• WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THE BRAID?
• WHERE SHOULD I SEND IT?
• IF YOU WANT TO DELIVER THE HAIR PERSONALLY
• WHAT WILL BE DONE WITH MY HAIR?
• MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE HAIR DONATION PROJECT
• FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

THE TRAUMA OF LOSING HAIR

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine... You wake up one morning and find hair on your pillow. You stare at it in horror - then race to the mirror, praying, hoping that it’s all a mistake You turn away from the mirror, your heart sinking right down to your feet. The first patch of scalp gleams white against your dark hair. It has begun.

There is not much that you can do. As the treacherous strands of hair continue their ever-increasing appearance on your pillow, you have no choice but to get your hair cut really short. You leave the hairdresser with the sinking feeling that you won’t be coming back there for a while. Before long, there’s nothing left to cut.

You never realized how much beauty your hair added to your appearance - until now. You never realized what a natural reflex it was to look in the mirror - until now.

Now, the mirror has become your enemy - a constant reminder of your shiny bald head and what your life has become. You feel exposed, you feel undressed. You feel like your whole identity is coloured by your missing hair. You’re embarrassed to go outside, ashamed for anyone to see you looking like this. You know that people will stare at you and whisper...

You feel trapped inside the four walls of your house. You wish you could go outside, get some fresh air, see the world. You want to carry on with your life, your world, your studies - but you feel trapped inside the baldness of that image in the mirror. You want to find people who understand you, who’ve been through this, too. You wish you could find someone to talk to, someone to provide the support and encouragement you so desperately need.

THE HAIR DONATION PROJECT

You return to reality and you suddenly realize that your own hair - is not falling out. It is long and thick and pretty - and it is growing. Your hair adds such beauty and grace to your appearance. However short you cut it - yours will always grow back. Think about that power of life and growth contained in every single hair on your head - the power to reach and help a child who is sick with cancer.

WHICH HAIR IS SUITABLE?

Each wig has to be tailor made for each specific child, to enable them to regain their former appearance. The wig is designed according to the exact size and shape of the child’s head, using hair that is as similar as possible to the child’s original hair. A boy whose hair was short and curly will need a short, curly wig. A girl who had long, straight ginger hair will need a long, straight, ginger wig. Therefore, we need as many different types of hair as possible.

Any hair that is in normal condition is suitable for donation.

Unfortunately, hair that is completely white or grey is unsuitable for donation.

Dreadlocked hair is also unsuitable for donation.

HOW DO I DONATE MY HAIR?

Firstly, wash your hair well and dry it. Braid it in a braid that measures at least 25cm - including the ends. (Obviously a longer braid is also fine.) Make sure the braid is secured at both ends with a rubber band.

If it works better for you to braid your hair into more than one braid before cutting it, that is fine as long as each braid is 25cm long.

WHERE DO I GET MY HAIR CUT?

There are hairdressers who are part of our hair donation project

who will cut your hair for free and you are welcome to come to one of them. However, it is really not difficult to do it yourself. Simply take a pair of scissors and cut your hair just above the rubber band.

WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THE BRAID?

Make sure the hair is absolutely dry.

Write all your personal details clearly on a piece of paper and attach it to the braid. This should include your full name, address, telephone number and email address.

Place it in a sealed plastic bag.

WHERE SHOULD I SEND IT?

Address in Israel           
Zichron Menachem        
P.O. Box 16383            
Jerusalem 91163          

Address in England                                
The British Friends of Zichron Menachem
30 Brookside Road
London NW11 9NE

Address in USA        
The Children's Bridge of Zichron Menachem
39 West 37th Street
Third Floor
New York, NY 10018

You do not need to send the hair by registered mail.  If the hair is dry, braided and in a sealed plastic bag it will not get damaged in the regular mail.

IF YOU WANT TO DELIVER THE HAIR PERSONALLY

We are happy to receive you at Zichron Menachem Center.
We are located at 10 Leo Weisman St. in Jerusalem, next to Shaarei Tzedek Hospital.

Directions to Zichron Menachem

The Centre is open on Sunday - Thursday, from 9.00 - 19.00
Please call us before you come to let us know that you are coming.

Our phone number is 02-6799-711

WHAT WILL BE DONE WITH MY HAIR?

Your hair can become a wig for a sick child, but it also has much more power than that.  Your hair can sponsor music therapy or play therapy to help a child deal with his illness.  It can become a stress release and pain management workshop.  It can help transport a child to hospital.  Your hair can be a birthday celebration for a child with cancer.

We invite you to browse through the photo album, watch our films and read the news to see what we do at Zichron Menachem, and how our children benefit from your generosity.

MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE HAIR DONATION PROJECT

Date	Source	Title
05.28.08	Gazette.Net	Students and parents donate hair to sick children	•
04.12.06	Jerusalem Post	Hair help for kids with cancer. Zichron Menachem's 'Hair to Wig' program grows	•
12.03.04	The Jewish Week	Locks Spread	•

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is dyed hair suitable for donation?
Answer:  Yes.  If the hair is in good condition, the dye does not matter.

Can I donate dreadlocks to the project?
Answer:  At the moment we do not have a demand for this type of hair, so it is unsuitable for donation.

Can hair from an upshering be donated?
Answer:  We are always delighted to accept such special hair, as long as it is a minimum of 25cm long.

Is white or grey hair suitable for donation?
Answer:   If the white or grey strands are the minority of the hair, we are happy to accept it.  However if the hair is completely white or grey then at the moment we are unable to use it. 

What about hair that was cut in a “ponytail” rather than a braid?
Answer:  If the hair has just been cut, you can fix a rubber band every 2-3cm along the whole ponytail, and this has the same effect as braiding it.  However, if the ponytail was cut a while ago, the strands of hair no longer lie in the same direction and this makes it unsuitable for us to use.  

Can I donate hair that is less than 25cm long?
Answer:   We can use hair that is slightly less than 25cm.  Once the hair is more than a couple of centimetres less than the minimum length, we will probably not be able to use it to make a wig.  However, we can sell it to generate funding for the many other projects at Zichron Menachem so you may still donate it if you wish.

When do I measure the hair, before or after it is braided?
Answer:  There is not much difference in the length but it is better to measure it once it is braided.

How is hair made into a wig?
Answer:  First the hair goes through a sorting process.  It is separated according to its length, colour and type.  Then it is washed and combed with a special comb and any damaged hair is being removed.  After that, the hair is sewn onto special strips, and the wig is built out of these rows of hair.  As each wig uses a large amount of hair this would normally be a very expensive process - which is why your donation is so helpful to us.

Can I write to or get to see a photo of the child who received my hair?
Answer:  During the initial cleaning and sorting process, the identifying details are removed from the hair so it is impossible to know exactly which wig is made out of any specific hair. Also, it is important to remember that whilst a lot of the hair that we receive is made into wigs, some of it will also be used to help provide activities and support for children with cancer.

We invite you to browse through the photo album, watch our films and read the news to see what we do at Zichron Menachem, and how our children benefit from your generosity.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact Efrat.