Donate Your Ponytail at Shavathon

COVID-19 Alert:

We are happy to announce that we will receive hair donations again. Please submit as follows at your local Shavathon event:

• Volunteers will be available to cut hair at Shavathon events (remove ponytail / not style hair) and sanitise their hands
• Alternately, hair donations are to be delivered in zip-lock plastic bags (to prevent handling of the hair)
• Our CANSA team will wipe down the plastic bag with disinfectant and it will be kept in a secure area for 7 days prior to further processing e.g. send to wig makers.
• Hair donations are handled with gloves / masks in place and hands are sanitised.
• The period of 7 days of keeping the hair at the facility, is to ensure the COVID-19 virus would no longer be viable on the surface of hair.

We are grateful for your hair donations and continued support. If you would like to give a cash or online donation towards courier costs when transporting hair donations to our wig maker we would truly appreciate it.

• Why not have the Kindest Haircut to the Benefit of cancer Survivors?
• Where there is a Will there is a Way – and a Wig!

Cancer patients often undergo chemotherapy. Hair loss can occur when chemotherapy drugs travel throughout the body to kill cancer cells and some of these drugs damage hair follicles, causing the hair to fall out. Hair loss is a common side-effect of chemotherapy treatment.

Wig Hire

CANSA Care Centres have wig-banks that stock synthetic and human hair wigs which may be hired by patients. The availability, styles and colours vary at each CANSA Care Centre. CANSA asks for a donation for the wigs, so that we can manage their upkeep and care.

Upon request wigs made from human hair may be ordered from CANSA’s Head Office, as staff there receive wigs from our wig-maker. Wig recipients give a minimum donation of R100 towards the wig. Requests for human hair wigs may be directed to Lucinda Carter, email: lcarter@cansa.org.za

Fascinations Wigs trained our CANSA staff on wig care…

Human Hair Wigs

Child Wig Recipient

CANSA’s Kindest Cut campaign: CANSA receives human hair donations (ponytails) in order to make sufficient wigs for cancer Survivors requesting them. These wigs are distributed, as requested, to CANSA Care Centres all over the country, and given to cancer Survivors who need it most.

CANSA welcomes all types of hair for donation. Although it is preferred that the ponytail be 25 cm or longer, shorter hair is also acceptable as it can be used as filler-hair. We also do stock African hair wigs for patients. Unfortunately our wig-makers are not able to utilise dreadlocks.

We do accept hair donations at our Shavathons and throughout the year at our Head Office in Gauteng and via local CANSA Care Centres, countrywide. Hair donations received are then sent to a wig manufacturer of human hair.

These wigs are given to cancer Survivors (patients) for a minimum donation of R100. Larger donations are welcome.

Please note: CANSA does not have a specific partnership with any hairdressing salons. Please contact a salon of your choice when cutting your hair, in order to make a hair donation. 

Special thanks to Tymeless Hair & Wigs for making up wigs for CANSA. See wig making process…

Requirements – Human Hair Donations:

• Ponytail donation that is 25 cm or longer.
• Hair should be clean and dry.
• All hair whether dyed or treated is acceptable. We are not able to use dreadlocks.
• When cutting the hair, please bind both ends with an elastic band and place in a zip-lock bag (this preserves it in the best condition while being transported to the wig manufacturer).
• Send your hair donation in a plastic bag with your name and contact details on it.

Postage Human Hair Donations to CANSA

• For Att: Lucinda Carter
• CANSA Head Office
• P.O. Box 2121, Bedfordview 2008

Where to Drop off Human Hair Donations

• at your local CANSA Care Centre – phone Care Centre for address details or
• at CANSA’s Head Office: 26 Concorde Road West, Bedfordview

Queries CANSA

Please direct any queries regarding wigs or the donation of human hair to your local CANSA Care Centre, alternately, email: lcarter@cansa.org.za