20 Years of CANSA Shavathon Show your support for a cancer survivor

Donate Your Ponytail at Shavathon


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.

Human Hair Wigs

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 kinds of hair for donation and wigs cater to the needs of all ethnic groups. 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 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 R350.* Larger donations are welcome.

*patient’s income is taken into consideration

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. Shorter hair may be used as a filler.
  • Hair should be clean and dry.
  • All hair whether dyed or treated is acceptable.
  • When cutting the hair, please bind both ends with an elastic band covered with fabric 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

Wig Hire

Most CANSA Care Centres have wig-banks that stock synthetic and human hair wigs available to patients. The availability, styles and colours vary at each CANSA Care Centre.

  • hiring of synthetic wig: R350 per month
  • donation towards natural hair wig: R350* – this does not include courier fees to clients

*when human hair donations are received, CANSA sends the hair to our dedicated wigmakers who make wigs and return them to CANSA. Your donation enables CANSA to make this possible.

*patient’s income is taken into consideration

Upon request wigs made from human hair may be ordered from CANSA’s Head Office if there is no regional stock available at the time. Requests for human hair wigs may be directed to Lucinda Carter lcarter@cansa.org.za

Fascinations Wigs trained our CANSA staff on wig care…

Queries CANSA

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

38 Comments

  • Laurethe Holnes says:

    Hi. My daughter has cut her hair and wants to donate to CANSA. We stay in Roodepoort. Who can assist. Regards Laurwthe Holmes

    • Debbie @CANSA says:

      Dear Laurethe, please say a big thank you to your daughter for wanting to help a cancer patient feel positive, during cancer treatment. You can call the CANSA Roodepoort Care Centre on 011-768 4342 or 066 4750 149.

  • Sharon Bekker says:

    Good Day,
    I dropped off my mothers Plaited pony tail, 36 cm long at our local Hospice in Middelburg to be forwarded , donated and used for the CANSA Association for a good cause .
    Hair was cut in 2005 when my mother was in her seventies. Hair is a natural beautiful brown colour . She passed away 5 years ago at the age of 86 and I have been keeping the plait saved in a cosmetic bag.
    I trust that the hair will be used to make a wig for A Cancer survivor that will be in need of looking and feeling beautiful 🙂
    Regards
    Sharon.

    • Debbie @CANSA says:

      Thanks so much for this special hair donation Sharon. It is a lovely way to honour your mother’s memory, that her hair can be used to make a cancer patient feel beautiful.

  • Lucille Craddock says:

    Hi everyone

    My name is Lucille Craddock and I am a leukemia survivor. In 2015 on my first round of Chemotherapy my hair began to fall out and continued until there was nothing left. I know the pain of looking into a mirror and its all gone. That is why i want to say thank you for donating your hair to such a good cause. For some hair is just hair, but to a cancer patient it is a whole lot more. Thank you so much.

Leave a Comment

PLEASE NOTE:
Comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment from showing. There is no need to resubmit your comment.
Comments will be made public, should they be approved.


Do you have a question?

Ask CANSA

Book a counselling session

CANSA Tele Counselling