this is hannah
when she told us she was thinking of cutting off
and donating her hair,
we asked if our cameras could come along
- Yeah.
this is bridget
she has alopecia, which has caused her to lose her hair
today bridget is getting a new wig
What Happens When You Donate Your Hair?
- I am in a hair salon and I'm about to cut off
12 inches of my hair
and donate it to Wigs For Kids.
Where?
I'm feelin' nervous, definitely,
but mostly very excited.
Here we go.
Oh, she's doin' it.
This is my hair.
We just cut the first ponytail.
Oh my god, this is crazy.
So I cut this off my head
and now it's gonna go into a wig.
I hope that my hair can help create a wig
that is given to a girl
that can give her confidence
and make her feel beautiful.
and followed it from california to ohio
first, the hair gets sorted
hair that doesn't meet donation specifications
is filtered out
and usable hair is sent to the wig manufacturer
then, the hair is brushed
and the shorter pieces are removed
next, ponytails are sewn together
and treated in a chemical bath
a custom cap is created for each wig
based on the shape of the wig owner's head
hair colors are blended to create a natural look
hairs are hand-tied into the wig one at a time
eventually, the wigs are completed
wigs like these are given to kids like bridget
- [Voiceover] Are you excited to get a new hairpiece?
- Yeah.
- She hasn't sit still all morning.
- Think I saw it in that room.
- [Voiceover] This is all the hair that was donated
from some special people for you.
Is that cool?
it takes 20 to 30 ponytails to donate one wig
- Wow.
- [Voiceover] Wow.
You wanna brush it?
Uh-huh.
- Now I got some new hair.
- Might not seem like a lot
in the big scheme of things,
but, you know, to, uh, you know,
to a little girl it means a whole lot,
so I really have to thank the people
who donated.
- Thank you, Hannah.
MUSIC: SHEE SEES ME, BIG SKY
Warner / Chappell Production Music
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