Having our hair grow out unusually long during lockdown has been a nightmare for a lot of us. How did we cope? by hiding it under hats, pulling it into topknots or even taking it into our own hands with the kitchen scissors. But actually, we are the fortunate ones.

Thousands of people across the country are struggling with hair loss caused by medical conditions. Whether it's through cancer treatments or other conditions, hair loss can cause a massive blow to young people's self esteem. The Little Princess Trust is a UK based charity that (through charitable donations) creates and provides free real hair wigs for children and young people who have lost their hair. Since 2006, the charity has supplied over 8000 wigs to young people.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Hair Boutique (@hairboutiqueexeter)

How do I donate my hair?

Donating your hair is so simple. Most hair salons have experience with cutting hair donations, so all you need to do is let your stylist know before the appointment that you're donating your hair.

There is a video guide on the Little Princess Trust's website which clearly explains the steps your stylist should take when cutting your hair. Here is a quick overview:

• Your hair must be clean and dry before cutting. (The LPT cannot accept wet hair)
• Your hair will be separated into sections and tied into ponytails with small elastic bands. If hair is very long, several bands will be used at the top, middle and bottom of ponytail to ensure your hair doesn't get matted
• Your stylist will then do the very satisfying chop, just above the ponytails, and you have the perfect hair donation to be posted off.

Make sure you tell your stylist before they cut your hair - otherwise it will end up all over the floor!

After the haircut:

• Put your cut ponytails into a cardboard or heavyweight paper envelope
• Fill in a hair donation slip (can be found on their website here) and place in envelope
• Post to the Little Princess Trust.

What types of hair are accepted for donation?

There are some restrictions on what hair can and can't be donated. Hair that the charity can use includes:

• Healthy hair - no split ends
• The greatest demand is for hair that is 16 inches or longer
• Natural colours - only natural colours (e.g. blonde, brown, black, ginger)
• Bleached and highlighted hair can be donated as long as the hair is in good condition and a natural colour
• Straight, wavy and chemically straightened hair are all accepted
• Hair from any gender
• Hair with limited amounts of grey content

What types of hair are unsuitable for donation?

• Hair less than 7 inches long
• Unhealthy hair with split ends
• Hair that is unnaturally coloured (e.g. blue, pink, green etc)
• Henna dyed hair
• Dreadlocks
• Due to the charity's wigmaker not specialising in curly hair, hair with tight curls unfortunately cannot be accepted. Tightly curled wigs are provided by the LPT by curling other wigs or going to a specialist.
• Hair extensions

Is the Little Princess Trust still accepting donations during the Covid-19 pandemic?

Yes they are. They have introduced measures to ensure the safety of their staff and others, including PPE, social distancing and a quarantine period for freshly donated hair.

They have also been adapting their service by carrying out virtual wig fitting appointments via video call to ensure wigs are still getting to the people in need during the pandemic.

To find out more information, please visit their website. The Little Princess Trust also helps support the development of less aggressive and less toxic cancer treatments. To do this they require charitable donations, so if you want to help but don't have the hair, The Little Princess Trust also welcome money donations to fund this cause.