GREECE, N.Y. — A nonprofit is turning hair donations into free wigs for kids under 18 who have lost their hair due to cancer, alopecia or burns.
Wigs for Kids, headquartered in Ohio, works with hairdressers across the country to collect donations and fit children with custom wigs. News10NBC’s Kristi Blake followed the process from start to finish, even donating her own hair.
Toni Holloway’s Journey
Toni Holloway is a 7-year-old girl with alopecia. When she started pre-K, she had a full head of long, curly hair.
“We noticed, like, a quarter size patch on the top of her head start to go away, just disappear. And then another one,” her mom Meg Holloway said.
By the end of the school year, Toni was bald. Her mom worked to build her confidence.
“I just tried to keep boosting up how beautiful she is. You know, she’s got a great bubbly personality on the inside. You know, she’s very lovable. And on the outside, you know, that’s what God made her to be and just builds her strength as that’s her battle, her journey,” Holloway said.
Toni is now more confident and goes to the store and school without a head covering or wig. This will be her second wig from Wigs for Kids.
READ MORE: How families with children experiencing hair loss can apply
“That was wonderful. She really loved that opportunity to be able to have hair like her friends and go to school,” Holloway said.
The process starts with a fitting. Toni came to Ginni Saporito at Hair Impressions in Greece, where her family won’t see a bill.
“I think is great because this could be, you know, up to a couple thousand dollars for a good wig,” Saporito said.
Toni was Saporito’s first wig fitting with Wigs for Kids. The hairdresser takes multiple measurements of the child’s head to ensure a proper fit before the wig can be made. Saporito tells Wigs for Kids the length and color the child wants. It takes months for the wig to be handtied.
READ MORE: How hairdressers can become Donation Specialists
September is Alopecia Awareness Month, which is also when school starts. Toni brings posters to show her classmates why she might look different.
News10NBC Kristi Blake: “Can you tell me about your barbie what you like so much about her?”
Toni Holloway: “Because she has wigs.”
Every day, Wigs for Kids receives three to four tubs of hair donation mail. Kristi Blake donated 13 inches of her own hair — the sweet spot for donating.
READ MORE: Learn how you can donate here.
It dozens more than one donation to make a full wig.
“15 to 20 heads on hair to make one wig,” Saporito said.
“I had a 13 year old boy who had a good friend who had cancer, so he was out and donated in honor of his friend,” Saporito said.
Donors who want to give about a foot of hair can find a donation specialist using the Wigs for Kids store locator. The hairdresser handles the rest by printing out a form, having the donor fill it out with their information and mailing the hair in a Ziploc bag to Wigs for Kids.
Wigs for Kids also provides one year’s worth of hair products to each recipient to help them properly care for their wig.
Understanding Alopecia Areata
According to the Cleveland Clinic, alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes patchy hair loss anywhere on the body, most commonly affecting the scalp.
The condition occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, treating them as foreign invaders like bacteria or viruses. This causes hair to fall out, often in clumps about the size and shape of a quarter.
Types and Severity
There are several classifications of alopecia areata depending on the amount and location of hair loss, the Cleveland Clinic said. Alopecia areata totalis means all hair on the scalp is lost, while alopecia areata universalis involves losing all scalp and body hair.
Diffuse alopecia areata causes thinning rather than patchy loss. Ophiasis alopecia areata affects a band of hair on the bottom back sides of the scalp.
Who Gets It?
Nearly 7 million people in the United States have alopecia areata, with approximately 20% of cases involving children, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It’s the second-most common form of hair loss, behind female and male pattern baldness.
Anyone can develop the condition, but chances are greater for children, those with a family history of alopecia areata, or people with autoimmune disorders including diabetes, lupus or thyroid disease.
In Toni’s case, the family isn’t sure what caused her alopecia. Her mother says there isn’t any history on mom or dad’s side. Neither of Toni’s four siblings have alopecia.
‘I just tried to keep boosting up how beautiful she is’: 7-year-old with Alopecia gets new wig WHEC.com.
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