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Canadian Cancer Society stops accepting hair donations

A switch to synthetic wigs will lighten costs for cancer patients
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The Canadian Cancer Society will no longer be taking hair donations (Wikimedia Commons)

Anyone growing out their locks for cancer patients will have to look for an alternative cause.

The Canadian Cancer Society will no longer be accepting hair donations after Dec. 31, 2018, relying instead on synthetic hair wigs.

Since 2006, the Canadian Cancer Society has partnered with Pantene and the American Cancer Society through the Beautiful Lengths Program to take donated hair and craft real-hair wigs for cancer patients, but now the program will be wrapping up.

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“In recent years, synthetic-hair technology has vastly improved, giving synthetic hair wigs more of a ‘real-hair’ feel, making them lighter and cooler to wear and easier to style,” the Canadian Cancer Society said in statement. “Due to these advancements, patients have shared that synthetic wigs are the preferred wig choice for many.”

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Synthetic wigs are also less typically expensive for patients to purchase.

While donations will not be accepted in 2019, the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Program will continue to supply real-hair wigs until 2022.

Anyone who would still like to donate their hair still has other outlets to turn to, including Wigs for Kids, Angel Hair for Kids, and Chai Lifeline Canada.

nicole.crescenzi@vicnews.com


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