Growing My Hair Out To Donate and I Want To Know...

Most of my adult life I have kept my hair short, ranging in styles from bobs to pixie cuts. I am currently in the process of growing my hair out to donate. Most organizations accepting hair donations to make wigs for children and adults with hair loss require 8-12 inches of healthy strands. Growing my hair out has been an arduous (being overly dramatic) process. It required lots of patience and there were days where I wanted to just lop it all off, but I set a goal that I needed to stick to.

After my hair went through a variety of awkward phases, it reached a length that I can deal with and I have to say I am loving my long (armpit length) hair now. The downside is that I am not experienced at caring for my long locks and recently I've noticed that it has been looking dry and more than a little ratty (my split ends have split ends). I am definitely due for a trim, but what I really want to know is how to take care of long hair to prevent the dry, brittle, and broken strands. My hair is super-straight, medium to coarse texture and is not colored or chemically treated. My current hair routine is very basic, wash every three days with hydrating shampoo, air dry, and brush with a wide tooth comb.

This is a call to all the long haired ladies (and gents) out there! I am looking for your suggestions to keep my hair it's healthiest before I make the big cut. How do you keep your long hair healthy? What products do you find effective? What type of brush do you recommend for long hair?


Listed below are some organizations that accept hair donations:

Locks of Love:www.locksoflove.org
Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Wigs For Kids:www.wigsforkids.org A national non-profit that provides free custom wigs for children under 18 with hair loss, due to cancer treatment, alopecia and burns.

Wigs4Kids:www.wigs4kids.org
Wigs4Kids is a non-profit that reaches out to kids and young adults 18 years or younger in Michigan.

Pantene Beautiful Lengths:www.pantene.com/en-US/beautiful-lengths-cause/Pages/default.aspx

Pantene's Beautiful lengths, a national charitable program has partnered with the American Cancer Society to give real-hair wigs to women fighting cancer. The wigs are distributed first come first served through the American Cancer Society's local wig banks.

Are there any organizations that I missed? Please let me know and I will add them to the list.