Donate Hair – Rapunzel Foundation

Donate Your Hair Today!

Click Here to Register your Hair Donation

The Process

Step 1

Measure the hair ensuring that it is a minimum of 14 inches, when secured in a low ponytail or plait, and is free from colour or chemical treatment.

Refer to our Guide for how to correctly measure the hair.

Step 2

Register your Donation, making sure to note your unique donation number.

Once registered you can set up a fundraiser on iDonate to raise funds for the Rapunzel Foundation and those that they support. Please note we don’t send donation packs etc. but once we receive your donation we will email you a certificate.

Step 3

Hair can be cut at home or in a salon.

Some salons will do the cutting at a reduced price on specific days.

You can use our ‘Find a Salon’ map to find your nearest Rapunzel Registered Salon.

You can also contact local salons in your area if they do not appear on our Salon Finder.

Step 4

Wash & Dry your hair within the 24 hour period before your appointment.

It’s preferred not to use conditioner but if you must, ensure hair is thoroughly rinsed after and please do not use any styling products.

Your stylist will cut your hair dry in either a ponytail(s) or plait(s).

Please see our Cutting Guide.

Step 5

Place your donation into a zip lock bag along with the your donation number from your registration (see registration email)

Post your donation to:
Rapunzel Foundation
40-44 Patrick Street
Waterford
X91 X3KF

Step 6

Congratulations!

You did it!!

Within a few weeks you will receive a certificate or thank you via email(depending on what you have selected)You will also have the option to purchase a hard copy certificate to be send via post

Consider sharing a photo of your donation on social media and tagging us at

@rapunzelfoundation

Hair Donation Guide Instructions for Cutting

You can either:

Post your hair donation to: Rapunzel Foundation, 40-44 Patrick Street, Waterford, X91 X3KF

Drop it off in person at one of the following The Collective by Lloyds locations:
1. 40-44 Patrick Street, Waterford
  - Hours: Monday 9–5, Tuesday 9–8, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 9–5, Saturday 9–3.
2. 82 South Main Street, Wexford
  - Hours: Monday 9–5, Tuesday 9–7, Wednesday & Thursday 9–5, Friday 9–7, Saturday 9–3.

No appointment is needed, and you can get your certificate and photo taken at the Special Donation Drop-Off Box.

More details can be found on the donation page here.

No, the Foundation does not send out donation kits. Simply follow the instructions provided after registration and post your hair in a zip-lock bag, include your donation number received via email after registering on our website and post it to

40-44 Patrick St, Waterford, X91 X3KF

No, you can choose whichever salon you prefer for the haircut or you can do the cut yourself by following the cutting guide here – https://rapunzelfoundation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/RapunzelFoundation-HairCuttingGuide.UpdateNov24.pdf

Yes, you can cut your hair at home or in a salon. Follow the Rapunzel Foundation’s cutting guide to ensure your hair meets the required standards for donation.

The minimum length is 14 inches. If your hair is shorter (e.g., 12–13 inches), we recommend donating it to another organization, such as the Little Princess Trust in the UK.

Unfortunately, Rapunzel requires the hair to measure 14 inches in the ponytail. However, you can donate shorter hair to the Little Princess Trust in the UK here – https://www.littleprincesses.org.uk/

We always encourage our donors to wait an extra couple of weeks to cut their hair, if possible, when it’s not quite 14 inches long.

While we can still accept shorter hair, less of it ends up being usable when it goes to the wig makers. If the full ponytail measures 14 inches or more, the entire length can typically be used to make a wig.

Unfortunately, we receive a large number of donations under 14 inches. Since we primarily create wigs for children, there’s very limited demand for shorter wigs, which means much of that shorter hair goes unused.

Once the hair is 14 inches in length, it can be donated to Rapunzel. It is recommended to section the hair into multiple ponytails from the root for the best result.

Grey hair is accepted.

Dyed hair cannot be accepted.

Yes, but all layers must measure at least 14 inches to be eligible for donation.

No, extensions are not accepted by our wig/hairpiece makers.

No, it doesn’t matter how old the hair is. Even if you’ve kept your hair for years after cutting it, we can still take it.

Once your donation is processed, you will receive an acknowledgment via email. Processing may take up to 8 weeks as the foundation is primarily run by volunteers. If you don’t receive confirmation after this time, feel free to reach out again.

Unfortunately, we cannot inform donors of which wig their hair was used in. It can take up to 25 different ponytails to make one wig, and this depends on the wig makers’ process for the specific wig.

Include only your unique donation number, which you receive upon registering on the website. This helps the foundation process your donation efficiently.

Yes, donations from specific areas such as the bottom, are acceptable as long as the hair meets the required length and quality standards. It is recommended to separate the hair into smaller ponytails from the root before cutting to ensure it meets the required 14-inch length. For example in the case of an undercut etc

Unfortunately our wig makers are unable to accept extensions as donations.

The wigs we make are Freedom Wigs which are one of the highest quality wigs and will last a wearer up to 3 years, compared to 12 months for a lot of pieces.

Extension hair has already been processed when being made into extensions and that hair would need to be processed again before being sewn into a wig. This process weakens the hair, hence why it’s unsuitable for our pieces.

There are other charities that make wigs differently to ours that can take extensions.

Because we don’t have an office setup and are run by volunteers, unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to store the wigs or find a suitable match. We recommend connecting with your local hair loss and cancer support groups and they will typically advertise your wig to their network of people in need.

If you sent your donation without registering on the website, the foundation will automatically register it during processing. Ensure you include your contact information for acknowledgement.

Please note that there will be a delay in processing your donation if you don’t register via our website.

Yes, even if you’ve registered with Laura Lynn, you still need to register your donation via the Rapunzel website here.

If you believe your contact details were incorrect, email the foundation with the correct information at info@rapunzelfoundation.ie and they will update it in their system to ensure you receive acknowledgement for your donation.

Yes, all donors will receive an acknowledgment via email. If you drop your donation off in person, you can receive your certificate on the same day. If you would like to purchase a copy our your certificate to be posted to your home, you can do this by clicking here.

Yes, if you are sending before-and-after donation images via email, the foundation appreciates it if you confirm consent for these images to be shared on their social media platforms. This can help inspire others to donate.It is preferred to submit your images via the website here.

Yes, this is great news! Once you’ve registered to donate your hair, you can set up a fundraiser on iDonate where 100% of the money you raise comes to us. Just click the ‘Support Us’ button at the top of the page, then click the ‘Start a fundraiser’ link.

When setting up your fundraising page, you can also generate a QR code to share with others.

If you use GoFundMe, you need to transfer the funds directly to the Rapunzel Foundation here.

If you use iDonate, the funds are automatically transferred.

Yes, please use the contact us page and we can email you a copy of a poster to promote your fundraiser.

Please click the ‘Apply For A Wig’ link at the top of the page for full details and link to apply for a wig.

We provide full and partial funding for Freedom Wigs and other brands of wigs to long term hair loss sufferers living in Ireland.

Do you have a wig you no longer need that you would like to rehome? Contact the Irish Wig Bank today to help your wig find a new home. Email: Irishwigbank@gmail.com