Hair Donation Ottawa | Frequently Asked Questions

You can donate your hair or beard trimmings anytime, all year long! Whether you DIY your cut or visit a salon, Hair Donation Ottawa has evolved into a year-round fundraiser where you can make a difference in the lives of children and youth in our community living with cancer. Simply donate your hair or beard trimmings when it works for you.

Register on our online platform and commit to collecting pledges for donating your hair and/or shaving your head or beard. Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to donate to your fundraising page. With every dollar you fundraise, you are helping children and youth in our community who are facing cancer and other health challenges that result in hair loss.

No, hair that has been dyed, bleached, permed or chemically treated cannot be used for wigs. Instead, processed hair is directed to our partner Green Circle Salons for their environmental recycling initiatives. All non-processed hair donations measuring five inches or more can be directed towards creating wigs

Whether you DIY your cut or visit a salon, please ensure your hair has been thoroughly dried before proceeding with your haircut or shave.

• If you are donating hair less than five inches long, or hair that has been previously processed (meaning the section of hair to be donated has been dyed, bleached, permed, coloured or chemically treated in the past), your donation will support environmental cleanup efforts through Green Circle Salons.  
  • Gather all hair trimmings (including floor sweepings) from your appointment in a sealed plastic bag. Note: Scrap pieces of hair should not be secured with rubber bands, but they should be in a sealed container (e.g. Ziplock bag), separate from any non-processed or longer hair (if applicable), to ensure that all hair can be directed to the appropriate place.

• If you are donating non-processed hair five inches or longer (meaning no dyes, bleach, perm, colour or chemical treatments have been previously applied to the section of hair to be donated), your donation will be directed towards use in wigs.
  • Secure ponytails or braids with tight rubber bands at both ends. We recommend creating 6-10 braids on the head. Additional bands can be placed around the middle of the ponytail to help keep the hair together. Note: If the hair comes out of the band, it will not be usable for wigs. Braids are preferred but not required.
  • Cut the hair above the rubber band, not below.
    
  • Save your braids or ponytails in a sealed plastic bag for donation. Please separate all lengths that are five inches or longer and place in their own container with a label indicating the length in inches.
  • Place all hair shorter than five inches (does not need to be secured with a rubber band) and trimmings together in a separate sealed container (e.g. Ziplock bag) to be directed to Green Circle Salons.

Hair donations and monetary donations go to two (2) separate locations.

Deliver your hair donation (mail or drop-off) to Dymon Storage Ottawa Industrial or Dymon Storage Ottawa Carling (addresses listed below). 

• Dymon Storage 
  Attn: The Hairapy Shop Ottawa/Hair Donation Ottawa
  851 Industrial Ave, Suite 222 Ottawa, Ontario
  K1G 4L3 
• Dymon Storage 
  Attn: The Hairapy Shop Ottawa/Hair Donation Ottawa
  1554 Carling Ave, Suite 222 Ottawa, Ontario
  K1Z 7M4

Make your monetary donation HERE. If you have any questions about how to donate, please contact Tatyana Awada at the CHEO Foundation by emailing [email protected].

Please drop-off or mail your hair donation to either of these two Dymon Storage Centres, located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Please note:

• All packages, including in-person drop-offs, must be addressed to: Attn: The Hairapy Shop Ottawa/Hair Donation Ottawa. The hair must be in a sealed plastic bag, inside a sealed envelope with the following information written clearly on the package. Any hair that is not packaged correctly will be turned away or discarded by the Dymon Storage agent on duty.
• Hair donation and monetary donations go to two (2) separate locations.

Dymon Storage 
Attn: The Hairapy Shop Ottawa/Hair Donation Ottawa
851 Industrial Ave, Suite 222
Ottawa, Ontario
K1G 4L3 

Dymon Storage 
Attn: The Hairapy Shop Ottawa/Hair Donation Ottawa
1554 Carling Ave, Suite 222
Ottawa, Ontario
K1Z 7M4

While donated hair is amazing, it is only part of the equation. Without a fundraising element, Hair Donation Ottawa would not be able to continue, due to the amount of time and resources needed to process donations and create the wigs. For that reason we ask that if you are unable to participate in the fundraiser to consider making minimum donation of $20.00, if you can, before sending your hair.

We hope to make a lasting impact on oncology treatment by contributing financially to cutting-edge cancer care and research. Having raised over $1,000,000 since 2011, we are proud of the dedicated community who supports this event!

There is no minimum hair length needed to participate in this fundraiser! Thanks to our partnership with The Hairapy Shop, all non-processed (meaning no dyes, bleach, perm, colour or chemical treatments have been previously applied to the section of hair to be donated) can be directed towards the creation of wigs. Hair that is shorter, or has been previously processed is directed to our partner Green Circle Salons for their environmental recycling initiatives. This means that you can still join the event no matter what length you are looking to snip or shave. No hair goes to waste! Curly hair may be pulled straight to measure the minimum of five inches. Please note, hair that is damp/wet, swept off the floor, shaved off or loose (not provided in a ponytail or braid) is not usable for wig donations and all hair donations must be packaged in a sealed plastic (Ziplock) bag.

Our partnership with Green Circle Salons ensures that all the haircut and donated is used in one capacity or another. Any hair suitable for the wig-making process is used to manufacture wigs for children and youth suffering from hair loss. Hair deemed unsuitable for wigs (less than 5 inches, beard trimmings, or has been previously processed (meaning the section of hair to be donated has been dyed, bleached, permed, coloured or chemically treated in the past) is directed to Green Circle Salons who use this hair to support environmental sustainability including creating hair booms that help with oil spill clean ups in our oceans, lakes and rivers. It’s a win-win!

Hair cut previously (even if it is several years old) can be donated if it meets the other requirements, was properly cleaned and dried beforehand and has been stored in a ponytail or braid in a dry location.

Yes, you can access and download the pledge form by clicking here. 

No, the wigs are provided free of charge. We are proud to support children who are suffering from hair loss, along with a professional fitting in partnership with The Hairapy Shop Ottawa.

Where you go to get your hair cut or your head/beard shaved is completely up to you!

You can visit your regular salon, or feel free to check out one of our trusted salon partners if you’re looking for an expert stylist to help you out.

Feeling adventurous? Why not try DIY? 

Your donors will love seeing you (or a friend or family member) cutting your hair or shaving your head/beard from home! Share the moment with them live on social media, or by sending them your before and after pictures as a thank you.

Thank you for your interest! Please complete the Salon Partner Questionnaire form and contact Bob Ghosh ([email protected] / 613 867-4262) for more information about being added to our official salon partners list. 

Thank you for your interest! Please contact Tatyana Awada at [email protected] for more information about sponsorship opportunities with the CHEO Foundation.