CWHL stands for Children with Hair Loss. CWHL is a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides custom made wigs, at no cost, to children who have suffered hair loss due to illness. You can learn more about CWHL here.

Wigs for Kids is a non-profit organization based in Ohio that provides custom made wigs, at no cost, to children who have suffered hair loss due to illness. You can learn more about Wigs for Kids here.

Both are fine organizations, and are doing great work, helping families face the problems that come with hair loss for kids. Some of the key differences are: WFK only accepts hair with no color or other chemicals. (virgin hair) CWHL will accept healthy color treated and highlighted hair, so if you want to donate and have hesitated or been told you coudn't, now you can. Another difference is that WFK requires a minimum of 12" of hair to donate, and CWHL will take a minimum of 8". Again, if you have been waiting patiently to donate until you had 12" of hair, you can donate sooner.

Children with Hair Loss is providing a desperately needed service for kids who have lost their hair. They work directly with the families and the kids, and the child can receive one wig per year, for free, until they are 21 years of age. They will take hair donations of a minimum of 8" in length, and will accept healthy color treated or highlighted hair too. We are so proud to be associated with this great organization, and proud to support the work they are doing. Isle of You Hair Color Studio is also a Wigs for Kids Ambassador Salon, which means we have all taken the training to accept hair for donations for Wigs for Kids. We are also a Wigs for Kids Affiliate Salon, which means that several of us are certified to work with the kids who receive a wig from Wigs for Kids. These affiliations are very important to us at Isle of You Hair Color Studio. With our proximity to Pittsburgh's Children's Hospital, we see medical professionals, parents and patients who work with, live with, or have suffered hair loss. We wanted to find a way to help, to make a difference, and these wonderful organizations give us a way to do that. All of the stylists and interns at Isle of You are certified to process hair donations, and all of us are committed to this wonderful cause.

Each custom made wig requires 15-18 ponytails!

Yes, the hair will really be used for a real child who has suffered hair loss. The hair will be sent to a factory where it will be sorted and processed and made into a wig by hand. You can watch a short film about the process here. If you like, you can also send a personal note to the child who receives your hair!

Great! Here are the basics if you want to donate your hair: Donated hair must be 8" or longer The hair can be virgin hair- (hair that has never been colored, permed or chemically straightened) or healthy color treated or highlighted. (NOTE: Wigs for Kids will ONLY accept virgin hair 12" in length or longer) Visit the Children with Hair Loss website and download the donor form. Or, visit Wigs for Kids website and download their donor form. Fill it out your form and bring it with you to your appointment. Call the Isle of You Hair Color Studio location of your choice, and make an appointment. Be sure to let us know you want to donate your hair! We'll secure your hair to make sure it will arrive in perfect condition, and cut it to make sure it is the required length. After your donated hair is cut, we will give it to you, secured and ready to send to CWHL or WFK. After that, you can have whatever haircut you want. When you come in for your donation cut, please come in with clean, dry hair. Shampoo and dry it before you come in, and please do not use any styling products or hair spray. We will wet it again and style it for you after your finished cut. It's important that the hair is dry and free of any products! (Wet hair will mold by the time it reaches its destination, and hair products can interfere with processing.)

YES!! One of the main reasons we are so excited to be part of the Children with Hair Loss network is because they will accept healthy color treated hair. Wigs for Kids will only accept hair that has no color in it, so for them the answer is maybe; it depends on what was used to color it. Most hair color permanently changes the chemistry of the hair, and even after the color appears to be gone, those changes are still there, still part of the structure of the hair. Certain kinds of color are temporary, and wash out in a few shampoos; some of those may be ok but you'll need to come in for a consultation (and be completely open about what was used on your hair and when) before we can determine if Wigs for Kids or Children with Hair Loss is the better choice for your donation. Call the Studio to set up a free consultation and we'll figure out the best way to proceed.

YES!! One of the main reasons we are so excited to be part of the Children with Hair Loss network is because they will accept healthy highlighted hair. Wigs for Kids will only accept hair that has no color in it, so for them the answer is, unfortunately, no.

The custom-fitted wigs provided for free to the Children with Hair Loss and Wigs for Kids recipients cost between $1500 and $1800 to make. Cash donations are tax deductable and can be made through their respective websites: Children with Hair Loss (where you can also purchase great products that all support their fundraising efforts) and Wigs for Kids, where your cash donation will go a long way to help a child receive a wig.