Hair Donation in Japan | How to donate your hair in Japan?

What is hair donation?

Hair donation is an initiative aimed at creating wigs from donated hair and providing them free of charge to children who have lost their hair due to illness, among other reasons.

I recently contributed by donating my hair and capturing the experience on video, so please take a moment to check it out!

Conditions for participating in hair donation

You can contribute any type of hair, including colored, permed, or bleached strands. However, the crucial requirement is to provide hair that measures 31cm or more. This length is necessary to create a complete wig.

Later in this article, I’ll introduce recommended groups. Be sure to review the rules and conditions of each organization before making a donation.

How to get involved in hair donation

If you’re interested in participating in hair donation, there are three primary methods:

Self-cut and mail: Trim your hair yourself and send it directly.
Hair salon cut: Visit a hair salon for a professional cut.
Supporting salon: Contribute by getting a haircut at a salon supporting hair donation activities.

Most organizations recommend options 2 and 3 to ensure a successful donation cut. While it’s typical to send the cut hair independently, some salons may handle the shipping process to the affiliated organization, so check in advance.

In Japan, it is very convenient to send them in “Letter Pack” like this. You can buy Letter Pack at post offices and convenience stores.

Where to send your hair

１．Japan Hair Donation & Charity (JHD & C):

JHD & C is the first NPO in Japan to provide medical wigs for children under 18, free of charge, since its launch in September 2009. They accept hair that is 31 cm or longer, including colored, permed, and bleached hair. JHD & C aims to create a diverse society where the absence of hair is embraced as individuality. They also sell donation shampoo, with proceeds going toward making wigs.

Chiyoda-building Kita-kan 7A 13-38 Naniwa-machi, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 530-0022

To JHD & C Hair Donation

Tel 06-6147-5316

https://www.jhdac.org/contact.html

２．Tsuna-gami Hair (R):

Tsuna-gami Hair (R) has received donations from over 60,000 individuals, providing free medical wigs to more than 491 children. They accept donations of 31 cm or more for full wigs. Conditions for acceptable hair include no severe damage, natural or permed curls, and hair that hasn’t faded due to bleaching.