Hair donation for Breast Cancer Network Vietnam – All you need to know

“Then came hair loss. My skinhead was giving it away: I am a cancer patient. Skin wrinkled easily, darkened; my face became pale, gaunt and extremely fatigued. Breast cancer not only shortens my lifespan, but also steals my most precious 20 years of a human life… forces me to witness my own suffering and loss… A lot of men see me and they wonder how can anyone love a woman like that.” (Thương Sobey – Founder of BCNV).

Breast cancer not only leaves patients in physical pain but damages their mental health as well. It is easy for people to think of a cancer patient with their hairless scalp due to long term treatment with chemotherapy, but for breast cancer patients, beside losing their hair, they lose one more precious thing, it is their beauty and pride of a woman: their breasts. These losses are vulnerability that cannot be retrieved.

Wig library is a supporting activity that was created based on real needs, in order to improve and advance the quality of life for the community of cancer patients and especially help them to be more confident with their appearance, be braver in the battle against cancer.

Furthermore, after two years of launching the wig library which has mainly used chemical fibre materials, BCNV wishes to establish and refine the library with natural hair resources so that cancer patients in general and particularly breast cancer patients can have better experience with natural material wigs than artificial ones (higher quality, more comfortable, easier in styling and taking care of and longer duration of use).

Next page provides information about the standards for hair donation and wig usage for anyone wants to donate hair can understand and follow the instructions, and accompany BCNV in helping breast cancer patients become more beautiful and more optimistic in life.

HOW CAN YOU DONATE HAIR TO CANCER PATIENTS

SUBJECTS OF PARTICIPATION AND REQUIREMENTS

1. Valid hair donation

-All types of hair (natural, permed, straightened, dyed, blow-dried)

-Minimum length: 25cm

-Hair that had been cut and stored previously is accepted, but must be tied (binded, braided, plaited) into sets and meet all the requirements above.

*Notes:

-Please wash and dry your hair before cutting for better preservation (shampooing with natural shampoo alternatives is encouraged)

-Divide and bind hair in bundles before shaving or cutting (see photo)

-Highly encourage donations of grey and pepper-and-salt hair

2. Invalid hair

-Hair that had been cut and fallen scattered on the floor (not put into a braid or bundle);

-Shaved hair;

-Wig, hair extension, damaged hair (split-ends).

3. Who can donate and How?

-Everyone can cut their hair and donate for BCNV’s wig library as long as it meets all the requirements above.

-You will cut your hair and send it to our wig library by going to any hair salon/barbershop, BCNV does not provide haircut service.

4. Special attention

-Hair that is shorter than 15cm, or is chemically treated (permed or dyed unnatural colors) will not be used to make wigs for the library, but will be sold to fund production costs, management costs and maintaining wig library’s activities.

-BCNV abides hair donor’s privacy policies and will send thank you letters to donors by email within 90 days.

-Please place your hair in a plastic bag or a zipped bag and send it in an envelope;

*Please provide all your contact information (name, date of birth, address, email, phone number) in a zipped bag or an envelope and send by post.

SUBJECTS OF SUPPORT

1. Subjects of usage

People undergoing chemotherapy and are:

-Breast cancer patients

-Cancer patients (in general)

2. Duration of use

-From 3 to 6 months:

-If longer time of usage, please specify in register link.

3. Responsibility for information provision