Perhaps inspired by Harry Styles’ recent revelation (or perhaps not!), Salma Hayek has recently taken to Instagram to announce that her eight-year-old daughter is growing her hair so that it can be cut off to make a wig for a child undergoing cancer treatment.
Hayek posted a photograph of her daughter, Valentina, with hair flowing down her back, with the caption: “My daughter Valentina is growing her beautiful mane so she can cut it and donate it to make a wig for children with cancer.”
A word of warning
Whilst almost all of Ms Hayek’s followers agreed that this was a very beautiful and selfless gesture for an eight-year-old girl to make, there was some debate over which charity should receive the hair.
Some fans warned of wig-making charities who sell the hairpieces to children, rather than giving them away, and advised that Valentina do some research and choose a charity that is truly deserving to receive her hair.
Among the charities suggested were Wigs for Kids and Pantene Beautiful Lengths, both US charities making natural-looking wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy.
Back in Blighty
A similar charity here in the UK is the Little Princess Trust, which was set up by the parents of a little girl who sadly died of a rare form of childhood cancer in 2005.
One of the most upsetting elements of her treatment programme was that there were very few wigs available for children at the time, which meant that she was left with a constant reminder of her illness, in the form of her bald scalp.
How to make a difference
If this story has struck a chord and you would like to help a child suffering from hair loss, you too can donate your hair to the Little Princess Trust. They do ask that hair be at least seven inches long, but their requirements are fairly minimal and can be seen on their website.
Some people – like popstar Jessie J – choose to make a grand gesture by shaving their whole head, but this is not necessary – if you have very long hair, you can merely have it cut a bit shorter for a while. And if you don’t want to cut your hair at all, you can always donate money, or hold a fundraising event; for more information.
