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| Lê Thị Bàn (right) donates her hair at Sora Hair Salon & Spa, one of 28 salons in the Pink Hair Salon Network where people can donate hair to make wigs for cancer patients. VNS Photo Việt Dũng |
By Viet Dung
Lê Thị Bàn from Củ Chi District, HCM City, went to Sora Hair Salon & Spa in District 3 not to style her hair, but to cut it and donate it to people who need it more than her.
The woman, whose silky black hair reached to her waist, was sat down by an employee and two quick snips with a razor did the job.
Bàn’s bundles of hair and hundreds of other similar donations are being used to make beautiful wigs for their new owners: breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Bàn is one of the donors of Breast Cancer Network Vietnam (BCNV), a non-profit social enterprise that provides emotional and material support and counseling to people fighting breast cancer.
Sora Hair Salon & Spa is part of BCNV’s Pink Hair Salon Network of 28 salons across Vietnam, which serves as a trusted hub for hair donations.
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| A wig made from donated hair is a precious gift for many cancer patients who lose their hair due to chemotherapy. Photo courtesy of Children’s Cancer Network |
The initiative, founded over a year ago, is part of the BCNV’s Wig Library Project, which collects donated hair to make wigs for cancer patients.
The project itself has been in existence for ten years and has contributed to the production of 3,000 wigs. Due to the increasing demand, a network of salons has been set up to ensure hair quality and transport with as little damage as possible.
Bàn, whose hair now reaches down to her neck, said she thought about it many years ago and took good care of her hair, letting it grow long.
Sora has been collecting hair to donate to BCNV since 2022, since the creation of the Pink Hair Salon Network.
Lê Minh Vũ, director of the salon, told Vietnam News that a person’s hair for donation should be approximately 25 cm long if it has not been chemically treated and 35 cm if it has been chemically altered.
Before cutting, the hair should be dry and clean to avoid mold, he said.
“I was able to visit hospitals with the BCNV to give away wigs made from hair donations from our clients. I was really happy and found it so meaningful. Every wig counts.”
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| A patient at Cần Thơ Oncology Hospital receives a wig. Photo courtesy of Breast Cancer Network Việt Nam |
If you would like to donate, you can find out more on the BCNV website, find a salon near you and make an appointment for a hair care consultation.
Trần Thị Hoàng Yến, head of the Wig Library Project, said hair salons wishing to participate in the network must be qualified and trustworthy.
Within a year, the network received around 21,000 hair donations in its salons and made around 700 wigs for patients.
To cover costs, hair that could not be used to make wigs was sold.
“The hair salons save the donated hair and send it to the BCNV at the end of each month. We sort it by length, quality and color before sending it to facilities that make wigs for patients,” Yến said.
“They will be distributed to public hospitals, or people can visit our office wherever wigs are available.”
A wig can be borrowed for a maximum of six months. A longer loan period is possible after registering with the BCNV.
Gift for body and mind
At the BCNV office in Phú Nhuận district, many young people eagerly donate their hair.
Staff there greet donors and help breast cancer patients choose a wig. This includes Huỳnh Thị Cẩm Tú, a woman with stage 2B breast cancer.
She was presented with a box containing a wig, combs, a brochure about breast cancer and a letter with kind messages from people who had donated the hair.
“During the treatment, my hair gradually fell out and so I was lucky to come across the BCNV Wig Library Project,” she said, admiring her new look.
A high-quality wig made of human hair is a great help, as cancer treatment can be expensive.
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| A gift box from Breast Cancer Network Vietnam containing a wig and encouraging messages for breast cancer patients. VNS Photo Việt Dũng |
“That’s all you need“” is a Vietnamese proverb that could be interpreted as: “Teeth and head hair are crucial to one’s appearance.”
Therefore, hair loss during cancer treatment is a major problem, especially for women, explained Tú.
“Being able to wear this wig and reading the nice, encouraging letters in the gift box… I really appreciate it and am grateful to the hair donors,” she said.
“I feel more confident about integrating into society, working and living a normal life.”
Yến said: “When a patient is happy and can better cope with their treatment, not only they benefit from the gifts, but also the people around them, such as family members and caregivers.”
‘Putting a smile on children’s faces’
Adults aren’t the only ones who feel self-conscious about the impact of cancer treatment on their appearance. Children of any age can develop cancer, and children around the age of 10 to 15 can become even more withdrawn due to hair loss, affecting their lives even after they’re discharged from the hospital.
That’s why the Hà Nội-based Dream Hair Salon program has been such a great help in restoring the self-confidence of children with cancer.
People can donate their hair to make wigs for child patients either in person, by mail or at the program’s annual “Hair Donation Festival” at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, now in its second year.
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| A woman and her child donate hair at the Hair Donation Festival, an event held annually at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion in Hà Nội. Photo courtesy of Children’s Cancer Network |
The program was created because many children expressed a desire to get wigs because they were afraid to go outside without hair.
It started in late 2022 and has already received more than 10,700 hair donations and given away 263 high-quality wigs to patients undergoing chemotherapy at the National Institute and Việt Nam National Children’s Hospital in Hà Nội.
It is run by the city’s nonprofit Children’s Cancer Network.
Mai Thị Khánh Huyền, the project coordinator, said Vietnam News that the company receives hair donations from people all over the world and up to 30 people visit its office every week to donate their hair.
The hair donation festivals also gave people the opportunity to meet and talk to children with cancer, who greatly appreciated the community’s help, she said.
“This activity is really important for children with cancer. I notice that before receiving a wig, many of them are sad and don’t like to talk to other people. Every time a child receives their wig, I see their face light up with a bright smile. They also look healthier and more confident.”
In fact, the sight of children happily putting on a new wig is always an emotional and tearful experience for doctors, parents and hair donors.
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| A wig brightens the day of a child with cancer. Photo courtesy of Children’s Cancer Network |
This initiative receives great support from all those involved.
The scale of the response surprised even Huyền, who recalled that at the first hair donation festival, organizers had feared that not many people would come.
In the end they received 200 hair donations.
And donations are increasing as more people learn about Dream Hair Salon and about 70 percent of donors are young students, Huyền said.
Finally, the project was also founded with the aim of connecting children with cancer and those without cancer.
Vietnam News I was able to see a letter written by an eight-year-old child along with her hair donation. It included an adorable drawing of sunshine and rainbows that perfectly captured her childlike innocence, with a short, encouraging message, with each word written in a different color.
The child may not realize it, but she and many others like her have touched the hearts of many child patients and adults, including mine.
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| A colorful and adorable message left by a hair donor child. Photo courtesy of Children’s Cancer Network |
Vietnam News In a box of wigs in the BCNV office, I also found an encouraging message from two young people whose father had died of cancer.
She hoped that the small gifts would inspire the recipients – “warriors,” as they called them – to continue their fight against the disease.
Huyền has the last word: “When you give away your hair, you send a message of solidarity to cancer patients.” VNS
