Find out more about how we are marking Hair Loss Awareness Month this August.

Here at The Little Princess Trust, hair loss and its impacts are, and will always be, at the forefront at what we do. We are the biggest UK charity that provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people experiencing hair loss due to cancer treatment and other conditions, such as alopecia.

Hair Loss Awareness Month is an important month for us here at LPT, as it really highlights the impacts that hair loss can have on children and young people, but also how we are here to help.

Why was LPT founded?

For many children and young people, hair loss can be particularly challenging, with many of our wig recipients telling us that losing their hair made them feel stripped of their confidence and identity.

Our founder, Wendy, has seen this first hand. At five years old, Wendy’s daughter, Hannah, lost her hair due to her treatment for a Wilm’s tumour back in 2005. Hannah found losing her hair really difficult, and her parents struggled to find a suitable wig to help her adjust to the change.

After Hannah passed away, Wendy felt the most fitting tribute was to gift a wig to a child or young person that needed one – and The Little Princess Trust was founded.

Here at LPT, we want to help with the challenges that come with hair loss. That’s why our mission is to give Hair and Hope to children and young people experiencing hair loss, by providing free, real hair wigs and funding vital research into better and kinder treatments for childhood cancers, and we have been passionate about this since 2005.

Wendy has said: “Providing a wig does not solve all of the many, complex issues these children and young people are going through, however it can play an important part in restoring their confidence and identity.”

Established with The Little Princess Trust were the values that we still uphold today, almost 19 years later. We understand the impacts of hair loss and we want the children and young people who need us to know they can trust us. The wellbeing of our wig recipients remains a priority to us, which is why we never ask our recipients to share their stories, photos, or experience of receiving a wig, unless they approach us. We believe in humanity, not vanity.

Providing a wig does not solve all of the many, complex issues these children and young people are going through, however it can play an important part in restoring their confidence and identity

How does LPT make a difference? 

Hair loss is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. However for many, with hair loss often comes the loss of confidence and identity.

Some of our wig recipients have told us that they felt that “cancer was taking away another part of [their] life,” or that they were at “complete distress at the sight of [their] hair falling out” and losing a “huge part of [their] identity”. But here at LPT, we want to help to restore this confidence and help our wig recipients to feel more like themselves again.

Our wigs are made using real hair and lace caps to help them sit as comfortably as possible, and can be provided to all genders, up to the age of 24. They also come in a variety of colours, textures, and lengths, and can be cut and styled to fit each individual look.

Our Wig Referrals team make the process of receiving a wig as quick and simple as possible for the recipient. If you would like to request a wig for yourself or a loved one, click click here to check out our Request a Wig page of our website or get in touch on 01432 760 060.

Some of our wig recipients have told us all about the difference that receiving their LPT wig made them feel, after losing their hair:

“Knowing I would lose my hair was harder than hearing the word ‘cancer’. For a lot of people, their hair is their identity, and this is exactly how I felt, I thought my confidence came solely from my hair. But as soon as I put my wig on, I felt like myself and recognised myself in the mirror again.”

“Receiving a wig is one of the best feelings in the world. It has brought me so much confidence. I am so thankful to everyone who donates their hair, as it all makes such a huge difference to people’s lives.”

“When I received my wig, it was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders; they gave me back something that had been taken. I knew that I had the option to look like the old me whenever I wanted, and that really helped me accept the hair loss.”

Words like these really show the difference that our service makes to children and young people experiencing hair loss. But it’s important to remember that none of this would be possible without each and every one of our wonderful supporters.

As soon as I put my wig on, I felt like myself and recognised myself in the mirror again.

When I received my wig, it was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders

How you can get involved:

We are so passionate about ensuring our service is available to any child or young person who needs us. As it costs roughly £700 to provide one real hair wig to a child or young person, we are so grateful for every penny we receive to help us to continue our mission of giving Hair and Hope to the children and young people who need us.

So, now you know all about LPT and how we can help, you might be feeling inspired to get involved! Check out some of our top ways to support us below:

Donate your hair:

Donating your hair is one of the most obvious ways to support our mission of giving Hair and Hope. As it takes between 14-16 different hair donations to make one of our real hair wigs, we are so grateful for ponytail we receive!

As a charity, we can accept hair that is 7 inches and longer, however there is a particular need for donations of 12 inches or longer to help us meet the high demand of longer length wigs. We want to make sure that each of our recipients receive a wig they love and is as close to their natural hair as possible, so help us to achieve this by donating 12 inches or more!

Funky Hair Funday:

If you want to help children and young people experiencing hair loss but don’t want to donate your hair, Funky Hair Funday is the perfect solution for you!

All you need to do is style your hair or head in a funky way and fundraise! It’s the perfect way to have some fun at school or work, all whilst doing something amazing for the children and young people we support. We have even created a special pack to help you to get involved and plan your day – check them out here.

Fundraise:

As it costs roughly £700 to provide one real hair to a child or young person experiencing hair loss, we are so incredibly grateful for every penny that is kindly raised by our supporters to go towards our mission!

Collecting sponsorship for your hair donation, hosting a cake sale, or taking part in an event for us are all great ways to fundraise for our mission – and don’t forget to request your FREE LPT Fundraising Pack (which are filled with information and freebies!) to help make the most of your fundraising!

To check out some new ways to get involved, click here and read all about our super ways to support us.