Great Clips partners with Locks of Love to help hairless children

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Great Clips, a franchisee-based small business with 10 locations in the Mahoning Valley, will partner with Locks of Love to allow people to donate their hair to children suffering from hair loss.

Locks of Love uses donated ponytails to provide high-quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive hair prostheses free of charge or on a sliding scale based on financial need.

Locks of Love is a public, nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 21 in the United States and Canada who are suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. The hair prostheses help to restore self-esteem and confidence.

Great Clips salons are located in Austintown; Boardman; Canfield; Cortland; Grove City, Pa.; Hermitage, Pa.; Howland; Liberty; Niles; and Salem.

Anyone who chooses to donate their hair for Locks of Love will receive a free haircut at any of those locations.

There are a few requirements to participate. Hair must be more than 10 inches long to donate. The hair may be colored or permed, but bleached hair cannot be accepted due to a chemical reaction that occurs during the manufacturing process. If the hair was bleached years ago, however, and has completely grown out, it is fine to donate.

The 10 area Great Clips locations donated more than 250 ponytails to Locks of Love last year. It generally takes between eight and 12 ponytail donations to create a child’s hairpiece.

Great Clips locations are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Select locations have extended hours.

To check hours or for information, visit www.greatclips.com or download the Great Clips mobile app.