Hair Loss Center

A 12 year old girl named Megan Itani donated her hair for Locks of Love. She has been growing her hair for the last five year for donating it to a cancer survivor as a wig. Itani said “Donating your hair is a big thing in the US, but not here”. She said “One day I was watching Oprah [Oprah Winfrey's talk show], and they were showing a girl cutting her hair to donate to a cancer charity. I thought if I did it here in Lebanon, it might catch on”.

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization in North America has been providing donated ponytails since 1997. In return a sense of self, confidence and normally to children suffering from hair loss by chemotherapy and other cancer treatment, the group says. In Lebanon no such organization in Locks of Love.

Recently, Itani’s mother had trouble find out any information on how to donate the hair of her daughter. But the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL), part of renowned St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, has wigs in the past manufactured for patients.

However, in there, no official hair donation program exists. The hospital spokesperson said “Usually people approach us wanting to donate. They give us the hair, and we pass it onto Eve,” a hair extension and wig company in Zalka. Even to create a wig for free. Had only five to seven people had actually donated hair and wig cost is between 0 to 0 but it depends on different factors.

Lebanon has the Cancer Highest Rates in the Arab World and has seen the number of diagnosed cancer cases. It has increases from 3,000 to 8,000 over the last 40 years. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer, followed by lung and bladder growth.