From Paula's hair to an oncological wig: the journey of the solidarity locks to Malaga

Four years ago, Paula Rincón decided to start growing her hair long . At the time, it was purely cosmetic, but after a few months, she realized that with a little patience, she could help people in need. The Sevillian, who lives in Madrid, began researching the conditions she needed to meet to donate her hair to make a charity oncology wig . The main requirement, which would be her goal in the near future, was to reach 30 centimeters in length.

Over the next few years, Paula went to the salon a handful of times, just to get her ends trimmed so she could continue the process at her leisure. During one of these visits, she shared her intention, and a girl sitting next to her told her she'd done it some time ago, donating it to Mechones Solidarios . Upon leaving, she began researching this Malaga-based patient assistance association that serves all of Spain. Upon learning of their work, she decided they would be the ones to receive it. All she had to do was wait.

At the beginning of August, the day arrived . He had originally planned to do it for September, but the heat his hair had experienced in July, and seeing that he had already reached his goal length with a ruler at home, led him to move it up.

For the next stop on the journey toward a charity oncology wig, which began four years ago, Paula chose Are You Ready? Hair Experience. This salon located in the center of Madrid is not only one of the 2,000 Mechones Solidarios partner centers throughout Spain, but it was also the first in the capital to cooperate with them.

Jess Tobachi , founder of Are You Ready? Hair Experience , says that when they opened their salon over a decade ago, they realized there was a lot of hair that could be used. At that moment, she began investigating how they could use it to help others, and after an arduous search, they found Mechones Solidarios. When they began collaborating 12 years ago, they had up to 250 donors each month : "During the first few years, between four and six people came every day." As the number of salons that have joined has increased, donations have dropped considerably in hers, dropping to about 20 per month.

Jess is the one who greets Paula . Among other clients who are in the care of her colleagues, she sits her in a chair in front of the mirror, puts a cape from the charity organization on her, asks her what style she wants, taking into account the centimeters they're going to cut, advises her on which cut will suit her best, and begins the donation process. She stands behind her, examines her hair, and decides that due to the density of her hair, Paula's hair could grow three strands . She makes two braids, placing a rubber band above and another below each, a key technique to reduce the risk of the braids breaking down until they arrive in Malaga. The hairdresser takes the ruler and verifies that each one measures 37 centimeters , more than the donor herself had measured at home. And voila ! After several cuts with special scissors, Paula's hair is ready to donate. After that, she washes her hair and cuts it into a style she is "delighted with." The entire process takes just over an hour.

At the end, Paula says she feels gratified: "Just by cutting my hair, which doesn't cost me anything , I can help people who are going through a very difficult process and really need it. Besides, after all, hair grows."

Her braids end up in a box where other donations accumulate , with all kinds of colors and textures: natural, with gray, dyed, straight, curly, children's... All kinds of people donate to Jess's salon, the most common profile being a woman between 30 and 50 years old, and people come "for promises to relatives, simply to help with their hair, people who know they are going to lose it due to cancer and prefer to have it cut, and even children from 7 years old onwards." The latter are especially important, since oncological wigs for the little ones are only made with hair from other infants.

Approximately once a month , a courier picks up this box and the hair heads to Málaga , where Mechones Solidarios is based. When it arrives, whether from hair salons or from people who send it by mail, “first it is cleaned and disinfected. Then it is classified by length, color, and texture . This is perhaps the most difficult part because the hair has to be well classified, since when we are going to make a wig we may need between three and six braids, and they have to be similar,” explains project coordinator Sebastián Quattocchio . It was his mother, Estela Grisolia , who started the project in 2013 after a personal story; Sebastián's grandmother, who had experience in hairpieces and hairdressing, made a wig for herself when she suffered from cancer and realized the need for them.

The Mechones Solidarios headquarters has two floors, each with up to seven people depending on the needs. The upper floor houses the offices where all requests are processed. The lower floor is divided into two rooms: a workshop where the wigs are made and a warehouse where the hundreds of strands of hair that arrive each month are stored, already sorted.

Approximately 30 requests arrive each month, 80% from adults and 20% from children. Applicants are asked for medical certificates to prove their real need and financial information. These details determine whether the wig will be provided completely free of charge or if they will receive some kind of discount. Of these requests, depending on their capacity, they make about 10 wigs per month, of which "depending on income, 3, 4, or 5 are free. Last month it was 3," explains the manager. If you have to pay the full price, the wig is 650 euros, while on the market a natural hair wig "costs between 1,700 and 3,500 euros," which allows them to make these wigs available to more people even if they have to pay. In addition to being able to lower the price for donated hair, they also fund themselves through charitable actions.

Once they've accepted the application, they send specific instructions for the person to have their head measured in a specific way. They also ask them to send a photo of their regular haircut . All of this is aimed at maintaining their appearance.

Once they have all the information, the final process begins: they go to the section of the warehouse where the most similar strands are, and from there the weavers' work begins . In the workshop, armed with sewing machines , the process begins, which can take up to three days . The women have to sew each strand to give it the most natural appearance possible.

When everything is ready, Mechones Solidarios delivers it to the applicant. If the applicant is a child, they can even receive notes of encouragement left with their locks by the children who donated.