Tangled, a Hair Donation Campaign for Cancer Patients by College Students

Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy. Donating hair to make wigs for cancer patients led to the initiation of Tangled.

Last year, six college students lurched the idea to support cancer patients by donating their hair to make wigs.

Tangled, an initiative of Rotaract Club of Women’s Christian College (WCC) and Green Trends Salon, was inaugurated on Thursday, with several students coming forward to donate their hair. This was an initiative by college girls to boost the self-confidence of cancer patients.

Chemotherapy - History, Principles, Aim, Types, Side Effcts, Pros & Cons
'Chemo' means medicine or 'drug', 'therapy' means 'treatment'. Chemotherapy refers to the use of cytotoxic drugs in the treatment of cancer.

Chemotherapy, the one of the treatments for cancer results in hair loss from all over the body, gradually or in clumps. This side effect most often starts after the first several weeks or rounds of chemotherapy and tends to increase one to two months into treatment.

M. Kanaga Varsha, a first-year student of WCC, donated 11 inches of her locks and said, “I am glad my small gesture could bring a smile on the face of a cancer patient. This brings more joy than donating money.”

At the inaugural function, actor Sarathkumar lauded the effort of the college team, and said it would go a long way in creating awareness on prevention of cancer and peer support.

About Cancer in Women
Cancer is one of the frequently talked about and most feared disease that falls under the genre of lifestyle diseases that have evolved, rather rapidly, in the past two decades.

R. Gitanjali of Rotaract Club of WCC recalled the journey of ‘Tangled’ and how several students were willing to shave their heads for the cause.

“We were more determined to carry this forward after we met cancer patients. Over 3,000 people donated hair that went into the creation of 300 wigs. Each wig costs about Rs.5,000,” she said.

Hair Loss - Types and Treatments
Hair loss, referred to as alopecia, is a common yet distressing condition that affects young as well as older individuals.

Tangled has now moved beyond Chennai including Bangalore and Hyderabad to around eight cities. People can now walk in to any Green Trends Salon and donate hair. This year, over 3,000 stylists have been trained for the initiative.

S. Deepak Praveen, chief operating officer, Green Trends Salon, said, “We need hair locks of one inch thickness and length of six to eight inches to use in a wig. It takes four or five months to make them.”

Causes of Hair Loss | Hair Fall
Worried about your hair loss? Before you leap into a course of treatment, look at what might be causing your hair to fall.

Source-Medindia