Fla. It started in 1997 and has helped more than 400 children. They receive custom-fitted prosthetics free of charge or on a sliding scale. Most clients are girls, though boys will be aided, officials said. It is more socially acceptable for a boy to be bald or close-cropped than it is for a girl. Most of the children suffer from alopecia areata, a condition in which the hair stops growing.
Shorter hair is sold, with the money going to costs associated with the program.
Long hair is particularly desired because the manufacturing process uses two inches of hair. Most girls request hair 12 to 14 inches long, requiring donated ponytails of 14 to 16 inches. All types of people are hair donors. According to a recent newsletter, donors include people who kept braids cut many years ago, a woman who cut off her locks before undergoing chemotherapy, and many children. About 80 percent of donors are children.