In September to mark Alopecia Awareness Month, hair extension brand Beauty Works has pledged a £5 donation for every Argan Oil Serum order placed to Little Lady Locks, a charity providing hair loss solutions to children and young people.
The initiative builds on Beauty Works’ wider support for Little Lady Locks, which includes a £20,000 donation towards the charity’s new premises, alongside donations of human hair, tools and products to support its wig-making work.
Founded in 2018, Little Lady Locks provides free, bespoke hair loss solutions to children and young people across the UK. Around 60% of the children supported by the charity are living with alopecia, while others have experienced hair loss from cancer treatment, illness or other medical conditions.
“We're so grateful to Beauty Works,” said Ashley Higgins, founder of Little Lady Locks. “Their support has reached every part of the charity; from the £20,000 that got our new building open sooner, to the hair, tools and products we use, to the team members who turn up and volunteer.
"We get no government funding or grants, so support like this makes a real difference to the children and families who rely on us.”
Beauty Works team members also volunteer at the charity’s centre every two months, supporting everything from building renovations and the creation of marketing materials to general administrative work.
Every wig at Little Lady Locks is matched as closely as possible to the child's own hair from colour and density to texture. For younger children or those with sensory needs, the charity sometimes attaches hair to a headband instead of making a full wig, using fringe pieces supplied by Beauty Works.
“Alopecia Awareness Month matters because a lot of these children still feel ashamed of their hair loss and don't want to talk about it,” Ashley said. “We want them to know their life doesn't have to stop. Hair can be a safety blanket, so we go to a lot of trouble to recreate the hair they remember, so they feel comfortable wearing it.”
Each child's wig costs the charity around £500 to make. Self-employed UK wig makers hand-knot the donated hair onto a wig cap - a process that can take up to 60 hours. Every child gets one wig a year, plus fitting and ongoing support, free of charge.
Julie Snape, CMO at Beauty Works said: “Hair is at the heart of everything we do at Beauty Works, but this partnership with Little Lady Locks is about something much bigger. What Ashley and her team do is incredibly special - giving children and young people choice, confidence and a sense of themselves at a time when so much can feel out of their control.
"We’re really proud to support the work they do and, through our Alopecia Awareness Month initiative, help raise both vital funds and greater awareness of the difference Little Lady Locks makes to so many young lives.”
How to help
Human hair and hair extensions can be donated to Little Lady Locks and used to create wigs and bespoke hair systems. Donated extensions should retain their bonded or taped tops so they can be used by the charity’s wig makers, though any donated hair that isn’t suitable for wig-making is passed on by Little Lady Locks to Matter of Trust, where it is recycled into mats used to help clean up oil spills.
Those looking to support the charity can also donate their time, with volunteering opportunities ranging from administration to practical support at the centre.
Image credits: Little Lady Locks
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