Belgravia Hair Loss Specialist Donates Hair to Children's Charity

Getting a short haircut is something many people leave until the cold weather passes but warm-hearted Belgravia hair loss specialist, Rali Bozhinova, had a special reason for getting the chop.

She wanted to donate her long hair to the Little Princess Trust charity, so it could be used to make wigs for children with hair loss.

Helping children with hair loss

Little Princess Trust is a much-loved UK hair loss charity which The Belgravia Centre has supported for many years. It comprises two divisions - Little Princess Trust, for girls, and Hero by LPT, for boys. Both arms of the charity provide real-hair wigs for children experiencing medical hair loss, free of charge.

In many cases this helps children experiencing hair loss caused by cancer treatment or from alopecia areata or other more severe forms of this autoimmune hair loss disorder, to fit in. The simple act of having a good wig to wear can provide a huge boost to their self-esteem and confidence, especially during what is often an already traumatic time in their young lives.

The charity relies on donations - both financial and physical hair donations - in order to provide its free service. So, following in the footsteps of Belgravia's Central London hair loss clinic reception manager and the company's accounts assistant, Rali is the latest to have her hair cut for the charity.

Two ponytails donated

Rali, who has a BSc in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Westminster in addition to studying trichology, joined The Belgravia Centre in 2012. She specialises in diagnosing hair loss conditions in adults, working across both Belgravia's Central and City of London clinics and recommending custom hair loss treatment solutions to patients.

Around mid 2015 Rali decided to grow her hair longer so that she could contribute a meaningful amount to Little Princess Trust. Now, thanks to her kind 29 cm hair donation (11.4 inches), she will be able to help at least one child experiencing hairloss, too.

Explaining her decision, Rali told us: "I treat hair loss and scalp problems every single day and can see the emotional impact on my patients. Children process emotions differently and I can only imagine how they feel losing their hair. What the Little Princess Trust does is really thoughtful and kind."

"I’ve done a lot of charity work for various organisations over the years and this is just a small piece of me that I can donate and hopefully can make a huge difference to a child. A few inches of hair don’t mean much to me, but can bring a smile and confidence to a child going through cancer treatment or any form of alopecia areata."

"For anyone considering getting a haircut, I would encourage them to donate their hair instead of wasting it. I’m planning to donate it again once it grows and actually, this has encouraged me to keep it as healthy as possible as otherwise it would be unsuitable for donation."

Hair must meet criteria

In order for hair to be suitable to donate it must meet a number of criteria, including being in good condition, with no split ends, and of a natural colour with any grey hairs making up no more than 10 per cent of the total hair donated.

The hair should be clean and dry before being separated into ponytails before the cut. After the lengths have been chopped off, the ponytails should be placed into a clear, resealable plastic bag which is then sent in a padded envelope to the Little Princess Trust.

The charity will then send the hair to its factory in China to be blended with other, similar hair to produce wigs for children in the UK.

Doing something for others isn't always the only benefit for those making hair donations. "I love my new style and it's easier to maintain", says Rali who wanted to send special thanks to David and Lee from Hob Salons in Camden who performed the charity haircut.

To find out more about donating your hair to Little Princess Trust or to make a monetary contribution to this worthwhile charity, visit their website at littleprincesses.org.uk