Please note Lolly’s Locks is no longer operating as a nonprofit organization. It shut down in late 2018.You can find alternative links and read more about them below.
Alternative Links:
- Choosing and Wearing a Wig (from the American Cancer Society)
- Breastcancer.org guide to Wigs
- “tlc” Wig Collection
- Cancer + Careers Guide to Wigs For Cancer Patients
- EBeauty
- Wigs for Kids
- Locks of Love
- Headcovers.com
The following video sums up their mission:
Before shutting down it described itself as follows:
Lolly’s Locks is nonprofit organization that provides high-quality wigs to cancer patients in need.
Lolly’s Locks connects high-quality wigs with cancer patients who are suffering hair loss as an effect of chemotherapy, and who are unable to afford them. Lolly’s Locks is a way to honor the memory of wife and mother-extraordinaire, Lolly Toll, who lost her 15-month battle of cancer in March, 2012. While she was sick, Lolly endured more than 20 chemotherapy treatments and eventually lost her hair. Despite this, Lolly never let her cancer or the effects of chemo keep her from living and enjoying her life. She went out and bought two high-end wigs that made her look and feel as close to herself as possible, and she went right on making beautiful memories with all of the people that she loved.
When Lolly and her daughters first went to purchase her wig, they were stunned to learn that high-quality wigs typically range from $1,500-$3,000. They were even more surprised to find out that insurance covers very little, if any, of this cost.
Lolly, a constant optimist, never forgot to count her blessings, even after she got sick. She often reflected on how lucky she was to have her wigs, which she credited with allowing her to participate fully in the activities that she always loved without having to feel self-conscious, and made it possible for her to have a sense of normalcy a time which was anything but. Despite the gravity of her diagnosis, she was sure that she was going to get better, and, once she did, she planned to use her time and resources to help less fortunate women battling cancer have access to the same high-quality wigs that she did.
Now that Lolly has passed away, her family founded Lolly’s Locks to carry out the mission of getting high-quality wigs into the hands of women who would not be able to afford them otherwise.
Their FAQ section included the following questions and awnsers:
I want a wig. How do I qualify?
Lolly’s Locks’ mission is to provide high-quality wigs to cancer patients who cannot otherwise afford them. To qualify for our assistance, you must be a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, and suffering from hair loss as a result. Applications are available on our website here or can be mailed to you. Along with a completed application, you will need to submit proof of medical diagnosis.
Why did you choose this particular mission to honor Lolly?
Actually, Lolly herself chose this mission after she realized how important looking like herself was during her cancer journey. She believed there was a real connection between looking good and feeling good, and was outraged by how inaccessible high-quality wigs are to many women dealing with hair loss as a result of chemotherapy.
Lolly wasn’t alone, as studies have shown that chemotherapy-induced hair loss is detrimental to the psychology, body image, social lives, and self-esteem of patients. Hair loss is one of the most drastic side effects of the treatment, and occurs in an estimated 65% of cases. Many patients consider hair loss to be the most traumatic aspect of chemotherapy and surveys of cancer patients have indicated that some would even decline chemotherapy due to fears of hair loss.
What about insurance?
The specific amount of coverage that can be put towards a cranial prosthesis (that’s industry jargon for “wig”) depends on each person’s individual policy. The general feeling in the industry is that insurance companies are working to partially cover the cost. Unfortunately, it often won’t cover the full expense – that’s why we’re here – but for more specific information, contact your policy carrier.
I want to donate my hair to Lolly’s Locks, how do I proceed?
Lolly’s Locks is excited to announce that we are now accepting hair donations! We are proud to be working with High Definition Hair to be able to turn your donated hair into wigs of the highest quality for our recipients. If you would like to donate your hair, please see our requirements here.
You can view an archived version of the site here.