Kiwi Women Called On To Donate Their Hair for Charity

September 3, 2012

Kiwi Women Called On To Donate Their Hair for Charity

Leading haircare brand Pantene has today announced the launch of Beautiful Lengths, a campaign in partnership with the charity Look Good Feel Better, to encourage Kiwi women to grow; cut and donate their hair to be turned into real-hair wigs for women undergoing cancer treatment.

More than 10,000 women are diagnosed with cancer in New Zealand every year.

By partnering with Look Good Feel Better, a free service dedicated to teaching cancer patients techniques to help restore their appearance during chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Pantene will fund the creation of real-hair wigs by helping women grow beautiful hair to donate. Pantene will work with Look Good Feel Better to distribute these wigs across New Zealand.

Actress Naomi Watts is joining forces with fellow Pantene ambassador and leading hairstylist, Barney Martin, to encourage women across the country to skip a trim and grow their hair longer and stronger before donating their ponytails to Beautiful Lengths during National Donate Your Hair Week which launches on November 12, 2012.

Naomi Watts says, "I can only imagine that being diagnosed with cancer is terrifying and if we can support women undergoing treatment by cutting and donating our hair to provide them with a real-hair wig, that's a difference I hope many of us will make. I'm really proud to be part of Pantene Beautiful Lengths and bring this fantastic cause to New Zealand.

Since 2006, Beautiful Lengths has been a huge success in North America, receiving over 300,000 ponytails to create 24,000 real-hair wigs for women who have lost their hair through cancer.

There are many ways to show your support for the Beautiful Lengths program in New Zealand. To make a donation, your hair must be at least eight inches long, less than 5 per cent grey and cannot be coloured or chemically treated.

Even if you can't pledge your ponytail, you can help by uploading a personal story, spreading the word and sharing the love of Beautiful Lengths. Visit www.beautifullengths.co.nz for further information on growing and donating your hair and how to get involved.

General Manager of Look Good Feel Better, Yvonne Brownlie, says the team at Look Good Feel Better sees first-hand the distressing effects that cancer has on individuals, their friends and their families.

"Women who undergo cancer treatment just want to feel like themselves and a real-hair wig can make such a huge difference to a woman's self-esteem during this difficult time. Pantene's Beautiful Lengths is a great way for women to rally together and show their support by donating their hair," says Brownlie.

Pantene Ambassador, Barney Martin, says as a hairstylist he knows how much women value their hair.

"A new style can really alter the way a woman feels about herself. I'm excited to be part of Pantene Beautiful Lengths to encourage women across the country to grow their hair longer and stronger and donate to women who have lost theirs through cancer treatment.

"20cm may seem like a lot to cut off, but this summer short sleek styles are in and I can't think of a better reason to update your look than Beautiful Lengths," says Barney.

P&G spokesperson, Lisa Cunningham, says with over 60 years of hair expertise, Pantene is aware of the importance of healthy hair to a woman's confidence and the devastating impact hair loss can have on a woman battling cancer.

She says often one of the things women think about when they've been diagnosed with cancer is losing their hair.

"Pantene Beautiful Lengths was created because we want to be there for women battling cancer when looking and feeling healthy is so important to them," says Cunningham.

Join Pantene Beautiful Lengths and help support women battling cancer by growing your hair longer and stronger to donate. To us it's hair, but to women with cancer, it's hope.

For more information, please visit www.beautifullengths.co.nz or the Pantene Facebook page www.facebook.com/PanteneANZ.

About Beautiful Lengths

Beautiful Lengths is a campaign by Pantene in partnership with the charity Look Good Feel Better, which encourages women to grow, cut and donate their hair to be turned into real-hair wigs for women undergoing cancer treatment. Since 2006, Beautiful Lengths has been a huge success in North America, receiving over 300,000 ponytails to create 18,000 real-hair wigs. There are many ways to show your support for the Beautiful Lengths programme. Even if you can't pledge your ponytail you can help by uploading a personal story, spreading the word and sharing the love of Beautiful Lengths. Visit www.beautifullengths.co.nz for further information.

About Look Good Feel Better:

Look Good Feel Better is a free service offered to women undergoing treatment for cancer. Look Good Feel Better helps restore and enhance the appearance of cancer patients during and after treatment. Look Good Feel Better aims to put a smile on the face of every woman with cancer. Look Good Feel Better is there with support, guidance and free makeover workshops at a difficult time in their lives when they need it most. Look Good Feel Better understands that the way we look on the outside can have a powerful influence on how we feel on the inside.

With makeup, skincare, skills and a positive attitude, Look Good Feel Better transforms the look and the outlook of over 3000 New Zealand women with cancer every year. With over 196 workshops, across 24 New Zealand locations, the Look Good Feel Better programme is supported and endorsed by the Cancer Society of New Zealand.

Look Good Feel Better is also proudly assisted by the Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association of New Zealand (CTFA). Every year, member companies of the CTFA provide millions of dollars of products to support Look Good Feel Better workshops.

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