Colorado Springs salon helps provide wigs to kids with cancer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) Wigs For Kids is a national nonprofit organization that helps create wigs for kids who experience hair loss due to medical conditions.

The organization relies on hair donations from around the country to make the wigs and then gives them to families free of charge.

There are four salons in Colorado Springs that help with the wig making efforts.

Jolynn Schlegel at Phenix Salon has worked as an ambassador for Wigs For Kids for the past few years and will cut and style donor's hair for free.

"Just a simple little thing of getting some hair back is huge. It does change their lives in a huge way," Schlegel said.

Renee Tolman traveled from Pueblo to donate her hair to the cause.

"My daughters are in excellent health and I'm very blessed for that and I would like my hair to go to someone else's daughter to help her feel as beautiful as she actually is," Tolman said.

Twelve inches of hair is needed for a donation. The hair must be free from color, chemicals, and perms. The average wig costs about $1,800 to make and takes about 30-50 swatches of hair.

Wigs For Kids will give a child a free wig every year until they are 18. Schlegel also helps style the wigs for kids who have received them locally.

"These wigs are awesome, they can swim with them, gymnastics, play basketball," Schlegel said.

"I think Wigs For Kids is really cool because it helps kids return to that childhood, to not have to worry about how they look or feel different," Tolman said.

For more information on Wigs For Kids and how to donate click here.