5 Ways to Use Your Salon Powers for Good

Cosmetologists, salons and spas have tremendous opportunities to give back to the community through charitable work - and much of it is right in line with what you're already doing! Whether a stylist decides to become a mentor or donate his or her own hair to Locks for Love, a salon stylist can take proactive steps in bettering his or her local community. The ways that a salon can give back to the community are endless, but here are just a few examples to get you started. 5 ways to use your salon's powers for good:

Locks of Love

Locks of Love began in 1997 and provides wigs to children under the age of 18 who have lost their hair due to severe illnesses. The children may have lost their hair due to cancer, alpocia, being involved in a fire or for other medical reasons. The mission of the charity is to provide wigs made of real hair to these children so that they can restore their confidence and self-esteem. A hair stylist can become involved in this organization by donating his or her own hair. Hair must be at least 10 inches long before it can be cut and mailed to the organization. Hair stylists can also make their clients aware of the organization and encourage them to become involved. Other charities do similar things, like Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

Cut It Out

Cut It Out is a charity organization comprised of salons that are dedicated to fighting domestic violence in inner cities throughout the United States. The organization trains salon stylists so that they can notice signs of abuse on victims. Stylists are able to recognize when a woman is being beaten in a relationship and can then refer her to local organizations in the community that assist domestic violence victims. The organization also provides educational materials that can be distributed to clients in salons.

Look Good... Feel Better

Look Good Feel Better is an organization that is dedicated to providing beauty tips to women who have cancer or who have survived cancer. Cosmetologists can volunteer for this organization and provide coaching for women on how to do makeup, manage hair loss and treat damaged skin. This organization also provides online tutorials that can help cancer patients learn how to apply makeup in a flattering way to hide the effects of chemotherapy.

Kiva Loans

Deciding to donate money toward the purchase of a Kiva loan is another way that salon stylists can benefit women who are struggling abroad but want to improve their lives for the long-term. Kiva loans provide funds to small business owners in impoverished countries and help them cover their business expenses. A hairstylist can even take up a collection of donations from his or her co-workers and clients to support a particular business through the Kiva loan program.

Donating Hair for Oil Booms

The other effective way that salon stylists can give back to the community is by donating hair to businesses that make hair booms. Hair booms absorb oil in oil spill cleanups. After the BP oil spill, salons came to the rescue in providing massive amounts of hair to create hair booms that could absorb oil. You're just cutting it off and sweeping it into the trash anyway - why not box it up and ship it out to help the environment?

These are some of the most effective ways that a hair stylist can have an impact on the local community. A hairstylist can definitely use his or her salon powers for good with a bit of resourcefulness and determination. This list of 5 charities your salon can take part in is just the beginning. There is a whole world of charitable opportunity out there to make an impact, boost salon morale and represent your salon well in the community.