Wigs 4 Purpose, Inc., (W4P) is a non-profit organization founded and established in 2020 in Chesapeake, VA, to assist women of all ages who are dramatically affected by experience alopecia, starting with a complimentary wig. The group’s motto is “We change lives one wig at a time.” W4P aims to uplift and empower women of all ages in need who have traumatically experienced alopecia by providing beauty care assistance, education, counseling and a network of support, and partnering and collaborating with the beauty industry and the community to impact economic growth with a sense of purpose. As funds are raised, resources and services are extended to help serve the targeted community by following the organization’s four principles – Encourage, Empower, Educate and Employ. W4P collects new and gently used wigs and monetary donations to help with creating hair care assistance and to support W4P operations.
Before heading off to the Marine Corps, a volunteer who did not want to see his hair go to waste, donated between eight to 19 inches of his hair to Wigs 4 Purpose for a person needing a wig.
According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, an estimated 6.7 million people in the United States have alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. This makes it the second most common type of hair loss in the country, after male and female pattern baldness. A number of factors can cause alopecia, including inherited genes, hormonal changes, medical conditions, stress, medications, nutritional deficiencies, smoking, hair styles and certain hair products. Environmental factors can also contribute to hair loss. Car exhaust fumes can disrupt the keratin in hair, making it more fragile. Pesticides and heavy metals have been linked to alopecia areata, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons have been linked to androgenetic alopecia. Increased UV exposure can cause oxidative damage and perifollicular mast cell degranulation, which can lead to brittle, dry hair with split ends.