Donate Your Hair to Help the Gulf Coast

A few of our friends have posted on Facebook lately that you can donate your hair to help soak up the oil from the massive spill in the Gulf Coast. Regular JSG readers know that we are big supporters of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area, so we investigated to find out if this is more than urban legend. Turns out, it's true!

We asked Sadah Saltzman, Stylist and Makeup Artist at Salon AKS in New York, who verifies,

"Hair naturally absorbs oil, which is why we shampoo our hair. So, hair is a perfect absorbent for petrolatum oil. And, when woven into mats, it acts like a sponge, picking up access oil."

You don't need to majorly chop your hair, any size clippings will do--even dog hair works! The only restriction is the hair has to be clean so it can soak up the oil. Salon AKS is participating in the donation program.

Read on for more about how to donate your hair to help the Gulf Coast Oil Spill.

Photo courtesy of flick.com.