Layton salon owner donating hair through ‘Wigs for Kids’

LAYTON, Utah — A Layton salon owner is chopping hair for a cause, changing kids’ lives and confidence for the better.

Kassidy Gutierrez is a stylist affiliate for the Ohio-based nonprofit organization “Wigs for Kids,” which helps kids from all over, including in Utah.

So far, she said in her home salon, there are at least 10 clients a week coming in to donate their hair to the cause.

The wigs are valued at around $1,800, but for the recipient family, it’s all free.

👩🏻‍🦰 McKell has been growing her hair out for years.

🎀 While she’s in the chair here, in a couple months, a child in need will be taking her seat & getting a new wig.

❤️ Wigs go to kids in need. Could be radiation, chemotherapy, alopecia, burns, etc. @KSL5TV @wigsforkids pic.twitter.com/ZVbePnnzIA

— Karah Brackin (@KB_ON_TV) November 14, 2022

“These children are going through some kind of major health crisis. Whether it’s radiation, chemotherapy, alopecia, burns, anything,” Gutierrez said.

McKell Jackson has been growing her hair out for years.

While she took her turn sitting in the chair, in a couple of months or so, a child in need will be taking her seat and getting a new wig.

“I don’t know the child that it’s going to, but I have kids myself, and I can sympathize with the idea of just going through those hard times,” Jackson said.

Gutierrez has met and helped some of those on the receiving end, who she said, maybe not through words, but through their eyes will tell you, it’s so much more than getting a new wig.

“Their faces just light up when they look in the mirror. They see themselves again. It really makes them motivated to keep going,” Gutierrez said.

In just the last year, she said there have been enough donors sitting in her chair to make hundreds of wigs.

“These are custom made to the child, and they’re made for children who are normal children. They do the monkey bars. They swim and they run. These wigs can withstand all of that,” Gutierrez said.

For this haircut, Gutierrez said she cut off 14″ to 15″ of Jackson’s hair.

“Yep. It does look cute! I feel modern,” Jackson said.

Ta daaa! 👩🏻‍🦰👏

14–15 in later: Would McKell do it again?

Her answer: YES! @wigsforkids @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/TouisiIJnh

— Karah Brackin (@KB_ON_TV) November 14, 2022

The question now — would Jackson do this again? Her answer? “Yes!”

To donate your hair, Gutierrez said you need to have at least 12″ or more of non-treated hair. They also accept gray hair.

Wigs are hand-tied by volunteers, so it takes a couple of months to complete.

To find out more, or look for a salon and/or stylist who is an affiliate with Wigs for Kids in your area, click here.