If your hair has significant chemical damage from straightening, curling, or dyeing, you may not be able to sell it.

You might also want to avoid letting your hair get sun damaged. Wear a hat when you’re going to spend a long time in the sun. Pool chlorine also has a drying effect on hair.

Eat plenty of protein, complex carbs, fruits, and vegetables, all of which help hair look strong and shiny. Good foods include salmon, eggs, whole wheat cereal, and spinach. Stay hydrated so your hair doesn’t look dry and dull. Avoid smoking, since cigarette smoke can make your hair smell as well as clinging to it and making it look dull.

Hair that’s long, well-cared for and unique in color, texture or origin fetches the highest prices. Twenty-four inches of wavy red virgin hair could fetch upward of $1,000. Twelve inches of straight natural blonde hair might fetch $300 or so. Third party sites have hair price calculators to help you determine how much to charge. You’ll set up an account, then follow the steps to upload a picture, the price and other details, then wait for a buyer to contact you. If you go this route, do not cut and send your hair before you receive payment. Take a picture of the hair while it’s still on your head, receive payment, then cut and send your hair. This will help prevent you from getting scammed.

Wig companies have specific requirements regarding how the hair should be cared for and packaged before it’s sent. In many cases they pay by length and weight. Since they cut off several inches to remove split ends, they only pay for the usable length of hair.

Fraud is a problem for both buyer and seller. Buyers may want to perform the cut or use a known salon to ensure it’s real human hair and not misrepresented animal hair or cut from a wig. PayPal is often a better choice than mailing money orders or Western Union because less chance of any disputes for money “claimed” to have been sent. It’s also highly recommended to send it with a tracking code so that the buyer can follow the package. [7] X Research source

Wigs for Kids, Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, Children With Hair Loss, Pantene Beautiful Length and Locks of Love are well-known organizations that uses donated hair to make wigs for people in need. There are many others, too. If you are in the UK, consider donating your hair to Little Princess Trust, or Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids Of Michigan, Locks Of Love and Children With Hair Loss, which all accept hair from all over the world. However, Pantene Beautiful Lengths currently does not accept hair from anywhere but America.

Your hair needs to be completely dry, so ask your stylist to make sure it is dry, and possibly use a hair dryer. Make sure, if you use a hair dryer, you keep it on low heat as high heat from hair dryers and heat tools can damage your hair. Don’t use products or heat tools on the hair before cutting.

Use a few ponytail holders to secure the ponytail or braid at a few points down its length, so that it does not come loose. Transfer the hair directly to a strong plastic zipper bag to protect it before sending.