Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Make money by selling your hair
Raechelle Dias
30th Jul 2020
Did you know your hair has value? You can actually make money selling your hair! But how do I sell my hair today?
Well, we all remember the scene in Little Women when Jo sells her hair because the family needs to make money. While they all cry together over her lost locks, they’re all consoled by the much needed hard cash it’s got them.
But this is not just the stuff of fiction. Scientists have decoded DNA and cloned sheep, but still can’t cure baldness! As a result wigs, hair extensions, and hair pieces have never been so popular. If you’re willing to get a snip, you can make a pretty penny from those luscious tresses.
Sell my hair for a wig: Start Growing and Grooming
Before thinking about selling your hair you’ll first have to start growing and grooming. Most companies will want hair that has absolutely no chemical treatments so your hair can’t be coloured, permed, highlighted or tinted. You’ll also need plenty of it – at least six inches.
Hair must be clean, healthy and shiny. Cigarette smoke or traces of drugs taken will linger in your hair long after it’s washed.
Remember if you’re thinking: can I sell my hair to a wig company? That actual wig makers are hair experts, so if they detect damaged hair they’ll toss it, and you’ll be sporting a crop without getting any cash.
Unusual natural hair colours are in for a treat, as they command the highest prices. The healthier your hair is, the more you can get for it.
Before you chop of your lovely locks make sure to contact a wig seller and find out how much selling your hair type will earn you. This way, you can see whether it’s really worth chopping it all off.
Sell my hair UK: Some tips for keeping your locks healthy
- Regular trims will keep broken and split ends away (trimming every six to eight weeks is best, but remember not too much!)
- Remember healthy body = healthy hair. Make sure to get your calcium and protein for strong hair
- Wash out all product from your hair at night, there are loads of chemicals in them that dry out your hair
- Give up your hair dryers, curling irons or flattening irons, hairspray and other styling products now! These dry hair out and cause hair breakage and split ends
- Instead of blow drying, towel dry
- Braid your hair overnight and in the morning you’ll have lovely waves without any of the damage curling irons will cause
- Though you might be tempted, don’t brush your hair more than twice daily and use a high quality vent brush when you do
- Oils like rosemary oil, cedar wood oil, juniper berry oil, and lavender oil will help lock-in your hair’s moisture. At night apply the oil, braid your hair and you’ll be moisturising your hair. This way it won’t be breaking while you sleep
- Go au natural – Beer and egg whites make excellent hair conditioners.
Did you know you can also make money selling breast milk?! Find out how here.
Sell my hair online: start Marketing
Market your new product online. Firstly, we recommend you try buyandsellhair.com, a classified ad site for buyers and sellers of human hair worldwide. To advertise is quite cheap, only $14.50 for three months, and all transactions are managed through PayPal. They take no commission on completed sales and everything you make will be yours, so it is worth trying out.
Otherwise, hop on Gumtree and you’ll find lots of ads from wigmakers willing to pay your asking price for your hair. If you’re going to post an ad on advertising your hair you’ll need to include:
- Clear, accurate pictures (mostly of length)
- Include a description of hair length, colour, quality, ethnic type of hair
- Contact details.
Keep it simple; there are already wigmakers advertising for hair on Gumtree, so you don’t need to waste too much time on writing your own ones. Responding to ads can be just as effective.
Remember – wigmakers aren’t the only ones looking for hair. Market yourself in places that others haven’t yet thought of like hairstylists who work with extensions – whether they’re brown hair extensions, blonde, ginger or otherwise. Hair colleges will also need human hair supplies and even high quality paint brushes are made with human hair.
Look up your local hair colleges. Make some calls and find out what they’re willing to pay for your hair. Remember that your advert details apply here too. You might also be thinking: can I sell my hair at a hair salon? So it may be worth trying them as well. Keep in mind that people will want to know the condition, length, colour, quality, and ethnic type of your hair before they buy. That may take some time to research but the pay-off could be big.
Sell my hair online: How do I make the cut?
If you’re ready to take the plunge and chop those locks it’s important to remember that hair-buyers are very specific about how your hair should be cut.
Here’s advice from HairHarvest.co.uk:
“If you are interested in selling your hair to us, there are two ways to proceed. You are more than welcome to go to your local hairdresser and tell them you are going to sell your hair and that you need a ponytail/ponytails cut off. It can be one ponytail at the back or various ponytails positioned around the scalp to get maximum length from the hair. We emphasise that the hair MUST BE EXTREMELY TIGHTLY SECURED IN A PONYTAIL/PONYTAILS as we need the hair to be root to tip perfect. We cannot accept loose hair. Please do not plait your ponytail(s), as we will need to assess them in their natural condition. You then send the hair to us by post.
Just place the hair in a plastic bag with your name, address, telephone number, email address and the full name of who you would like us to pay the cheque to (We can also pay by PAYPAL for international payments).”
Selling your hair online – How much can you expect to make?
Selling your hair can be very lucrative. Bloomsbury Wigs will pay up to £200 for your hair. They’ll even cut it off on the spot for you. Before you picture some mad scientist coming at you with clippers – they just cut off your ponytail.
The main hair buyer in the UK, Banbury Postiche (Wigs UK), pays up to £7 per 25 grams of hair. The longer your hair, the better the price!
You may want to try other ways of selling your hair, and may be wondering: can I sell my hair near me? Get on Gumtree where several wigmakers are looking to buy hair and are open to negotiations. The buyers could also be very close to you too – some are even willing to buy children’s hair, so you can score some cash from your kids’ locks too.
See some other great ways you can make money by selling your body here!
Useful Links
Now check out our article that spills the beans on the best ways to make money – 10 easy ways to make quick cash!
I have dark-light brown hair, around 10-12 inches long. It has never been coloured or straightened, ive kept it very very natural. It has slight waves in it. I am from England, Bedfordshire. So if you are interested, please do e-mail me. Will be able to send pictures of my hair if needed.
E-Mail: [email protected]
hi my hair is20-22 inches long..i’m from the philippines, i want to sell my hair..how much can i sell it and can someone give me an idea on where and how to sell it?thanks
Christine,
Please contact me for the same at [email protected]
Thanks
Rohan
Hi !! Iwant to sell my hair..I’m from Philippines but live here in London. my hair is dark brown,thick,straight and no chemicals at all .. anyone who;s interested just email me
How long is your hair ?
i have some hair from when i was 9 it was completely natural,chestnutty colour,about 12 or more lenght . any offers?
Hey everyone if you looking to sell your hair go here OnlineHairAffair.com you can list your hair for free and as I did and people bid on your hair. It’s just like eBay but for hair.
80) Good luck.
Hello,
i have hair down to my bottom and am looking to sell it.
the colour is blonde on top half and brown on bottom, has been treated but i have never used any kind of heat on it and it is very thick and healthy hair i want to sell approx 6 inches.
it just grows and grows.
get in touch thanx
My hair is 60 sm long. And it’s very thick and heavy. My head is tired to wear it. How much in reality I can earn?
are you based in England ?
I would really like to sell 13in. of my shiny, wavy, honeybrown, untreated hair. If anyone is interested, and lives in the Minneapolis area please E-mail me. We can either get together, or I could E-mail some pics. You won’t be disapointed.
I have 20-23 inch dark brown hair want to sell. I am a 29 years old chinese. My hair is thick,straight, well-care and no colour treatment. If anyone interest to buy my hair or want to see the pic of my hair, please comment below and i’ll get in touch
hello
how long is your hair in cm???
and how much do you want to sell?
Hi Edith, if your still wanting a haircut/sell your hair drop me a line at [email protected]. Dave
I’m chinese, male, and have grown my hair quite long, mainly around 5 inches but around the back it is 6/7 inches. my hair is black and very straight. do you think their is any value in this?
[email protected]