HairToStay: Supporting Confidence, Dignity, and Hope

Few people understand the emotional power of hair the way professional salon owners and hairdressers do.

Hair is deeply personal. It is tied to identity, confidence, and self-expression. When someone experiences medical hair loss due to chemotherapy, the impact goes far beyond appearance. It can affect how they see themselves during one of life’s most difficult challenges.

That understanding is one of the reasons Intercoiffure America Canada (ICA) is proud to support HairToStay as its charitable cause for the year.

Selected by ICA President Scott Buchanan and approved by ICA’s Board of Directors, this partnership reflects a cause that resonates deeply with our community and our profession.

HairToStay is the first and only national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income cancer patients afford scalp cooling treatments—an option that can significantly reduce hair loss during chemotherapy. While increasingly recognized as effective, these treatments are costly and often not fully covered by insurance, placing them out of reach for many patients.

By providing financial assistance, education, and advocacy, HairToStay helps ensure more patients have access to care that can lessen one of cancer treatment’s most visible and emotionally difficult side effects.

For Scott Buchanan, ICA’s support of HairToStay is both personal and purposeful.

“Hair professionals understand something many outside our industry may overlook,” says Buchanan. “Hair is not just cosmetic. It affects confidence, identity, and how people feel about themselves. Supporting HairToStay allows us to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”

Scott has long been an active supporter of HairToStay and believes the professional beauty industry has an extraordinary opportunity to create real impact.

He often frames that opportunity in simple terms: if just 1 percent of salons in America donated $1,000 annually, the industry could generate $1 million in a single year. At current support levels, that could help more than 160 patients preserve their hair during treatment.That idea speaks to the power of collective action.

No single salon can solve every challenge. But together, as a professional community, salons can create extraordinary impact—especially when support is tied so closely to the care, confidence, and transformation that define our work.

That spirit was on full display during ICA’s recent Spring Gathering in Montreal.

With the generous support of ICA Brand Partner Phorest, members participated in a fundraising initiative benefiting HairToStay. The response was immediate and inspiring.

Together, ICA members and partners raised just over $11,000 during the first day of the event.

Those funds will help expand access to life-changing support for patients navigating cancer treatment, while reinforcing the values that define Intercoiffure: community, connection, and collaboration.

As ICA continues its support of HairToStay throughout the year, we encourage members to learn more about the organization and consider ways to get involved—through donations, awareness, or salon-led fundraising.

The beauty industry changes lives every day.

Sometimes that happens through artistry, education, mentorship, or leadership.

And sometimes, it happens through compassion.

Supporting HairToStay reminds us that the work we do reaches far beyond the chair. At its best, our profession helps people feel seen, supported, and strong—even in life’s hardest moments.

To learn more, visit hairtostay.com.