Hilary Swank Donates Her Hair to Pantene(R) Beautiful Lengths(TM)

CINCINNATI, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank cut her hair for Pantene Beautiful Lengths in a powerful declaration of support for women with cancer. This national campaign encourages people to come together and share their strength by giving their healthy hair to create free wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment.

“As a woman who has seen friends and family battle cancer, I understand how deeply upsetting their loss of hair can be. I was overwhelmed by their need and wanted to help,” explained Hilary. “That’s why I am partnering with Pantene to raise one million inches of hair to make free wigs. Pantene Beautiful Lengths truly lets us do something beautiful with our hair — give it to a woman who needs it more.”

Cancer touches the lives of every American. About one in three women will develop some form of cancer in her lifetime* and studies have shown that nearly 60 percent of women regard hair loss as the single worst side effect of cancer treatment.** Despite the deep impact cancer has on a woman, one meaningful way to help restore her spirit — a real hair wig — can be difficult to get. Unfortunately, real hair wigs can be as expensive as $1,200 and are often only partially covered by health insurance.

To fill this need and help people transform their healthy hair into a heartfelt gift for other women, Pantene collaborated with the Entertainment Industry Foundation(TM) (EIF) to create Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

To date, the campaign has received more than 24,000 donated ponytails. Created by campaign partner HairUWear, more than 2,000 free wigs have been distributed through the American Cancer Society’s nationwide network of wig banks. Explaining the campaign’s impact, Marisa Pellegrini of the American Cancer Society said, “Being able to have a real hair wig due to the generosity of others who have donated their hair has brought tears to the eyes of many of the wig recipients, many of whom wouldn’t have been able to afford a human hair wig without this program.” In addition, Pantene Beautiful Lengths has donated more than one million dollars to the EIF’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund to help fund cutting-edge medical research.

“Hilary shares Pantene’s passion for women’s health and we are thrilled that she’ll be inspiring thousands of others to follow her shining example,” said Craig Bahner, General Manager and Vice President of North American Hair Care, Procter & Gamble. “For 60 years, Pantene has understood the importance of healthy hair and its role in a woman’s sense of self. What makes Pantene Beautiful Lengths so special is that it brings people together for a greater good.”

Ways to Help

People can get involved and share their strength in a number of ways. They can donate their hair and join the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Million Inch Chain by uploading photos with their ponytail on www.beautifullengths.com. This animated photo string allows visitors to come together to support the cause by showcasing their donation or pledging to donate.

In addition, people can also participate by spreading the word to friends and family, or if they are unable to donate, a portion of proceeds from every Pantene purchase goes to create free wigs for women with cancer.

Pantene Beautiful Lengths only accepts hair donations that are at least 8 inches in length. While hair may be colored with vegetable dyes, rinses and semi-permanent dyes, it cannot be bleached, permanently colored, chemically treated or more than 5 percent gray.

Find out more about Pantene Beautiful Lengths and all ways you can get involved and support the cause at www.beautifullengths.com or at the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Blog http://beautifullengths.wordpress.com.

About P&G Beauty

P&G Beauty products help make beauty dreams real and grooming enjoyable everyday for millions of women and men worldwide. With more than 100 brands available in nearly 130 countries, P&G Beauty delivered sales of more than $21 billion in fiscal year 2005/2006, making it a leading global beauty company. P&G Beauty offers trusted brands with leading technology to meet the full complement of beauty and grooming needs: Pantene(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Max Factor(R), Cover Girl(R), Always(R), Sassoon Professional(R), Wellaflex(R), Rejoice(R), Sebastian Professional(R), Herbal Essences(R), Koleston(R), Clairol Professional(R), Nice ‘n Easy(R), Venus(R), Gillette(R), SK-II(R), Wella Professionals(R), and the luxury or prestige fragrance licenses for Dolce & Gabbana(R), Valentino(R), Hugo(R), and Gucci(R). Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G Beauty and its brands.

About EIF

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a philanthropic leader of the entertainment industry, raises awareness and funds for critical health, educational and social issues. EIF has a remarkable track record in raising awareness and funds in the fight against cancer. EIF’s funding strategy is results-driven, bringing together some of the very best scientists and institutions in the country to collaborate on groundbreaking research projects to fast-track the development of better prevention methods and improved therapies for treatment of breast and reproductive cancers. For more information visit www.eifoundation.org.

About HairUWear

HairUWear is the leading global producer of real-hair wigs and extensions. HairUWear is taking the campaign’s generous donations of hair and transforming it into comfortable, beautiful wigs that will make a world of difference for women across America who are living with cancer.

* Cancer Facts & Figures 2007, American Cancer Society.

** Cancer Practice: Journal of the American Cancer Society, November

2001.