I've never been one of those women that gets her hair cut or styled regularly. I love seeing my friends' transformations posted on Facebook after a visit to the salon, and also in a way envy their ability to let go and get a fresh look at the hands of someone else. Plus, isn't getting your hair washed and scalp massaged at the salon one of the greatest treatments?
When I think of getting a new do, I am struck with fear. Am I going to like it? What's it really going to look like? How much extra time will it take to style to my liking? I love the convenience of throwing my hair up in a ponytail in the morning to tackle my busy day with less than 5 minutes of prep. And perhaps maybe I have control issues and a slight fear of change? My friends say they can't believe how quickly my hair grows to allow me to donate it. Truth is time flies; it's been 4 years since I last cut my hair! Donating it for wigs for cancer patients just makes sense (and gives me an excuse to not cut my hair) plus it's yet another way I can easily give to the less fortunate. Win - win - win!
For the third time in the last 10 years, I once again stepped foot in a salon this week for an appointment with Krystal at Beyond Appearance in downtown Hickory. The salon is beautiful; I love the open space, the full-length mirrors and stylish decor that has a very natural, welcoming feel. The staff is extremely friendly and you can feel the non-competitive and team-oriented atmosphere among the stylists. I was offered a complimentary drink upon checking in, Krystal asked a lot of great questions before we got started to make sure she understood what I wanted and everyone all around took the time to show their support for my cause.
I made my first hair donation in 2006, sending 8 inches to Pantene® Beautiful Lengths (min length is 8in). Four years later, I was ready to do it again, donating 10 inches to Locks of Love (min length is 10in). Here I am in 2014 sending 14 inches to Wigs for Kids (min length is 12in). I see a pattern forming here... It takes 6-10 ponytails to make one wig so I'm only half way towards helping one person. Growing hair out to donate has its challenges, but none of it compares to the burden of dealing with a cancer diagnosis and losing hair because of it. The process teaches important life lessons of patience, one's ability to make a difference, that giving doesn't always have to involve money, and more you can read about in this wonderful article encouraging tweens to get involved.
In addition to minumum length requirements, each of the organizations listed varies slightly in factors such as who the wigs go to (women vs only kids), whether or not they sell the hair donations they can't use, if recipients pay for the wigs, etc. My thought overall is that regardless of the organization you choose to support, it's still better than sweeping the hair into the trash. If you have any questions about donating hair or the organizations to donate to, please email me at annah@macaronikid.com or post them in the comments below.
In doing research for this article, I found another organization I hadn't yet heard of -- Children With Hair Loss (min length is 8in). I know what I'm doing in 2018!
Beyond Appearance is conveniently located in downtown Hickory at 270 Union Square NW beside Larry’s Music in the Old Hickory New Building. Hours are Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please call (828) 327.9101 to schedule your appointment. Like them on Facebook!
Disclaimer: Thanks to the generosity of Beyond Appearance. I received a complimentary cut and style for the purpose of this article. In fact, the salon gives a free blunt cut for anyone donating 10" of hair or more.
