Years ago when I was a cosmetologist my hair was short, funky and every color imaginable under the sun.  At least twice a month my hair was slathered with the latest color of vibrant reds, purples or blues.  Towards the end of my career at the salon my hair was a hot mess and it took on the feel of dry grass.  I made a promise to myself that I would no longer subject my hair to any more harsh chemicals and I would let it grow out.  That’s exactly what I did.

Over the years I have let my hair grow and I found that I became deeply attached to it.  It grew out thick, wavy and I fell in love with the natural color of a deep brunette with natural highlights.  Eventually the length reached a few inches past my waist.  Washing it was a bit of a project and I couldn’t shake the fact that the weight of it all felt as if someone was constantly pulling my hair.  If I left it down for too long it would get tangled and my quick fix for that was to grab a few scrunchies and put it up in a sloppy bun.  I ignored the constant headaches and the pressure on my scalp.

A few months ago I caved and needed some relief so I had a couple inches cut off and had quiet a bit of layers put in.  I needed relief, but didn’t want to sacrafice the length.  That solution worked until last month.  The hair grew back and so did the pressure and headaches.  I knew what I needed to do, but I wasn’t ready to part with my locks.

The last week of July a few people mentioned a program called Locks Of Love.  A few people, both men and women,  had even told me that they grow their hair for the sole purpose of donating to this organization.  After looking into it I discovered that Locks Of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the US and Canada suffering from long term hair loss.  Most of these children have a condition called Alopecia (hair loss that causes bald spots on the scalp which can eventually spread to the entire scalp), which has no known cause or cure.

I was truly moved by this organization and by the many men and women who generously donate their hair to help these children who don’t have the luxury of saying, “It’ll grow back.”  I realized that I took for granted, as so many others do, a simple thing like hair growth.  Yes, I love my long hair, but there are many children out there who have little or no hair and need it more than I do.

On July 27th I had 12 inches of my hair cut off.  It was a bit of a shock, but knowing that I was donating it to such a wonderful cause made the transition a lot easier.  The relief was instant and I no longer had that constant sensation that someone was pulling my hair.  Since then I haven’t had a headache related to the weight of my hair.  More importantly, the hair was immediately sent to Locks Of Love.  My hair will be used to create a hairpiece or two and will hopefully put a smile on a child’s face who is now able to run their fingers through their new wavy, brunette hair.