A Hairy Situation, a Momentous Celebration!

With changing seasons, you may find yourself thinking about a new ‘do. If you’ve always had long locks, why not consider chopping them for charity? It’s a great way to try a new style and help an amazing cause.

As you may know, I started growing out my hair for charity shortly after I learned of my mom’s breast cancer diagnosis (Fall ‘08). I’m thrilled to report that Mom finished her treatments in March of this year, which meant it was time to make THE cut!

And I wasn’t alone in my hair-growing endeavors. My dear friends Wendy Smedley and Angie Lucas were with me every step of the way, growing out their hair to support me and the loved ones in their lives who were also dealing with the heartache that comes from having breast cancer. Here we are just before our cuts.

And here are a few of the after shots. I cut a total of 10”.

Thanks to Becky Olsen for joining us on cut day. She took these photos and also donated her own hair!

My first thought was, “Eeep! It’s SO short,” but the shock eventually wore off (my hair has never been this short), and I’m actually really digging the new look. It’s much, MUCH easier to do now, and I’ve basically cut my drying time in half. If that’s not enough to convince you to do the same, I don’t know what is...oh, yes I do--it’s the fact that you can make someone else’s day by sending your hair to be made into a beautiful new wig!

Not only is donating hair completely worthwhile, it’s also oddly comforting. How so? Well, if you’ve ever watched someone you love going through cancer treatments, you know that it can leave you feeling incredibly helpless. I found that this was something I could do--something I could focus on as Mom was going through so much. I talk a little bit more about this in this awesome segment Studio 5 did on our hair-growing efforts. I hope you have a minute to watch. I think you’ll be glad you did. Hair’s to you! ;)