Locks of Love

Hello everybody! Yesterday, I cut off 20 inches of hair to donate to a public, non-profit organization called Locks of Love. This organization takes in hair donations to provide wigs to children undergoing hair loss for medical reasons. As this was one of my New Year’s resolutions, I thought I would share the journey with you all.

I always thought that donating hair to help those undergoing medical treatment was a great thing to do and that I should do it one day, but I never really took the initiative to actual do it myself. By that I mean that a hair cosmetician once tied my hair in a ponytail and stored the cut off portion to donate it when I went from long hair to short, but I never intentionally took a pair a scissors to cut off my hair for donation myself. Maybe that’s because I never had a compelling reason to do so other than that it was for a good cause.

Last year, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent chemotherapy, which caused her to lose all of her hair. All of a sudden, hair donation became personal. I realized that hair plays a major role in how one might carry himself or herself as it can affect confidence levels in many ways, and that although hair donation may not be a cure for any medical diagnosis, that does not mean it is not just as important.

Here is my long hair in all its glory. It was approximately 28 inches before I cut it with the ends reaching just past my lower back when brushed behind the shoulders, even with curly hair. The last time it was cut was about a year and a half ago when I was in Korea (see my travel blog here!). My hair was also permed that day. The last time I dyed my hair was about a month before that, so it’s been a good while since I’ve done any chemical treatment to my hair. Locks of Love’s website does say that permed and dyed hair is acceptable as long as the hair has not been subject to bleaching.

I prefer sporting long hair over short because I definitely think it looks better on me personally, especially with permed curls.

Now we’ll start getting into the pictures of the cutting process. I tied my hair into two pony tails because I thought it would be easier to cut since I not only have thick hair but a lot of it as well.

Okay, first pony cut! No turning back now!

I successfully cut off two ponytails 20 inches long each.

I did a rough chop so my hair length level is uneven, but I’ll clean it up later.

I would have grown out my hair a bit longer and then cut it, but the ends of my hair were becoming dry. My hair was also shedding quite a lot so I figured it would be better to just cut it off now when it’s in a better condition and more to give.

While I may not be able to discover the cure for cancer, I can definitely do my share by hopefully helping someone in need of a hairpiece. Just as my aunt is battling breast cancer with a smile and strong faith, I will happily cut off my hair and donate in her honor.

Follow Tsukibori on WordPress.com