Cutting for a Cause: A staffer’s opinion on how cutting your hair and donating it can change other’s lives

As I brushed out my below-the-shoulder length hair in front of my bathroom mirror, the same question ran through my head: do I go for an impulsive chop of six inches or let it grow? It’s always been the same answer — let it grow out. But that wasn’t always the obvious answer for me growing up.

Ever since I was in kindergarten, I’ve had smooth, long hair — perfect for the braids or ponytails I would constantly wear in elementary school. My hair may have been in a huge knot 90% of the time from going days without brushing, but that never stopped me from keeping my hair as long as possible.

Part of the reason I kept my hair so long was the constant competition I had against my sister’s even longer hair — sadly she always won. This changed one day in second grade when I decided to chop off my “well known feature” — destroying the competition entirely.

With eight inches of my hair gone, I was left with an adorable shoulder-length bob. My sister, on the other hand, cut off ten inches of her hair and somehow it still managed to fall half-way down her chest. Our combined total of 18 inches was donated towards “Locks of Love,” an organization that makes wigs for kids who are battling cancer.

Locks of Love and Pantene Beautiful Lengths were the two organizations we decided to donate our hair to in 2014. Pantene Beautiful Lengths — partnered with both the American and Canadian Cancer Societies — stopped accepting donations after 2018.

With Pantene’s minimum hair length requirement being eight inches for donating, I was able to happily donate and support Pantene Beautiful Lengths’ 12-year program that provided thousands of wigs to women undergoing cancer treatment. 

Locks of Love — a more well-known hair-donation organization — has been running since 1997. In their mission statement, Locks of Love hopes that “by utilizing donated ponytails, [they will] provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children free of charge.” Due to their minimum hair donation length of 10-inches, my sister chose this charity to support.

Looking back at my second-grade self and seeing the girl who was so willing to make a difference by donating eight inches of her hair to help make prosthetics, I am immediately in awe of the kid I was and still am. Recently, I’ve considered chopping my hair again with the intention of helping kids who may not be fortunate to have hair, but there is always that selfish part of me worried about how I will look with a shorter hairstyle.

Everyone around me knows me as a girl with long, straight hair — but that shouldn’t matter. 

If you’re considering the idea of chopping your hair and wanting a change as the new year has begun, consider donating to Locks of Love or another organization. Even a small shift in your appearance can be a life-changing difference to someone else.