I’ve had long hair ever since I can remember. When I say ‘long’, I don’t mean a little past the shoulders or just above the belly button. I’m talking about getting it stuck in the car door type of long. Sitting on it long. Unsolicited stares and comments from strangers type of long.

So, after having this excessive amount of hair since who knows when, I decided that it was time for a change. Sitting in the salon chair donning a black cape and looking like Uncle Fester from the Addams family, I took a deep breath as I heard the snip, snip, snipping of my beloved hair being cut. Surprisingly, I wasn’t freaking out or experiencing immediate regret like I feared I would (because everyone’s been there). Go figure.

Millions of kids lose their hair due to cancer treatments, alopecia, burns, or even trichotillomania (a hair-pulling disorder) and I wanted to do something to make a difference. I made the decision to cut 18 inches and donate it to children in need through Wigs for Kids. I felt as if I had lifted a weight off of my shoulders, quite literally, and it was even more gratifying that I knew it was going toward a wig for a child who needed it. Instead of sweeping it off the floor to be thrown away, I could actually do something to help.

But let’s get real. There are a lot of organizations. It can be overwhelming trying to decide which one to choose from. For me, my choice came between the ever-so-recommended Locks of Love or the less-heard of Wigs for Kids. Regardless, I wanted my donation to go toward a non-profit organization that would not charge children or their families any money for their wigs. After doing some research, I found that Locks of Love has a more lengthy application process which includes two recommendation letters as to why the child would benefit from a wig and it required financial documents (such as tax returns). Wigs for Kids’ application does not require either of these, so my decision was a no-brainer from there.

Looking at the differences, I wanted to contribute to an organization that made it easier for children in need to get a wig and not have to submit a thousand documents to do so. Once I decided on my organization, I filled out my hair donation form, double-checking before choosing it that I had met the requirements. According to the Wigs for Kids website, it states that, “Hair must be a minimum of 12 inches in length, cannot be chemically or color treated or grey, and we cannot accept dreadlocks.” Since I had donated well over the requirement and did not have color treated hair, I sent my hair and my form in the mail and it was just as easy as that.

So, if you’re thinking of donating your hair but are on the fence about it, consider this: your hair will grow back, despite feeling like it’ll take forever, and you’d have done a pretty great thing for a kid who will be forever grateful for people like you.

Copyright © Cheyenne Prouty (2017) All Rights Reserved.