I think the most shocking thing about donating your hair is seeing it on a table. That is, separate from your head.
Today I donated 14 inches of hair to Locks of Love. It describes itself as a “public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.”
I have been growing it, on and off, since 2005 when I last donated hair. It was a lot of fun to have long hair at the wedding, but since I had to sleep with it in a ponytail to keep it out of the way, I was ready to have it cut.
Thanks to the Aveda Institute for the great, $16 haircut!