Making the Cut

This past weekend I made yet another drastic change in my appearance.  Losing weigh took time and patience but everyone noticed the differences.  This change only took about half an hour and cost me twenty bucks (much less than my gym membership over the past year).  And this change probably took a pound or two off my weight.

“What did you do Jamie?” you are all patiently waiting for the reveal I’m sure.

And I will answer: I chopped off my hair!  With my long locks reaching past my belly button, and spring trying to poke through, I thought it was about time to make the cut. 

For the past few months, I’ve kept my mane in a long side braid for the most part.  An occasional French braid down the back or two on each side.  Very rarely I’d let it hang loose and it would tangle up within minutes.  I loved my long hair but I knew it was time to go.

So I researched some hair donation organizations and settled on Beautiful Lengths by Pantene.  When most people think hair donations, they automatically think Locks of Love.  This is a great organization even though they’ve had some controversy lately because some people have been upset by the fact that their wigs don’t necessarily go to kids with cancer, or the fact that they sell wigs in addition to their donated ones.  Although I don’t know all the facts, I think Locks for Love is still a great organization and I’ve donated to it twice before.  This time I decided to switch it up a little and give to a organization created for women of all ages that have lost their hair to diseases: Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths.  I measured out my hair and decided to donate ten inches, a little more than the required eight inches to make a wig.

I printed out the information and drove up to my local SuperCuts, where they were happy to help me with the process.  I sat down in the chair and the hairdresser got out her ruler and divided my hair into four equal ponytails.  She asked me a few times if I was ready; it’s a strangely emotional thing to do.  In a very literal way, you’re giving up a part of yourself.  Something that has been a part of you and your appearance and your attitude for so long, that you work so hard to keep healthy and beautiful, and then you just say goodbye.  Put it in the envelope and send it away, hope that the next person loves it as much as you do.  Just like that.  It might seem silly, I mean, it’s hair.  But for me, and many other women I know who’ve donated, it can be a very emotional experience.

Ten inches went in the envelope towards Beautiful Lengths and another two fell to the floor with straightening out and styling.  Now my hair rests just above my collar bone.

I’ve gotten a lot of compliments so far.  People have told me that it makes me look older and more mature, and Jim the Boyfriend loves that he doesn’t have to dig through a lion’s mane just to kiss me. As for me, it’ll take a while to get used to the short hair, but as soon as I do it’ll start to grow long again.  And longer and longer until I’m ready to chop it off and do it all over again.