All you readers know that lustrous hair is one of pregnancy’s legendary desirable side effects. But what happens afterward? Yes, you may say, it’s simple but unsatisfying. The hair, having sustained a prolonged phase of anagen (hair growth), transitions to catagen (no growth) and then into a stage of telogen (hair falls out). And all that beautiful hair disappears.
Well, THAT hasn’t happened yet. And my hair is now weighty with leaden thick black hair. Not sure how it hasn’t turned gray yet with the way I feel like I’m up all night and day. Of course, I’m not crossing my fingers for the gray transition either.
But this coif is getting to be somewhat of a nuisance. When it’s down, my 1-month-old daughter’s tiny fingers with dagger-like Lilliputian fingernails wreak havoc on the hair, which gets tangled up in knots resembling those of my childhood. When put up, my hair breaks the clasps of my hair clips and stresses the elastics of my hair bands. And it feels like an anvil dragging me down. I know, I know, I shouldn’t complain when one day my hair will be thin and white, but there it is.
What do you do with an 8-inch lock of hair?
I’ve taken a ruler to my hair and lookee here, I can donate to a child who really needs it! We’ve all seen the viral video “Emily’s Hair” depicting the adorable three year old donating to Locks of Love. But to whom should I really donate? Pantene? Locks of Love?
After a bit of research I’ve decided to give my hair to Children with Hair Loss. This nonprofit organization creates 300 hairpieces a year for children with all sorts of illnesses leading to hair loss. They, like Pantene, accept hair of shorter lengths – as little as 8 inches – and also accept gray hair – which I think is nice because people with gray hair want to be able to donate, too!
Why not other organizations?
Well, this article from Forbes diverted me from Locks of Love, not to mention the fact that I don’t think I could donate the 12 inches of hair they require. Imagine, $6 million dollars of hair unaccounted for at the organization that probably gets the lion’s share of hair donations?! Pantene, which creates 1 hairpiece from 19 hair donations, is definitely worth a donation with the great and beautiful focus of women with breast cancer. But I figured that they probably get many many donations anyway through larger programs.
And finally, I’m a pediatrician – of course I want to donate my hair for children! So Children with Hair Loss it is. And I’ll get a “kicky spring do” to boot!
How do I feel about going short?
Love it, love it, love it. I can’t wait to be tangle-free. I can’t wait to not have to pull my hair back and to have it styled in 5 minutes and done. Okay okay, I don’t wear makeup. Neither do I use any type of product in my hair aside from a little oil here and there. But at least now when I am finished my hair will look like something, not the shapeless ponytail to which I usually relegate it. I’ve gotten my hair chopped off every few years, and it was the very year of 2006 when I last took the plunge that I met T, the man who would become my husband. So the aspect of short hair looks much more promising than not.
Not sure why I never thought of donating it but there’s a first time for everything. Here are some of the styles I’m considering. Your thoughts? Stay tuned!