I don't know about you, but I happen to have long hair. Really long hair. So long that I can sit on it when I take it out my normal braid. And normally people ignore it until I take my hair down. Then they have start having things to say. First thing generally is: "Wow! You're hair is so long!". The second tends to be: "You should cut your hair for Lock of Love! It'll grow back."
You know what Locks of Love is, right? On the off-chance that you don't, Locks of Love is organization (non-profit and public) that provides wigs and other hairpieces to children who have lost their hair and whose families cannot afford a prosthetic. It's a great organization working for a good cause, and working to help children.
And you know what? I still haven't cut my hair. I'm not planning to cut it, for a while, if at all. Frankly, most of the people who tell me to cut my hair are people with short hair. I've often wondered why they don't grow their hair out to give to Locks of Love if they want to help people so much. I grew my hair out because I like my hair long, even if it is a hassle to maintain. Telling me to cut it "for a good cause" because "it'll grow back", isn't exactly fair.
It also isn't exactly true. Your hair may not grow back to where it was again if you cut it. You see, when your hair reaches a certain point it just won't grow anymore. My mom had hair that was as long as mine is and she had it cut to her shoulders because the knots were so painful. After that, it would never grow past her mid back. I've also met a girl who's hair never grew past her shoulders.
Call me selfish, but I like my hair long, even if tends to be a frizzy mess and a pain to wash. I may cut it sometime in the future but it's not something I'm planning on any time soon. In the meantime, why don't the people who keep suggesting I cut my hair, try growing their own out so they can donate it for a good cause.
I had really long hair a few years ago. I have had my hair long as long as I can remember. But, about 3 years ago, for many reasons, I just decided I wanted a change. So I chopped all my hair off. And, since I was cutting off so much, I donated it to Locks for Love. My hair is still short because now I can't stand it when it starts to grow. :P
I don't think people realize what a huge change chopping off your hair can make. It's easy for them to say "donate." They don't realize that your hair is a part of you. I know I was in complete shock after I cut mine. It's something I wanted to do, but it really does make you feel like an entirely different person when you make such a drastic change.
Locks for Love is an awesome organization that does great things. But, just because you have long hair doesn't mean you should be obligated to contribute to an organization. Just because your hair is long doesn't mean you were put on this earth so people could harvest it.
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I feel your pain. My hair is hip length and people I don't even know approach me to ask if I'm going to donate it. As worthy a cause as hair donation is, the questions get a little tired. If I ever decide to cut it, I'll certainly donate it... but there are other ways to contribute until I reach that point. Next time you're asked if you're going to donate.... ask how they've donated to the organization. Most probably won't have an answer for you.
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~Fallon~
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.- Russell
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I donated my hair over the summer. It was reaching the small of my back around the time I graduated from college, and I was just getting sick of how messy it looked. So, I cut off about a foot of hair (got a free haircut out of the deal :)). It was a really nice change for me, and I think my hair is a lot healthier as a result. But, I do know how tramatizing it can be to go without all that hair until you get used to it.
Personally, though, I would've preferred to donate to a different organization. Locks of Love is certainly the most popular, but they end up throwing away most of the hair they get. And there are dozens upon dozens of other organizations that could use all that hair. Also, people think that Locks of Love gives wigs to children with cancer, but they make up a pretty small population of the wigs that the organization gives out. Most children get wigs because they lost their hair for some other reason. It's a worthy cause, to be sure, but I think some of the other organizations should be recognized as well.
~C
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