Its all about the hair
These days my hair is incredibly long; I started growing it out partially because I didn't think I could. Most of you know that I lost a good majority of my hair back in 2005, leaving me with noticeable bald patches that I found uncomfortable and embarrassing. So I chopped off my hair into an extremely short stylish, asymmetrical do and started wearing wigs until my hair had recovered enough to at least look good short.
The other part of me always wanted to give my husband the luxury of enjoying my longer hair. When I was pregnant I had grown my hair out and stopped chemically treating it. Leaving the duty of washing and caring for my hair to him since I had a hard time reaching it and I was still bound by Army hair regulations, at the time. He loved it and I remember the joy he would take in brushing my hair nightly... so for the last 3 years I have been growing it back out for him. Its been past my shoulders for the last year and a half and the hubs rarely takes enjoyment from my hair anymore.
As far as my own personal enjoyment, the last 8 months or so I have been loving my "Betty Bangs" and rocking out all sorts of pin-up hairdos. Though lately I have not been stepping in front of the camera much; unfortunately now I am no longer behind the camera either. I am going back to school full time in a few weeks as well, so I really don't need to be rocking the rockabilly look anymore aside from my own personal enjoyment. The hospital I am volunteering with also requires a "regular hairdo" and I must also cover my ink when working.... So I have been seriously considering cutting my hair short. I am fine with putting my hair in ponytails all day, everyday... I just find it boring and slightly annoying. These days the sheer weight of my hair is almost too much for me. I am really not used to it... I cut my hair short when I was a competitive swimmer and always kept it fairly short after that... never reaching my shoulders for more than a few weeks. I find piggie tails fun sometimes but frankly I am kinda sick of getting that "she is far too old for T-shirts & pigtails" look that I get from people too.
Thing is, despite being on the fence as to keep my hair long or cut it short for inconsequential reasons... I have another reason for wanting to just chop it off... my Grams. My Grandma J has cancer, she has been undergoing treatment for over a year now and she has lost her hair. It stuck home hard for me when we last spoke, you could hear the sorrow as she talked about her hair. And for my Grams that is something beyond significant. She is the pillar of strength of our family, showing little emotion to the world but always driving on and forward. She received a donated wig from an amazing charity and I really want to do my part to give back to such charities. I don't have much money, matter of fact I have nothing to spare, but I do have hair... plenty of it. You know what I mean?
So read on if you want to know more about donating money or hair to a charity....
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Organizations YOU can donate to:
Beautiful Lengths is a partnership between Pantene and the American Cancer Society Wigs for kids makes wigs for kids with cancer and other hair loss medical conditions, oldest of the organizations Locks of Love makes cranial hair prosthesis for financially disadvantaged children, age 21 and under, suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis Childhood Leukemia Foundation makes wigs called Hugs-You-Wear Hair That Cares is a NY based oraganization that grants medical wigs to financially deprived adults and children who suffer from medical related hair loss. Children With Hair Loss is a Michigan based organization that makes wigs for ALL children with medical hair loss (burns, cancer, illness, etc...) Angel Hair for Kids is an Oregon based organization reaches out to kids who have lost their hair due to medical illness. The foundation provides the funding needed to purchase "Angel Hair Systems" (a cranial hair prosthesis) for kids and teens.
... and for those who want to rawk the bald look but want to accationally cover up without a wig or hairpiece: The BeauBeau
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I have been researching and reading about various organizations, their individual donation requirements, and the rate at which donated hair is disposed of (tossed, sold to defray costs, etc...). I think that I have settled on Oregon's Angel Hair for kids but I am not quite sure yet. I think I may ask my family to all weigh in their opinions as well before I make a final decision and then finally have my hair chopped. I know I want to go to my girl at SCREAM since she has been cutting my hair for years (as well as DJ's) and she made me promise that if I EVER cut off all of my hair that I had to come to her for it because she has the perfect short look for me. Let's see... anything else I need to consider? Oh yeah... as my friend Christy reminded me... I will need pictures... which means begging one of my photography friends to come and capture the big day for me. Perhaps I will wait until the new year... symbolic of shedding my past and moving forward new and refreshed?
The other part of me always wanted to give my husband the luxury of enjoying my longer hair. When I was pregnant I had grown my hair out and stopped chemically treating it. Leaving the duty of washing and caring for my hair to him since I had a hard time reaching it and I was still bound by Army hair regulations, at the time. He loved it and I remember the joy he would take in brushing my hair nightly... so for the last 3 years I have been growing it back out for him. Its been past my shoulders for the last year and a half and the hubs rarely takes enjoyment from my hair anymore.
As far as my own personal enjoyment, the last 8 months or so I have been loving my "Betty Bangs" and rocking out all sorts of pin-up hairdos. Though lately I have not been stepping in front of the camera much; unfortunately now I am no longer behind the camera either. I am going back to school full time in a few weeks as well, so I really don't need to be rocking the rockabilly look anymore aside from my own personal enjoyment. The hospital I am volunteering with also requires a "regular hairdo" and I must also cover my ink when working.... So I have been seriously considering cutting my hair short. I am fine with putting my hair in ponytails all day, everyday... I just find it boring and slightly annoying. These days the sheer weight of my hair is almost too much for me. I am really not used to it... I cut my hair short when I was a competitive swimmer and always kept it fairly short after that... never reaching my shoulders for more than a few weeks. I find piggie tails fun sometimes but frankly I am kinda sick of getting that "she is far too old for T-shirts & pigtails" look that I get from people too.
Thing is, despite being on the fence as to keep my hair long or cut it short for inconsequential reasons... I have another reason for wanting to just chop it off... my Grams. My Grandma J has cancer, she has been undergoing treatment for over a year now and she has lost her hair. It stuck home hard for me when we last spoke, you could hear the sorrow as she talked about her hair. And for my Grams that is something beyond significant. She is the pillar of strength of our family, showing little emotion to the world but always driving on and forward. She received a donated wig from an amazing charity and I really want to do my part to give back to such charities. I don't have much money, matter of fact I have nothing to spare, but I do have hair... plenty of it. You know what I mean?
So read on if you want to know more about donating money or hair to a charity....
_____________________________________________________________
Organizations YOU can donate to:
... and for those who want to rawk the bald look but want to accationally cover up without a wig or hairpiece: The BeauBeau
___________________________________________________________________
I have been researching and reading about various organizations, their individual donation requirements, and the rate at which donated hair is disposed of (tossed, sold to defray costs, etc...). I think that I have settled on Oregon's Angel Hair for kids but I am not quite sure yet. I think I may ask my family to all weigh in their opinions as well before I make a final decision and then finally have my hair chopped. I know I want to go to my girl at SCREAM since she has been cutting my hair for years (as well as DJ's) and she made me promise that if I EVER cut off all of my hair that I had to come to her for it because she has the perfect short look for me. Let's see... anything else I need to consider? Oh yeah... as my friend Christy reminded me... I will need pictures... which means begging one of my photography friends to come and capture the big day for me. Perhaps I will wait until the new year... symbolic of shedding my past and moving forward new and refreshed?