Share your hair: Preserving other’s sense of self

By Sophia Matthews

Wake up, get ready for the day, fix your hair and brush your teeth. People are conditioned to take pride in their appearance. But, what happens when your external appearance changes due to internal health issues, revealing your struggles to the world around you and changing your perception of yourself?

Every day, people of all ages and demographics are diagnosed with health conditions that can cause hair loss. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means society becomes acutely aware of the struggles relating to breast cancer at this time of year. While breast cancer treatment is known for causing hair loss, it is far from the only condition to do so. Hair loss due to medical conditions is also experienced by those with other forms of cancer, those with trichotillomania, also known as compulsive hair-pulling, those with skin diseases such as alopecia areata, burn survivors and so many others.

In a world where people are taught to put their best foot forward, where first impressions can dictate the course of an entire relationship, the loss of hair due to a medical condition is one additional burden that people undergoing hardships are forced to bear. 

Whether a child or an adult, the loss of hair as a result of a medical condition makes the invisible visible, turning a private, emotional and physical trial into a public one.

One way to assist people undergoing this change is through hair donations.

There are countless charities which accept real hair donations and turn them into wigs for people suffering from hair loss, often focusing on children who experience hair loss, as they can feel ostracized by confused classmates. 

Most hair donation charities accept donations that are between eight to 12 inches in length at a minimum. These donations are then used to create wigs which are provided to those who need them.

I urge you to donate your hair if you are considering a big chop — eight inches of hair is far less than you imagine. Although your hair might be an important part of your appearance, by sharing just a fraction of it, you can allow someone else to present themselves to the world how they want to.

It is important to know the requirements and details of the charity that you send your hair to, as some hair donation charities charge children and families for their wigs, while other organizations provide free wigs to children annually. 

When individuals are undergoing tumultuous changes with their bodies that result in the loss of hair, the last thing they need is an additional bill to pay. Finding and supporting charities that provide wigs free of charge to those battling medical issues can lift a weight off of people. Recently, I donated my hair to Children With Hair Loss, a nonprofit which provides free wigs and care kits to children annually.

I have been donating my hair since I was eight years old, after I discovered a book where a character was dared to donate her hair. I had not understood what it meant to donate hair, but eventually decided that I had a lot, so there was no reason to not share.

In my senior year of high school, I donated my hair and ran a fundraiser and donation drive for a hair donation charity. As a result of this fundraiser, I was able to talk with a mother and her daughter, who had trichotillomania, and inform them that they could get wigs free of cost until she turned 21 years old, a resource they had been unaware of.

I recently donated my hair for the seventh time, and knowing that the hair that I carry with me throughout my life is shared with someone else and their life is one of the best experiences. By sharing your hair, you can help someone else share themselves with the world.

Sophia Matthews is a senior English major