When I finished chemo treatments I diligently grew and grew and grew my hair.  After about 3 years it was finally past my shoulders and about the length I thought that I had wanted…and then it was always in my way!  When I ate, it fell into my cereal bowl.  At night, it would get caught under a pillow (or dog paw).  I needed to have my hair pulled back almost all the time or it drove me nuts!  🙂  Though I loved my long locks (and even took bathroom selfies sometimes to make sure that every strand was neatly in place), I needed a change 🙂
So I cut it off and donated it to Locks of Love.  The whole process was super easy.  I made an appointment with my hair stylist and explained that I wanted to donate my hair to Locks of Love.  I made sure that they knew all the guidelines for donating so that I didn’t need to bring in the info with me and headed to the salon.  There, my hair stylist washed my hair and separated it into two ponytails that she braided…and then cut off 🙂
While the back of my new do is a bit shorter than the cool shag-hair-do picture that I brought in…I love it 🙂  I have had my hair all different lengths (obviously…even a buzz cut) and have learned to embrace myself and whatever I want my hair and my style to say about me.  When my hair is long and girly, I tend to dress a bit more on the overtly feminine side.  When my hair is shorter, I tend to jazz up the brighter lipsticks and dress a little more punk.  🙂  Someone recently said to me, “if you are comfortable with you, the world will be comfortable with you because of what you exude.”  I have found this to be true again and again.  There will always be critics (someone literally told me while I had a buzz cut, your hair is cute…but so pretty long too!…thank you?) and there will always be supporters.
The important thing is to love yourself.
Find out more information about Locks of Love and how to donate here.