By Lynette Layus

For years I have kept extremely long hair going past my waist. I had been meaning to have it cut for months, but it wasn’t until recently that I finally decided to go ahead with it. My sister was the one who gave me the idea to donate my hair after having it cut.

I chose the date: Saturday, December 19. There wasn’t anything special about the day, it’s just that my sister happened to be working that day in the salon. I also wanted something new for the holidays.

My sister cut about 10 inches of my hair off, and I decided to donate it to a charity, Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which uses donated hair to make free wigs for women battling cancer.

I chose this particular organization partly because of the minimum hair donation requirement, which is 8 inches of healthy hair. Typically, similar charities require up to 12 inches of hair, but I didn’t think the tips of my hair were healthy enough, so I donated 10 just to be on the safe side.

This wasn’t the first time I’d donated anything but it was the most personal. I had become really attached to my hair – it was part of me. Still, after donating my hair, I felt so glad. Donating hair benefits the giver and the receiver.

To anyone interested in donating their hair, the first step is to do some research. The basic requirements are that the hair cannot be dyed, bleached, or have any chemicals in it whatsoever. But organizations differ on things like mandatory lengths.

And whatever charity you end up giving to, the need is great. It takes about 8 to 15 donations to make a wig, so every donation counts.