I donated my hair and it changed my life

Confidence is a word that applies to people in many different ways. For some it’s in acing a test, for others it’s conquering a fear. For me, part of my confidence in tackling every day obstacles has always stemmed from my hair.

Since I was a young girl, my hair has been extremely long and thick. The silky smooth texture of my brown hair would constantly leave people saying things like “you have the most beautiful hair” or “I would die to have a head of hair like yours.” I felt somewhat invincible with my dark mane always by my side.

Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky as I am to have hair like mine. Every day cancer patients loose their hair to chemotherapy, putting an additional emotional strain on an already painful time.

Eight years ago, my father was diagnosed with cancer of the parotid gland. Seeing a man who normally cannot keep his mouth shut suffer when trying to speak or eat put a huge toll on my life. My heart ached beyond belief, especially being a 11 year-old girl who didn’t really know how to help. Eight years later, my dad is as healthy as could be and doesn’t know when to stop talking (love you dad). About two months ago, I figured out a way I could finally help.

Heading into my sophomore year of college with hair almost touching my hips, I decided to donate my hair to Pantene beautiful lengths. Although my dad did not lose his hair, I believe that helping someone else is an indirect service to him. Of course, he was the number one proponent of this idea.

I was expecting to bawl when my hair was chopped off. Goodbye 10 inches of my luscious locks. Instead, I was pleasantly greeted with a large smile. Staring at myself in the mirror, I honestly didn’t love how I looked. But, I loved how I felt, and that was way more important.

All my hair!

It was that feeling of confidence I got from helping others, instilling confidence and beauty in girls who need it way more than I do. No longer having hair down to my knees, I cannot say it’s my hair that helps me put on a brave face when faced with difficult situations. Rather, it’s my mindset, my outlook on life. If you want to make a difference, you can. And if you want to be a better and stronger version of yourself, you can totally do that too. I’m lucky enough to say that my dad reminds me of this every day.