All throughout high school, I prided myself on my hair almost to the point of obsession. I would curl it on the daily, taking up at least a half hour in the morning before school because I needed the reassurance that my hair looked good. I believed that my hair defined who I was. My hair was not a part of me, it was me.
The summer before college, I made the decision to chop 11 inches off the hair that came to the middle of my back. I researched four different charities and made the decision to donate my hair to Children With Hair Loss, a non-profit organization that produces wigs for children with any medically-related hair loss. This was the only charity that accepted chemically treated hair (colored) and did not make their applicants pay for their wigs, unlike the well-known "charity" Locks of Love.
After I made the appointment and invited one of my friends to go with me, I started to really dread the day. As I kept scrolling through old Instagram pictures of my long hair I began to wonder why I was having a panic attack over a simple haircut. But it was not the haircut that was giving me a panic attack, it was the fear of what other people would think of me.
Appearances are everything in this technology-based society of Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. People feel the need to look or act a certain way based on trends that come and go. Society's standards of beauty changes with each decade making beauty almost unattainable: so why should I be scared of cutting my hair?
I decided that if the only reason that is keeping me from donating my hair is because I am scared of how others will see me, then I will never explore outside of my comfort zone. The day I cut my hair was the day that I started caring more about how I feel about myself, rather than who I thought I had to be based off of society's rules.
The feeling of giving something that you have a surplus of to someone who is not as fortunate is a huge blessing. When you package your hair to be shipped off, a feeling of accomplishment comes over you that makes it all worth it. Not only did I donate to a good cause, but I overcame my fear of change.
This whole experience has taught me that when you take a step outside of your comfort zone you can grow as a person. Doing something as easy as cutting your hair can mean so much to someone who cannot grow their own. I strongly recommend to anyone who has even considered donating their hair to take the plunge and go for it. There is nothing to lose, but a lot to give.
