I have had long hair off and on for more years than not.  My hair has long been part of my public image.  People identify with it.  It’s like having a baby or a bassett hound: people stop and admire it with a total disregard for that person who happens to be carrying it around.  I keep it healthy.  I don’t use chemical crap in it and I don’t blow dry it—ever.  I wash it with a nice gentle cleanser, I use a simple leave-in conditioner, and I comb it (when wet) and brush it (when dry) using good gear (I own a Mason Pearson brush).

It’s been really long. I’ve been cultivating it. I have decided to do something with all this hair. I am going to make the children happy. There is an organization called Locks of Love which takes donated hair and creates wigs for at-need children (for medical reasons). I have heard mixed reviews concerning the success of this whole donation thing. Some folks say that very little of the hair is actually used. Others are very adament about the goodness of such an act. I have not yet met or talked with anyone with firsthand experience of the donation and what happens afterwards.

I have taken all the precationary steps and followed the posted instructions in every detail, so I look forward to seeing what sort of response I get from these folks once I send my donation off to them.

(I will be including a letter and a self-addressed reply envelope asking for details concerning the fate of my hair.)

First, I washed my hair and allowed it to dry completely. It was a warm, sunny day but the drying still took hours due to the sheer volume of hair involved. Once it was thoroughly dry I tied three hair bands into strategic locations along the legnth of the hair.

The first band was put in place to mark the minimal line requried for me to tie my hair into a pony tail. This was important in deciding where to cut. The second band was tied maybe three or four inches below the first band. This was put in place to hold the volume of hair together once the cut was made—per their requirements. The third was rather superfluous but I tied it near the end of the hair just to keep it orderly while we worked with it and packaged it.

Maria and I went out into the back yard for a different brand of spectacle. We slipped the majority of the hair into the required plastic bag, holding it at an angle to prevent any of the cut hair particles from falling into the bag. Maria placed the hair scissors equadistant between the two top hair bands and hacked away at the thick mass of hair.

It took several minutes of snicking away before the pony tail was finally severed from my head.

Down into the plastic bag it went.

I was concerned that it would be difficult to manage the rope of hair, even tied, but it turned out to be no trouble at all.  I took a moment to measure the length of it.

It measures a full twenty-five inches.

I will mail the rope of hair in the plastic bag (where now it rests) and my letter once I finish this post.

In my letter I am asking questions concerning how much of the hair will actually be used (by them or by others) and an assessment of quality and suggestions for improvement.

I will post again as I get more information.

So, that’s it: my first adventure as a hair farmer.  We shall see what the future holds.