not exactly what i intended, but ok.

This is the hair that was attached to my head this morning.

So I intended to get about three inches taken off my hair this afternoon when I went to the fancy-pants salon. I don’t frequent these kind of places often, though I realize that’s not a very good explanation for how I entered the place with waist-length hair and left with shoulder-length hair.

Fancy-Pants Stylist* (holding my hair): You know, you could donate this.
Me: Yeah, I’d thought about that at some point...
Fancy-Pants Stylist: You could donate this to Locks of Love.
(LoL is one of several organizations that provide hairpieces to children suffering from medical hair loss.)
Me: Yeah. But I don’t think I’d have enough hair for that and still be able to pull my hair back in a ponytail.
(They had a sheet I had to fill out when entering the salon about how much time I spent on my hair each day. I wrote down “five minutes,” knowing full well this was a generous lie. My hair regimen--pulling my wet hair into a ponytail--usually takes less than a minute. It was crucial that I exit the place able to continue this regimen, lest I have to shave the rest of it off rather than learn to use a blow-dryer properly.)
Fancy-Pants Stylist: No... I think you only need 10 inches to donate.
Me: Do I have that up to my shoulders?

FPS left to go get a ruler. When she came back, we realized that I had at least that up to my shoulders. When she informed me that what would have been a $50 haircut would be free if I donated my hair, it wasn’t a difficult decision.

I got my free haircut and styling, which looks pretty decent. It is *just* long enough for me to pull back, but it will grow quickly. So they handed me my hair in a plastic bag in two ponytails because it was too thick for one, and I promised the salon I would donate the hair to Locks of Love. After researching my options, however, I donated it instead to Wigs for Kids. I won’t get into all the reasons here, but as an example, Wigs for Kids doesn’t make their families pay for the wigs. You need 12 inches to donate to Wigs for Kids, which I realized that I did indeed have after I got home.

I’ve been growing out my hair (with a few cuts here and there) for almost four years. I’m toying with the idea of growing it out again and again to donate (and get a free haircut), which some people apparently do, according to Fancy-Pants Stylist.

* Please note that Fancy-Pants Stylist is referred to as such here because she works at a fancy-pants salon. She was not actually wearing fancy pants. Or pants, for that matter: I believe she was wearing a dress. She was also quite lovely, and did a nice job on my hair. Thanks, FPS!