Bye bye hair!

Yesterday I got a haircut.  Exciting, right??

My hair has been pretty long for a few years now, but lately it's gotten to the point of being so long that it's just annoying.  It gets stuck on things (under my purse or backpack, under my shoulder when I sleep, trapped under boyfriend's arm and then I struggle to move without pulling my scalp off), and it doesn't have a style - just kind of hangs there, so I just leave it in a ponytail all the time because it won't really do anything else.  It's also outrageously thick, so if it's not in a ponytail, it feels like wearing a parka all the time!

It was time for this cray hair to go.

Called my local Aveda Institute, where I've been getting my hair cut for several years (because where else can you get a really good quality haircut for $25?!) to make an appointment for "just a cut".

When I walked in, it looked like this:

When I walked out, I looked like this:

And had this in my hand:

So... that escalated quickly!  I decided on the way to get my hair cut that - you know - I want to lose a lot of this hair, so maybe it might be long enough to donate!  I've actually donated hair once before about 6 or 7 years ago.  I figure that if it's so long that I'm not having fun with it anymore, then I might as well lop it off and give someone else the opportunity to have thick long hair instead.  And, since I'm still a poor and starving student, I don't have any money to give to charity, but hey!  I can put my talent of ridiculously fast hair growth to good use :P

I've donated my 9.5" of luscious locks to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program, where it will be put together with other people's donated hair to be made into wigs for cancer patients.

Interested in donating?  Here are some things you should know:

• Find an organization to donate to.  The Canadian Cancer Society has a list on their website that you can start with!  There are also US organizations, such as Locks for Love.
• Check the minimum requirements of the organization you want to donate to.  Each organization has slightly different requirements, but generally, you will need a minimum of 8-10" of clean hair cut straight off of your head in a ponytail or braid (i.e. not cut and swept off the floor).  Some organizations will accept hair with minimal processing or with a small percentage of grey hair, but not all will accept this.  Generally, "virgin hair" (i.e. not dyed or chemically processed) is preferable.
• Bring a plastic baggie with you to the hair salon.  Otherwise you'll be carrying a ponytail home with you, and it might be awkward :P  You'll need to mail your hair to the organization in a baggie anyway.
• Mail your hair by regular mail, preferably in a padded envelope.  Make sure to include your name and address on a separate slip inside the envelope, as most organizations will send you a confirmation that your hair has been received.