Ten Inches
On December 23, 2008, I lost 10 inches of myself.
Three years ago, my doctor diagnosed me with HPV. I felt dirty, ruined. That was before I learned that the disease affects over 20 million people in the U.S. alone. In fact, 50% of sexually active people will contract HPV sometime in their life.
My form of HPV doesn’t lead to gential warts (SWEET!). But, of course, I have the kind that gives you cancer. The CDC classifies me as one of the 10% of women who “will develop long-lasting HPV infections that put them at risk for cervical cancer.” That part sucks.
Luckily, my cancer scare was short-lived and treatable. I had outpatient surgery to remove pre-cancerous cells from my cervix and get checked out about every two months to make sure that my cells aren’t mutating. I thank my higher power every day that I got through that time relatively unscathed. But I also pledged to try to make a difference for those who weren’t so lucky.
It seems silly, but I decided that donating my hair to Locks of Love could make a difference. Over the next three years, I let my curly, thick hair grow down to my breasts. It became my security blanket and my signature (as well as my scarf when it got cold). People – sometimes random strangers – made comments about how gorgeous it was. I felt confident, beautiful, and feminine.
But after three years, it was time (and finally long enough!) to let go. I remembered my own fears and knew that they were nothing compared to those of a child dealing with a cancer diagnosis. I decided to do it; the hair had to go. I didn’t feel a sense of loss, but of freedom. I felt like the last three years had been removed, like I had a new lease on life. I also felt like someone else would get to experience freedom and beauty with a wig made from my hair. There was no tax writeoffs, no public admiration, none of that. I won’t even know who gets my hair. I did something for myself and someone else and feel amazing.
If you fall into the qualifications for Locks of Love, I recommend donating. If not for yourself, then just for helping someone else. Hopefully, I’ll never need a wig and will be able to keep my own health issues at bay. For now, I have a huge weight off my shoulders and I’ve never felt more free.



Comments
yatesy
hair always grows back. for a kid, that could really make that difference to give them a little bit of feeling normal. your hair will always grow back. karma points times 20
lauren o
what a cool thing to do. and i’m so glad you got the medical treatment needed at the right time to keep it all under control. i’m sorry you have to live with this, and admire you for the way you decided to manage things. you’ve made someone, and yourself very happy, and that is really important. and while i’m totally jealous of your thick, curly, sexy hair compared to my straight, fine, wouldn’t-wish-it-on-anyone-hair, i would do the same thing, i think. oh, and, you are totally hot with shorter hair!
Mike Panic
New hairstyle looks great, maybe you need a new photoshoot!
Just over a year ago my mom donated 14+ inches of her hair…
marksometimes
live on, live on.
and nuthin’ but.
m