One of the first things people always noticed about me over the past couple of years was the length of my hair. “Wow, your hair is getting so long!” everyone would exclaim, even those who saw me regularly. I guess this was because I usually wear my hair shoulder length or shorter – and I actually prefer that. Long hair is so high maintenance.
The last time I had a haircut was April of 2011. It was a chin-length bob which was fun and easy to maintain – I loved it. I went about a year without getting my hair cut before I decided that I should grow my hair out to donate it. I had donated my hair before at a hair salon before so it was not a new experience. Many places will take hair that has never been coloured before if it’s more than 6 inches. During the summer of 2012 however, I decided that I should grow out quite a bit of length to donate. At that point I didn’t have many of the details decided but over the next year I definitely had a repeated urge to chop all of my hair off. The goal of someday donating my hair kept me sane, so I refrained from an impulsive cut. The summer of 2013 I began to notice just how long my hair had gotten from the excessive attention it received. It was then that I knew I had to go big or go home. I decided to grow my hair out to the longest it’s ever been and then cut it the shortest I’ve ever had it. By this point, my hair started to severely aggravate me; taking care of it was an enormous effort. It increased the length of my showers, my hair took hours to dry and it incessantly got caught in the most absurd things, such as car doors and even my boots when I leaned over to zip them up. I was fed up and needed a finite end to the annoyance to look forward to. I decided I was going to donate my hair towards the Hair Massacure in the fall of 2013. I had participated with the fundraiser before, but never as a hair donor. It seemed to be the perfect fit.
The Hair Massacure provided the perfect setting to get rid of my long hair while simultaneously raising funds for well deserving charities. I wanted to be part of the large event as well, surrounded by people who were working for the same cause, plus getting all my hair cut off in the solitude of a salon just didn’t have the same appeal. My anticipation for the event built tremendously, I couldn’t wait to tell everyone how excited I was to finally cut all my hair off. Within the last few weeks before it happened, I even invited some of my friends to braid it one last time.
I also did a bit of homework to find the right hair stylist for me. It had been quite a while since I’d last gotten a haircut, so I had no idea who was good. I scoured the internet for reviews on
all the top salons in Edmonton before I finally found my place. I had gone to that salon before for other services so I knew what the environment and staff were like. I went for a consultation and showed the stylist Dean the cut I wanted. After he told me it was a fabulous idea, I took a risk and made an appointment with Dean for the day after the Hair Massacure.
On February 14, 2014 I finally got to get my hair chopped off. I raised $1060 and was ecstatic to cut off over 20 inches of hair. I went to the hair stylist beforehand to get my hair tied up in elastics at the exact length of hair that could be cut off while still having enough to get the cut I wanted afterwards. West Edmonton Mall Ice Palace was packed that day with all the fellow participants and the wait leading up to the hair chopping was excruciating. I could barely contain my excitement. When it was finally my turn, I had a brief moment of wondering if I’d miss my hair, but as I heard the scissors shear through my hair, I got more and more thrilled about how free I’d feel. When all the sections were cut off, I took them into my hand and there was actually quite a bit of weight to it. I hadn’t really seen all of my hair in my hand like that before and it was really nice to know that it was now going to be someone else’s hair – it was going to be made into a wig for a child who had suffered hair loss through chemotherapy. The next day I went back to my chosen salon – Icon Hair Gallery – and got my hair styled by Dean. It’s now an asymmetrical hybrid of a bob and a pixie cut. It’s one of the most fun haircuts I’ve ever had and I love my hair at this length. Sometimes people ask me if I ever miss my long hair. Not even a little bit.
By: Anica Dang
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