Mormon Woman Shaves Head for Good Cause(s), then Blogs

So many Americans (and others around the world) have watched with powerless horror at the disaster occurring in the Gulf with the BP oil spill. That's why I was pleased when I read about an NGO collecting hair from salons, pet groomers and private donors in order to make what is called "hair boom" - nylon stuffed with animal and human hair - which is then used to soak up the oil. The NGO is Matter of Trust, based out of San Francisco and they have really energized many dismayed people into action, including myself!

Salons in virtually every state are collecting the hair leftover from a hard day's work, stuffing it in plastic liner and shipping it to Matter of Trust's designated sites where it is then stored until it can be turned into hair boom. How brilliant, using a renewable material to clean up a big mess.

Photo courtesy of matteroftrust.org

I must be upfront about something, though. The truth is, I've always wanted to donate my hair - and buzz it. You may think I'm strange, but it's always been on my bucket list, though something I'd been saving for a "future day". When I read about Matter of Trust though, I really felt motivated to finally check this to-do off my list. I had a rough few days, one of exhilarating highs when I was definitely going to do it and depressing lows when I heard that BP was going to use oil-based commercial booms to clean up their mess (go figure, huh?). However, further research into Matter of Trust's site assured me that if I did donate my hair it would certainly be used. Communities all over the coast are requesting hair boom and the NGO has been extremely professional in putting oil-exposure in the hands of trained individuals. Additionally, they have a very organized system for boom-gathering (after they've absorbed as much oil as they can hold) that is in accordance with their various city and municipal regulations. It was a nerve-wracking decision, but after a depressing day where I'd called the whole thing off, I realized I was too far involved and I had to do it or feel miserable.

On Matter of Trust's site, a list of participating salons is readily available. One such salon is the Aveda Institute of Provo. In addition, they give free hair cuts to people donating to Locks of Love, a cause I also deeply wanted to contribute to.

Walking into the salon. I look much more confident than I feel!

My anxiety-ridden sister-in-law. Supportive, but anxious nonetheless.

She's holding my sweet baby. We call her Squirt.

Discussing how to go about doing this. They also wanted to make sure I was committed enough to not chase them down with a shotgun after all was said and done :)

Some play time while getting everything ready.

After measuring my hair, the students at Aveda determined that much of my hair was long enough to donate to Locks of Love (10 inches). To ensure this, however, it needed to be sectioned into little ponytails. The parts lacking in length, in addition to the clean-up buzz, were donated to Matter of Trust.

Finished ponytailing.

Buzzing off the first pony. Note the intense look of concentration on my face. Deep breathing definitely came in handy.


Ultimately, we found it too difficult to buzz underneath the ponytail, so we used some scissors instead. Still doing some deep breathing :)


We drew quite a crowd.


Mandi, discovering her true vocation in life.

My friend, Brittany, doing what she does best (she's a hairstylist).


Lawn-mower head. Cleaning this up was the next step.



Even the Squirt wanted to help. Look at her face!





The final product! What an awesome team we all made.

Goodbye, beautiful hair.

I am a proud woman.

How wonderful that my hair could contribute to two such important causes: wig creation for cancer patients, and the cleanup of a terrible disaster. I feel great and fail to be self-conscious of my new hairstyle. My husband has been wonderfully supportive and the baby still recognizes me, so that's great too. I highly support this movement. If you are so able, please locate a salon near you to find those contributing to this effort. You don't have to buzz it all off...unless you want to.