Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Do you ever continue to think of yourself in a certain way, just because that is how you have always thought or pictured yourself? For instance, I sometimes forget that I am driving a (super cool) mom-mobile (read: minivan) down the road & I still "see" (in my mind's eye) myself in an SUV. Or another example for me is that I always "see" myself as a long-hair person, even when my hair it is cut short. I don't know, it may just be me, perhaps I am a bit strange! After having short hair for a lot of my childhood (my mom likes short hair & I hated it as a child!), I have had long hair for most of my teen into adult life. Then, I started having kids...I've had 4 of them now & every time at some point I have ended up getting my hair chopped off. Sometime during that first year after childbirth, when the baby is small & often being held, I get what I call "sticky-hands hair"...you know what I mean, their sweet little hands grab onto everything in sight & well, when they are being held most often the easiest thing to reach is your hair! I am forever prying strands out of their tightly clenched fists. So invariably I reach a point of "enough is enough"...that point has come faster with each child, and this time I reached it about 2 weeks ago!

After the last 2 babies, I have wanted to cut my hair for a purpose, so I have cut it to be donated to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths. In partnership with the American Cancer Society, Pantene's program takes hair donations to make wigs for women battling cancer. The high-quality wigs are made by HairUWear and are distributed through the ACS at no cost to the women. Click here to read all about it.

One thing I like about the Pantene program is that they will accept donations starting at 8 inches in length, which is a bit shorter than some of the other programs. In general they say it takes about 6 ponytails to make one wig. There are certain requirements including no more than 5% gray and it cannot be chemically treated or dyed. Hair should also be freshly washed & completely dry, free of any styling products. Hair should be sent in still bound in the ponytail holder. No loose hair is accepted. Place your dry ponytail, kept intact with an elastic band, in a sealed, zipper-lock bag. Then place the plastic bag in a padded or plastic envelope. Include your full name and return address and send to:

Pantene Beautiful Lengths
511 Wisconsin Drive
New Richmond, WI 54017-2613

You can get your hair cut anywhere, just let your stylist know ahead of time so he or she can follow the proper procedures.

Here I am at the salon, the "before" pictures.

My hair was not quite as long this time around, but I wanted to make the cut before so much started falling out as it often does post-partum.

The ponytails! My stylist divided my hair into 7 ponytails to make the initial cut easier to work with & to set it up for the new style.

The first cut! This is what I looked like right after she cut the ponytails off!

And here is the final product (excuse the self portrait taken in the mirror!)

I LOVE my new do & it is perfect for summer!

So cool & easy to care for...works great at the pool or lake.

(This photo was taken by my 7 year old!)

A little trip down memory lane of the "baby" haircuts!

Before in 2007

After in 2007

Before in 2004

After in 2004

I can't believe I'm really posting all of these OLD pictures!

Look how long it was here, and these were a good 6 months before I got it cut.

I am kicking myself for not donating it back then!!!

Before 2001

After in 2001

This was actually the day I got it cut, I remember taking this picture as soon as I came home from the salon. It was the first time in my adult life that I had gotten my hair CUT, not just trimmed!

Thanks for indulging my little photo stroll down memory lane!

It's fun to look back & see how we have changed &

also remember each child when they were a baby!