What about my hair!?

[Swheeler05]

Ok ladies, I know this isn't the most pressing issue on Whiteblaze... but I need some advise! I have SUPER curly crazy hair naturally and it gets gnarly knots in it even after just one day of not washing it. I don't want my hair to become a hassle, so I have considered a few options for my '09 AT thru hike:

1) Cutting it pretty short before I go (although some tears might be shed)
2) Dreading it
3) Braiding it every day
4) Just leaving it, and hoping no bugs or small animals get lost in it

Any input would be awesome... especially if you share my curse/blessing of having crazy unruly locks! Thanks all, and Happy Thanksgiving!

[Lilred]

I would do option 1 or 3. I've seen lots of women with their hair braided on the trail. If you cut it and you can get nine inches, donating it to locks for love would take some of the sting out of it.

Dreads get way too dirty and collect stuff.

[Big Sky]

Do what makes you happiest of course, but my advice from person experience is to hack it off. I've donated to locks of love a total of 3 times in my life, and I have very thick hair, so I know what it's like to have long, unruly hair on a hike and it sucks. I keep my hair short now a days. It's nice in the summer when it's so hot, but I think is especially nice in the winter. I am a sweaty person and my head will sometimes sweat even in the winter under my cap. It's nice for it to not take forever to get dry when it's so cold out...

Dreads are pretty awesome, though, and might make for some killer pictures. You'd really get that crazed mountain-woman look going

[Gaiter]

if you do dreads you want your dreads to be well developed before you start hiking, many don't know how clean good dreads are

i've got wavy hair too, i carry a small comb, to comb through it once a day when hiking otherwise it will turn into a dread

but as big sky said do what makes you happy!

[fancyfeet]

Either option 1 or 3.

If you decide to cut it, be sure to donate your hair. Then the loss goes to a worthy cause. Locks of love needs 10 inches or more. Pantene needs 8 or more. LOL makes permanent wigs for children with hair loss and Pantene makes wigs for women undergoing chemotherapy. There are probably other options as well, which you can search online. LOL sends you a postcard thanking you for donating. You can also see before and after pics of kids who have received their new wigs on their website (locksoflove dot org).


If you decide to braid it, be sure to comb it out every day and rebraid it, otherwise it will still get matted. You could even go with tight braids, like cornrows, that can stay in for up to a month, but then you'll have to find someone to redo it periodically.

If you chose 2 or 4, you'd just end up chopping it off in the end and then no one would benefit, as dreads or matted hair can't be donated.

[Red Hat]

Braid it! Please don't cut it off! And don't give it to LOL, they just sell it. Almost none of the hair they get is actually used for wigs for children as they say. Instead they sell the hair they get and buy a few synthetic wigs for some of the kids. Some rich folks will get your hair for weaves.

[fancyfeet]

Some pretty inflammatory accusations there, RH. What's your basis for it? According to LOL, any hair they are unable to use due to shorter length, color (gray or unnatural colors) will be sold. But the proceeds go right back into their organization in order to make wigs with the hair they can use. The synthetic wigs are given to children under 9, because their head is still too small for their permanent wig. When they are 9, they get their permanent, fitted real hair wig. These wigs are meant to be for a lifetime for children with permanent hair loss.

I personally support hair donation. If you don't like LOL, use another organization. There are others.

Don't be swayed by one person's opinion, mine or RH's. Look into it and make your own.

And what's the big deal with cutting it? It grows back!

[peanuts]

Some pretty inflammatory accusations there, RH. What's your basis for it? According to LOL, any hair they are unable to use due to shorter length, color (gray or unnatural colors) will be sold. But the proceeds go right back into their organization in order to make wigs with the hair they can use. The synthetic wigs are given to children under 9, because their head is still too small for their permanent wig. When they are 9, they get their permanent, fitted real hair wig. These wigs are meant to be for a lifetime for children with permanent hair loss.

I personally support hair donation. If you don't like LOL, use another organization. There are others.

Don't be swayed by one person's opinion, mine or RH's. Look into it and make your own.

And what's the big deal with cutting it? It grows back!

well said!!! i donated 20" this past july when i cut my hair....

[fancyfeet]

Thanks, Peanuts! Wow, 20" is awesome! 15 and 19 for me. Donating sure feels good to me.

I have hiked with both long and short hair. Either one works, but if it's long, it's gotta be braided. Even fine hair gets matted after a few days.

[Tilly]

This is my 2 cents...

I would not initially cut your hair. I would braid it, bring a wide tooth comb, and maybe throw some conditioner into your resupply boxes if you're doing it that way. If you want to cut your hair down the line, if you decide it's too much hassle, that's one thing, but I would at least try it to start with.

Also, if you have curly hair that's easily knotted, I wouldn't even use shampoo on it, just conditioner to wash it, that way it'll be easier to deal with in the "field." I hardly ever use shampoo anymore. It just makes my hair harder to work with and more tangly.

[Hooch]

Just GI Jane it. No muss, no fuss. It's just hair, it'll grow back.

[yappy]

i have alot of curly hair too.. i just cut it.. but keep my neck covered cuz of sun. it still gets gross .. so what ! feels great when it is clean.. ahh, the joys of distance hiking.

[Christopher Robin]

I found in the Summer I was glad I had my hair cut short. If it was a very hot day hikeing @ I came into camp late I could rub my hiar w/a warm cloth @ feel good. But I'm going to start my thur-hike end of March next year so I'm to have it cut a litte longer.

[karoberts]

You may not have to cut it. I have exceptionally knotty hair. It tangles like you wouldn't believe and is very long. But on the trail, it was not a problem. This is what I did:

1. Never wash it without conditioner.
2. If you don't have conditioner, just rinse it in hot water - no soap.
3. If you have conditioner, use lots.
4. Do not brush or comb after showering. Just use your fingers.
5. Wear in a braid during the day.
6. Let it down to dry when you stop hiking and then braid after dry.
7. The dirtier and greasier it gets, the less tangled it will be.

After my 6 week section, my hair was so healthy and shiny.

[kanga]

Ok ladies, I know this isn't the most pressing issue on Whiteblaze... but I need some advise! I have SUPER curly crazy hair naturally and it gets gnarly knots in it even after just one day of not washing it. I don't want my hair to become a hassle, so I have considered a few options for my '09 AT thru hike:

1) Cutting it pretty short before I go (although some tears might be shed)
2) Dreading it
3) Braiding it every day
4) Just leaving it, and hoping no bugs or small animals get lost in it

Any input would be awesome... especially if you share my curse/blessing of having crazy unruly locks! Thanks all, and Happy Thanksgiving!

girl! you just don't know. check out some of my pics and you'll see "the hair". i know exactly what you're talking about and for pete's sake, don't cut it! i keep mine braided almost the entire time while i'm hiking, doesn't matter the distance. i'll pour water over my head and finger comb it out but that's about it (takes about 20 minutes...) if you take a comb get a big "detangler" one. only one i've ever found that i could use without conditioner if i had to. and that's coming from someone that can't get her fingers through her hair sometimes.

[BumpJumper]

Girl your best bet was to do a poll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


BRAID

[Red Hat]

Some pretty inflammatory accusations there, RH. What's your basis for it?

Just do a google search on "Locks of Love scam" and read a few of the discussions. They receive far more hair than they use and they sell it. (which means it ends up as some one's extensions) I just feel bad whenever someone says they are donating to LOL because I know they are being duped. They feed on people's need to do something charitable. sad... sure it grows back, but it takes time

[spencerb]

This post got me thinking about what I would do with my hair.

Sheesh, why we got to have all these things to think about...

I'll probably just cut mine off though.

[Big Sky]

Best thing about cutting your hair--it grows back! You'll live without it for a while.

[fancyfeet]

Sorry, this will be a long post...don't read if you're not interested in the subject.

Just do a google search on "Locks of Love scam" and read a few of the discussions. They receive far more hair than they use and they sell it. (which means it ends up as some one's extensions) I just feel bad whenever someone says they are donating to LOL because I know they are being duped. They feed on people's need to do something charitable. sad... sure it grows back, but it takes time

Ok, I looked. I actually spent several hours researching this, because I am very interested in the topic. In the end, I must humbly disagree with your assesment. Here is what I have found:

Yes, there are many discussions on the issue. What I found was a lot of people stating things they'd heard as if they were fact. The only negative "factual" source I could find was a NY Times article that, in turn, cited no sources for the information, only unsubstantiated opinions. This article was subsequently rebutted by LOL's president (who works 30 hours a week for $0 compensation).

I also checked a couple of charity review sites:
1) charity navigator dot org, which rates LOL at 4 stars (out of 4) for fiscal responsibility (only judges their financial aspects, not whether they live up to their mission, etc.). Conversely, the ATC only has 3 stars and the American Cancer Society only has 2 stars.
2) Independent Charities of America (independent charities dot org) rates LOL as one of America's Best Charities. There's no rating scale with this site (also a nonprofit charity), only criteria to be met. There are many criteria, notably "Applicants' fund raising materials and other information to the public must be truthful and nondeceptive." ATC also makes the cut on this site. American Cancer Society does not.

I was unable to find any negative information on the charity from an independent site (not all charities are rated by all sites).

Most of the bad publicity comes from misinformation. I have personally seen Tyra Banks and others on TV claiming that the hair would go to "cancer patients", which is typically not the case. An informed donor would go to the source itself (rather than celebrities or webblogs) to find out what they need to know about a charity before deciding if you agree with their practices.

In all fairness, I must edit myself, as well. In my earlier post, I said that children under 9 receive the synthetic wigs. It's actually children under 6, according to locks of love. That due to the fact that smaller children's heads grow too fast to use a custom wig for very long. Additionally, I stated that the wigs were intended to be permanent. They can be, however, children receiving LOL pieces are able to apply for a new one every 18 months if they choose. LOL also repairs the hairpieces as necessary.

From LOL: The only hair that is sold is the hair that doesn't meet the criteria. The good hair is sent to a separate firm which further culls the hair individually. Say you send them a 10" braid. They send it out to the manufacturer, who separates out any shorter, gray or damaged hairs. Two inches are used in processing, for the anchoring and trimming, I guess. Then they have an 8" wig, which falls to the jawline. These are sold back to LOL at wholesale (approx. $1000). Those are paid for from the money LOL got from selling the 8" braids, etc.

The shorter wigs are typically used for boys, while girls usually ask for longer hair. Most of the cost of any real hair wig is taken up in the labor process. Everything is done by hand and can take weeks to months. The material value of the hair is much less.

I also saw claims that LOL "badgers" long-haired women to cut their hair. I have had long hair much of my life, down to my butt before my last cut. No one from locks of love ever contacted me or badgered me to cut it for donation. Nor did anyone on the street, no salon, no Oprah, no Tyra.

Here is a quote from an LOL receipient:
" My name is Courtney and I am 16 years old. When I was in 1st grade I lost my hair. Since I was only 6 years old at the time, I can't say I really knew what exactly was going on. All I knew was that little girls were supposed to have long beautiful hair and I wanted to know why I suddenly didn't have any. We proceeded in getting wigs and it wasn't until 6th grade that I really started becoming interested in Locks of Love. Normal wigs are usually pretty uncomfortable and have a hard time staying on. I had many situations in my life where it actually has fallen off in public and I was left in humiliation. When I got my Locks of Love wig, my life completely changed. I never once had to worry about people pulling it off, not being able to go swimming, running, I could finally put it up, put some curl into it, or do normal things that girls want to do with their hair. I finally could do it all. It made me feel normal again. I became just like everyone else. Locks of Love is an amazing organization that changed my life and I'm sure changed a million others! It gives kids the opportunity to feel like everybody else and not have to worry about anything at all!"

For the record: I am not interested in convincing anyone to cut their hair if they don't want to. Nor do I care which organization donors would choose. There are a few to choose from. I posted "If you decide to cut it, be sure to donate it". I don't think everyone should cut their hair. Long hair is beautiful and I surely enjoy mine when I have it. But why oh why would it be preferrable to just throw it away?

Peace,
Fancy