Share Your Hair

Growing up, I followed in my mother's footsteps and donated my hair every two years. I have been blessed with thick, fast growing hair, and it was a nice thought to be able to share it with others. When I was 20, I was diagnosed with cancer and had to go through chemo. When the American Cancer Society offered me a free wig, made from donations, I felt so connected to all the other people like me who had donated their hair so I could choose a wig that fit me. Now that my hair is back and growing just as fast and thick as before, it is an honor to continue donating my hair and be a part of such a great community.

I was a videographer for Y-Serve and I had the opportunity to film one of Share Your Hair's service week events. I worked with the ED and PDs to plan and be at the event, and it was an awesome experience. Those running the program are motivated, and everyone who comes to participate is incredibly generous! I met a girl who went from long hair to a pixie cut and the volunteer who was cutting her hair was not only talented, but also incredibly helpful along the way, helping her when she got nervous! It was so awesome to see them get along and accomplish a single goal from two different sides.

I volunteered for BYU Locks of Love in 2015 as a freshman. It was a great experience for me as a whole! During quarantine, around June 2020, I started studying about the history of hair and hairstyling in the United States. It started as a hobby, but I became more interested. I contacted local salons and got to know some hairstylists who helped me gain a modern perspective on hairstyling today. In the process, I gathered a lot of ponytails that salons gave to me to study for texture, color, etc. Not knowing what to do with all this hair after I finished studying it, I remembered the volunteering I did for Y-Serve a few years back. I emailed Allyse, then executive director for Share Your Hair, and explained my predicament. She seemed happy that I had so much hair to donate, and she offered me a position as program director. I agreed, and I worked with the program for two semesters (Fall 2020 and Winter 2021). Allyse and my colleagues encouraged me to stay in contact with the salons I knew of, and I used my contacts to gather even more hair for donation, combined with student donations. In total, from students and local salons, we collected hundreds of donations for Children With Hair Loss! I am so grateful to Y-Serve and the wonderful women I worked with for welcoming me onboard and encouraging me to develop my skills and make a difference where I could. I loved working with Y-Serve so much!