Locks
of Love
Alyssa Famuliner, posted Nov. 30, 2006
Salon Nefisa in downtown Columbia will be holding a Locks
of Love drive on Feb. 14. Locks of Love is an organization
that uses donated hair to make wigs for children under the
age of 18 that suffer from long-term medical hair loss. The
organization creates hope for those children who cannot financially
afford hair prosthetics.
The drive is being organized by Erika Breedlove, who will
be donating for the third time in February. She is trying
to get the campus involved to help the children and support
a great organization. Breedlove said she would really like
for community members to not see college students with a typical
stereotype of being concerning about themselves, but instead
as caring people who would like to make a big statement and
show that they care about important issues such as providing
wigs for children less fortunate.
Breedlove said, “Some things women and girls take for
granted is their hair. But then you think about those young
kids who do not have hair and it is a great way to do something
relatively simple and make such a big difference in a child’s
life.”
Breedlove is working with Salon Nefisa through taking appointments
and helping to make gift packages for those who donate their
hair. Breedlove also said that the stylists at Salon Nefisa
are wonderful when working with people to help show the donors
how to work with their new length and style of hair. During
and after they cut a person’s hair, they teach them
what they are doing to create the look.
Sophia Dyer, an MU student who donated hair to Locks of Love
last year said, “I got 12 inches of my hair care off
with the intent of donating it to Locks of Love. I went on
the Web site and was really motivated by all the pictures
of kids that had received the wigs, and I thought there was
a need so I cut my hair and sent it off. I felt really great
after knowing I made an impression on a child’s life
and was able to make it a little better.”
To donate hair, you must be able to cut at least 10 inches
of clean, dry hair that has not been chemically damaged. Men
and women are both encouraged to donate their hair. To learn
more about the conditions of donating hair, visit the Locks
of Love Web site.
To talk to Erika Breedlove about donating or to make an appointment,
you can e-mail her at breedlovee@mizzou.edu
