Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Sisters donate hair to Locks of Love

When Amanda and Bailey Hamilton let their hair down, they really let their hair down.

The two girls, ages eight and five respectively, recently had their long locks shorn and donated the hair to Locks of Love, an organization dedicated to providing hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under the age of 18 who suffer from long-term medical hair loss.

Amanda had a friend, Shea Layton of Magnolia, from her gymnastics class who had grown her hair for Locks of Love, and it gave Amanda the idea to do the same.

Of course, her hair was already long, but she let it keep growing until it was long enough to donate 10 inches, which is the length required by Locks of Love.

Meanwhile, Bailey decided to be like her big sister and let her hair grow as well.

Their mother, Lindy, said when the weather started getting warmer the girls decided their hair was long enough and needed to be cut. Amanda went first, getting shorn around February 24, while Bailey waited a couple of weeks, getting her hair cut on March 14. Donna Lovette at Cuttin' Up in Hope cut both girls hair.

"I like their hair short better," Lindy said, "because it's easier to take care of and easier for swimming weather.

For Amanda, though, once is not enough as she is growing her hair out again to donate to Locks of Love. Bailey, however, hasn't made up her mind just yet.

Locks of Love doesn't manufacture any type of hair replacement or hair care product. It is a charity, purchasing the custom prostheses it provides for the recipients. Locks of Love is not affiliated with any for-profit hair replacement business, nor are any of its employees or members of its board of directors associated with any company in the hair replacement or hair care industry.

Most of the children aided by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata. This condition has no known cause or cure, but the hair pieces provided by Locks of Love help restore the self-esteem and confidence of those who receive them.

Locks of Love began in 1997 and has provided more than 1,000 custom-fitted hair pieces to children. According to information from the Locks of Love web site, the organization receives thousands of bundles of hair each year from around the nation as a result of publicity it has received.

Donors provide the hair, volunteers staff the office and the manufacturer hand-assembles each piece, which takes about four months.

The end result, though, is the recipient receives a custom, vacuum-fitted hairpiece entirely made from donated human hair. The vacuum fit is designed for children who have experienced a total loss of scalp hair and does not require the use of tape or glue.

While most recipients suffer from the auto-immune condition alopecia areata, others have suffered from severe burns or endured radiation treatments to the brain stem. Still others suffer from dermatological conditions resulting in permanent hair loss.

There are requirements for anyone wanting to donate hair. First, the hair must be a minimum of 10 inches long, though 12 inches is preferred. It must be bundled into a pony tail or braid, be free of chemical processing, be clean, dry, placed in a plastic bag and mailed in a padded envelope to Locks of Love.

Anyone wanting to contact Locks of Love can do so by writing to: 292510th Ave. N., Suite 102, Lake Worth, Fla. 33461.