Rice Undergraduates Hope Their Shorn Tresses Touch the Lives of Children

While haircuts usually are not surrounded by fanfare, Bower's was for one special reason: the 13 inches of hair she was having cut off would soon cover the head of a child who, for medical reasons, had lost his or her hair.

Bower's hair will be sent to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization in Florida that makes hairpieces for children who have lost their hair due to cancer chemotherapy or a disease called alopecia areata. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. About 4 million people in the United States suffer from the disease, but onset usually begins during childhood.

While alopecia areata is not life threatening, it can be life altering and have a profound impact on a child's psychological well being, especially for young girls. "Maybe it's a girl thing that we're more connected to our hair," Bower said. "I think that's really indicative of how important hair is to the female culture. I thought, ‘If it's that important, if it's that big of a deal, think of how big of a deal it would be to lose it.' For a little girl, it's that much more integral to how she defines herself."

Susan Stone, executive director of Locks of Love, echoed Bower's statements and added that hair loss hurts a child's sense of self. "When they lose their hair, they have great difficulty in school because of teasing," Stone said. "They withdraw from life. They no longer want to go swimming, to the mall, hang out with friends, and they are stared at by strangers." She added that some cancer patients have said the toughest part about their radiation treatment was not the pain but the loss of their hair.

Bower first heard about Locks of Love when she was a prospective student visiting the Rice campus. Then this past February, when the Lovett College senior was contemplating what to do with her hair, a friend suggested she donate it to Locks of Love. Remembering the discussion about the charity from years earlier, Bower decided she wanted to be a part of it.

And the appreciation shown by the staff at Michel's Hair and Colour Salon on West Alabama in Houston, where she got her hair cut, only reinforced her belief that she was doing something special. "It was so neat because as soon as I walked in, they were clapping and telling me how proud they were of me," Bower said. "And I thought, ‘What an encouraging way to go through this.' It was just a great experience."

Michel Sellouk, owner of Michel's, said he cuts hair that will be donated to Locks of Love free of charge because he feels the charity is such a noble cause. "I do this for the simple reason that it is a good deed," he said. "The kids are not in good health, and this is a way to lift their spirits. These families are spending enough money on medication and treatment, so receiving a free wig is a great feeling for them."

Michelle Mejia, a Baker College sophomore, is another Rice student who donated her hair to the nonprofit organization. Mejia knows firsthand how tough hospital life can be, especially its effects on children. She had a 5-year-old cousin who died from a rare form of leukemia. Her brother also was hospitalized with aplastic anemia, a disease in which bone marrow stops making enough blood cells.

As Mejia spent time at the hospital, she had the chance to interact with some of the children who were going through treatments that caused them to lose their hair. "Some of these kids are embarrassed to go out," she said. "If you have long hair and you're planning on cutting it, what better reason to cut it than to give it to someone who has none? You're making this person's life happier." Mejia sent her donation in memory of her cousin.

Donated hair must be at least 10-inches long to be used in making a hairpiece, Stone said, but financial contributions are just as important. She said her organization is receiving plenty of hair donations, but the more financial resources they have, the more hairpieces they will be able to provide. About 98 percent of the children who contact Locks of Love receive a free hairpiece, which can cost up to $6,000 to make.

Stone, Mejia, and Bower said they want to raise awareness about the charity to keep the effort going to help children who have lost their hair. "I'm excited about talking about this," said Bower, "because the only reason I know about Locks of Love is because someone told me about it. So I'm hoping to spread the word."

—Greg Okuhara