Growing a Wig

People think I'm joking when I tell them I'm growing a wig.

But it's true ... and you should consider doing the same.

Until recently, I wore my hair very short. About once a month, my wife would buzz my hair all over with my electric trimmer; it's a very neat look and the trimmings enrich our container garden.

Then someone told me about "Locks of Love". According to its website

"Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics.

Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers."

Strip away the jargon: they make free wigs for sick kids. Who can't love that?

I had to try; since about the beginning of this year, I let my hair grow. When my friends notice, my reply is always the same, "I'm growing a wig." So far, no-one outside of my immediate family has asked for further explanation. The first few times this happened, I assumed that people were simply not curious, but since the response has been broadly consistent, I guess most people it's another one of my jokes. Hey, folks, I'm serious ... this time!

Naturally, I wanted my work to go to a bona fide charity, and an effective one too. I looked at its public IRS form 990 (summarized at GuideStar website and viewable detail at National Center for Charitable Statistics) which was encouraging but drearily technical; it was easier to read its entry on Charity Navigator. It seemed to be for real and reasonably effective, not terribly wasteful. Good!

While researching, I learned of Wigs for Kids, a similar organization with slightly different technical requirements (e.g. minimum hair length.) Naturally, I checked its IRS form, and it seems bona fide also. Which org should I go with?

Well, currently, my hair is about 5 inches long and growing about half-a-inch a month. I have until about this time next year to decide to whom to give my hair. Currently I'm leaning toward Locks of Love because it's reported on Charity Navigator and Wigs for Kids is not, but this time next year, who knows?

Either way: Growing a crop of hair is one of the easiest things I've ever done. Think about doing it yourself!