By Zhanet Velkova (YES 2018-2019, Bulgaria, placed by ACES in Oregon, OH)

Running up to Global Youth Service Day, small acts of service that we do throughout the year are always important. And donating your hair is a rewarding way to give back to people in need. By simply donating your hair to the proper organization, you can help cancer patients boost their confidence during treatments or give a person suffering from medical hair loss a chance to feel like themselves again. People who experience hair loss could be helped by your hair donation so it can be turned into a wig. Wigs aren’t just about looks and confidence. Wigs can help people with hair loss feel more like themselves again. Also, some people like wearing a wig because it makes them seem healthier and masks their illness, so no one judges them or assumes they're sick. Also, it can help improve a person’s mood, which will help them significantly on the road to recovery.

Sesil Ivanova decided to donate 35 cm (14 inches) of her long and healthy hair to help a cancer patient feel like themselves again and to put a bright smile on their face.

Sesil shares: ‘’I strongly believe one can learn more by giving than receiving. The idea to donate my hair came two years ago when I realized many people need what I already have. Since then, I have been growing my hair, and now I feel immeasurably happy that this simple act of kindness will bring a smile to somebody’s beautiful face. My hair will go to a cancer patient who can’t afford to buy a wig, and I donated it to the Bulgarian organization; Асоциация за превенция на рака, Промени живота си сега!”

Creating a wig with human hair usually requires approximately 20 ponytails of natural hair, so many people must contribute. The ponytails are sewn together after they are tied into a cap specially measured to fit on a person’s head. The hair can then be colored, cut, and styled. The result is a beautiful and unique wig. So next time you go for a haircut, remember that when you do something good, it always comes back to you somehow.