Cut for cancer: Eight inches for change and hope

MANILA, Philippines - More than 200 women gathered to cut eight inches of their hair for cancer. Women with (almost) waist-length hair fell in line last Oct. 25 at The Block, SM City North Edsa, their palms sweating while holding on to their numbers, friends by their side but with hearts determined to donate their long-grown hair for a cause.

Thirty professional volunteer hairdressers from David’s Salon were present at the venue. They busily bundled eight inches of hair with colorful rubber bands, cut them off, placed these in Ziplocs with the donor’s handwritten names, and styled the hair with the donor’s desired hairstyle.

Matrix Philippines, in collaboration with David’s Salon and Kythe Foundation, spearheaded the Eight-Inch Cut for Cancer Challenge. This is a renamed version of the American salon’s worldwide campaign, Chairs of Change. The event aims to spread cancer awareness in the country and empower children in fighting cancer with great confidence.

“The Chairs of Change movement celebrates three key types of positive change – personal, professional, and social,” shared JP Thomassin, professional products division general manager of L’Oréal Philippines.

The donated hair will be turned over to Kythe Foundation to be made into medical wigs. Kythe Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides psychosocial care to children with cancer. The foundation provides a unique and effective approach to help children fight cancer by engaging them in positive and creative activities. One of its most iconic activities is the kite-flying fund-raising activity.

Accepting the Eight-Inch Cut for Cancer challenge might be bittersweet for some women who are used to wearing their hair long, but imagine not having the ability to grow your hair back at all. Most cancer patients who lose their hair because of chemotheraphy shared that seeing their hair falling in the shower and having no hair left to comb added to their depression.

David’s Salon continues to accept eight-inch hair donations from November 10 to December 31, 2014.