What I did for Christmas 2012

by Alex Blankenstein
(Spain)

Hair Donation for Christmas

I cannot even begin to list all of the toxins in household and everyday products that contain carcinogenic or auto-immune disorder ingredients. I never even realised until this site caught my attention and opened my eyes to the dangers of these cosmetics.

I am 16 now and I have used many of these cosmetics, without question, everyday of my life since the very day I was born.

I understand the world that humans have created, as well as the world that nature provides, contains toxins. We are all exposed to these toxins every second of everyday.

But despite not being able to escape these harmful particles, 60% of which are absorbed directly through your skin, everybody, even YOU, can avoid them and stand against their use in publicly advertised products.

Millions of people are oblivious to the fact that countless diseases are caused by changes to the natural chemical balances in our bodies ... the chemical unbalances caused by toxins in almost all of your and my products.

One of these life changing and inevitable results of unnecessary toxins in our lives is hair loss, either directly or indirectly. This has been my motivation to give, not money, but something far more personal and helpful to little boys and girls who suffer from the effects of the unregulated ingredients in our cosmetics.

Not thousands, but millions of people suffer from hair loss. It is something that they cannot control, thus making it extremely traumatic and life changing. If I were in their positions I would be overjoyed to know that others, people that I may not even know, care about me and are willing to help me out of their own good will.

After the stress and punch at my self esteem that the loss of all my hair would cause, it would go a very long way for both my physical and emotional healing knowing that someone out there (an angel maybe) made a selfless donation for somebody they don't know.

I am in fact a donor. I donated exactly 11 inches of my hair to children suffering from:
Cancer, Alopecia, Ectodermal Dysplasia-A (heritable disorder that affects the formation of the ectoderm. Extremely sparse hair can be a result of ectoderm abnormality), Anagen Syndrome-An (abnormality where hair is thin and normally does not grow beyond the nape of the neck), Trichotillomania-Compulsive (repetitive hair pulling), Telogen Effluvium-Diffuse (excessive shedding related to sudden stress), Trauma (burns, accidents, dog attacks, etc.)

That's 28 cms. Almost the same size as a standard ruler. I have had long hair my whole life and I have also been fortunate enough not to suffer from a disease that affected my physical appearance. I do however suffer from tendinitis, and if there are people out there that are going through half of the struggles I have faced with my injury, I want to give them the world and more but hair is a good place to start.

“Do to others what you would like them to do to you”

I am not writing this article to receive praise for my donation in fact I discourage it. I am writing this article to bring awareness to just one of the many harmful effects that have evolved as a cause of excess and unnecessary toxic ingredients.

I am writing this to say that it is not too late, why not do some investigation and protect yourself, your family and friends from auto-immune diseases? Help them to become aware of what they are being exposed to!

They govern the lives of several billion oblivious citizens on Earth and in my opinion - this must change.

You could do the same as I have done if you feel you would like to contribute to the cause of hair loss. Donate your hair too and put a smile on somebody's face as they receive the one thing they are being deprived of mainly because of unprotected products sold and advertised heartlessly to the public.

I wish my recipient all the best, I wish them happiness and I hope that I have made a difference in their lives, made their wish come true. Know that it has been an absolute pleasure and an honour to donate to you this lovely little lock of love.

I donated my hair to www.locksoflove.org. After some investigation, I felt this was the best organisation to donate to. Their website is very complete, user friendly and easy to find. I have been growing my hair for 2 years to be able to give a child hair and have managed to inspire not just one but two others to donate theirs too.

If you have long hair, why not give it to someone in a less fortunate position than you. I encourage it. Don't leave it to other people to do, YOU can do it too.

“Steal from the rich and give to the poor” It should be “If you are rich, reach out and give to the poor” ... voluntarily.

It aggravates me that the big multi-million dollar companies know exactly what toxic chemicals they put in your products. It's a shame that many cosmetic companies think about money first and our well being as a second thought. Actions speak louder than words.

Please make sure you know what is in your shampoo or moisturiser, aftershave or baby powder. Don’t get caught out, don’t let them control you, you are entitled freedom, so stand up and take it, don’t let yourself be lulled into a false sense of security.

Inform yourself, as I did. Like this website, there are many other websites out there that will keep you informed so that you stay in control of your own life.

Alex