For most of my life I’ve been defined by my crazy, curly, lion-like red hair. That’s why cutting it all off tends to be a pretty big deal. Especially if it’s a bad haircut.

I remember the first time I got a haircut that was actually really terrible. I think I was 10-years-old. I wanted a messy bob cut. What I got was a fashionable mullet. To say the end result wasn’t what I expected is an understatement.

Many tears and a year full of butterfly clips later, my hair was back to a “normal” length. Thank goodness.

Two weeks ago I cut all of my hair off. Well, not ALL of it – just 18 inches. And donated it to Locks of Love – a nonprofit organization that uses donated locks to make hairpieces for financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

This wasn’t the first time I’ve donated my hair. In fact, in the past eight years, I’ve donated 41 inches of my hair.

Another understatement? My hair grows fast.

I understand the pace my hair grows is not a normal one. And I understand that not everyone can meet the requirements set for “donated hair.” But I do believe, if your able, you should give it a go; donate your hair to someone who can’t grow their own.

Sure, beauty is a big deal in American society – the idea of falling victim to a “bad haircut” can be a frightening one. But it can be avoided. This time around, I had a clearer vision of what I wanted – and a bad haircut, it was not. And for the time being, I’m rocking a sassy new ‘do.

Did you catch that? For the time being. Because that’s the beauty of hair: for most of us, it grows back.