“Gift a piece of yourself; share your strands—hair donation, a small act, a big impact.”

The blazing midday sun shone relentlessly on the ceiling. I had been thinking about shaving my head for a few weeks; I even informed my mom about this, but she did not take this seriously. I wanted to do something that felt liberating. So, one day, I had my entire head shaved. That day was one of the most unforgettable days in my life. I had my head shaved on January 16, 2022. All the credit goes to my mom and brother for agreeing and supporting my decision. They were confused by my decision and were hesitant at first. At around 12 o’clock, I was all set with the required materials and the strong mentality to shave my head.

Before the haircut, for the last time, I clicked a photo of my long hair. Then I sat on a chair and meanwhile, I saw mom and brother debating with one another about who should be the one to do it. Eventually, my brother grabbed the scissors and cut all my hair. It took a lot of time to complete. After one painful hour, I was completely changed. I was not the same person as I was before. At some point, the day I shaved my head and changed my life. I took a bath and looked in the mirror and thought it was going to be emotional, but it wasn’t. It felt so positive. At night, my father returned home. He had no idea what had happened that afternoon. I was hiding with a hood, and as soon as I revealed my new self, he was astonished. He asked me how I was able to take such a daring step because I used to cry, even when I had to trim or cut a strand of my hair. He asked me if I was happy with all the decisions or not. All of my relatives started to question me about the reason behind my haircut.

The main reason behind my haircut was for donation purposes. I donated my hair to the Little Princess Trust, which is situated in Hereford, UK. It is a charity-based organization that supplies real hair wigs free of charge to children and young people who have lost their hair through cancer treatment and other medical conditions. But it was not necessary to shave the entire head. Donation was possible with the hair which measured 12 inches and above. However, I wanted to experience being bald. I took this as an insane step because people started to define me by my hair. I realized that my hair didn’t define who I was. In the 25-day vacation, I shaved my head. I thought, until the time the school reopens, my hair would grow longer. But it didn’t happen, as I expected. Days passed, but my hair did not grow much. I was not ready to go to school with that look. That day, I got to experience a lot of thrilling reactions from my friends and teachers. Many of them did not recognize me properly. Some of them thought that was not real. Most of them even thought that I could have been diagnosed with some disease. That day was like a rollercoaster ride for me, involving many emotional highs and lows. Not only that day, but this whole phase has been a roller coaster ride for me—a scream of excitement, exhilaration, fear, and tears of emotion. Honestly, during this phase, I suffered a lot. I am shy and not an outspoken person, which made me face the hardest times in my life during this stage. Though I knew whatever I did was for the right purpose, I doubted myself asking many questions and regretted it. During that stage,

I got a lot of help from my friends and family. My friends encouraged me and reminded me to think of the person who received the hair and how happy they are to have a new life. They said, no matter what, no matter who you are judged by, just live your life and this proud moment without stress and fear because whatever you’ve done is the greatest and most daring thing that no one can do. During this period, I learned that self-confidence is a superpower, and you have to believe in yourself. “You are a girl. Your hair should be long,” I was judged a lot based on my looks. People were confused about whether I was a boy or a girl. People judge a lot based on looks, which is not okay. No one should judge a person by their exterior because you don’t know their story.

I am quite content with this daring step I was able to take a year ago. I encourage the readers to try things in life that are not to be absorbed through the experiences of others, and you should never underestimate the difference you can make in the lives of others. In a world filled with challenges, the power to make a positive impact lies within each of us. Step forward, reach out, and help.

By: Erika Bhatta (Science, G1)