Women celebrate birthdays by donating hair to Locks of Love

Two Hartsville women, Janet Snow, 75, and Susan Tyner, 49, celebrated their birthdays by having their hair cut for Locks of Love on Jan. 28.

Snow shared her birthday celebration not only with friends but with all the women attending Ladies Night at the Hartsville Country Club that night. The accomplished floral designer, who once worked on a float in the Rose Bowl Parade, created two large arrangements for table decoration at the club for Ladies Night and had a 75th birthday cake specially made by her design.

Stylist Brandy Watford, owner of Hair I Am at 815 W. Bobo Newsom Highway, set up a bar stool and lighting in one corner to cut Snow’s hair in front of all attendees.

Snow, whose birthday was Jan. 21, took her seat for the dramatic cut. The stylist first braided her hair and then made a swift cut before both disappeared from the crowd for the shaping and restyling of her remaining hair.

Snow said it was a wonderful birthday experience.

The spunky Snow reappeared with new clothes contributed for the occasion by Peebles and Minnie’s Giftique, jewelry designed by her daughter, Cindy Snow Young, and a new attitude.

The petite, young-looking 75-year-old’s locks had been transformed to make her look even younger. Beaming as she greeted everyone in the room, Snow asked them to join her in a toast for her 75th birthday.

“The pants are a size two,” said Snow.

She told the guests how they could donate their hair to Locks of Love and how she maintained a healthy, happy lifestyle that had brought her to this point in life. Snow is the mother of two grown daughters, Cindy and Beth, who live in Raleigh.

This was Snow’s second time donating hair to Locks of Love.

The non-profit organization provides hairpieces for financially disadvantaged children 21 years old or younger in the United States and Canada suffering from medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Tyner said there is a great need for this.

Mother of three and grandmother of two, Tyner said she received the inspiration for her Locks of Love donation from her three daughters, two of whom have donated. The most recent daughter to have had her hair donated was 17 years old when she made the decision.

“My daughter did it five years ago,” Tyner said.

When Tyner started thinking about making the donation, her strawberry blond hair was shoulder length. She said it grows very fast, and it only took a year for it to go from shoulder length to waist length.

“I was really ready for it,” Tyner said, who tried to get an appointment on her actual Jan. 19 birthday but wasn’t able to get one until Jan. 28.

Although the minimum donation required is 10 inches of hair, Tyner said they cut 18 inches off her hair and made a 16-inch ponytail.

Wanting to make her 49th birthday special, Tyner said, “I felt like it would be a good gift.”

Tyner said cancer runs in her family, and she has seen members loose their hair.

Libby Loveless at Great Clips in Florence cut Tyner’s hair.

“They will give a free haircut to donate to Locks of Love,” Tyner said.

She said that mothers can teach a valuable lesson about giving to others in need by encouraging their children to donate their hair when they get ready for a cut.

“So many mothers could do this,” Tyner said. “I challenge every mother.”

Info: www.locksoflove.org