5 Reasons to Observe National Donate Your Hair Day

OK, so that headline might as well read "I Looked Up In the Sky and Here's What What Color It Was." (It's blue.) "I Picked Up My Cat And Here's What Happened." (She didn't like it.) Or "I Rode the C Train And Here's What Happened." (It gave me whiplash.) Because, really, anyone who reads that headline knows what happened. My hair looked fabulous. Because, as I mentioned, my hair was cut by Beyoncé's stylist, Kim Kimble. It was a breath of fresh air. It was perfectly snipped, guarantee to grow out with grace. And, if I were to pair it with some dance moves and two women dressed in cut-out versions of my current outfit, I would look straight out of a Destiny's Child video.

Well, not really. I proved to myself that I'm no Beyoncé the second I deigned to keep up with "Say My Name" during a particularly challenging '90s theme night of karaoke. (I also learned that night that I'm no Mariah Carey either. A vision of squeakiness, to be exact.) But, point being, I felt good. And not because I looked good, but because I was able to do something good for the people far more worthy of praise and attention than an editor who is crappy at karaoke and too lazy to get her hair cut for a year and a half. Yes, Kimble snipped nine inches off of my hair for Pantene's Beautiful Lengths, a program headed up by the shampoo company and the American Cancer Society that has produced 24,000 wigs for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and I can't wait to donate it all over again. After all, my hair went from looking like this:

To this:

It's a worthy cause. An important donation. And there is so little to lose. Only eight inches, to be exact. Plus, there's no better time — Nov. 22 marks National Donate Your Hair Day.

So why should you celebrate this day with as much zest as you celebrated National Cat Day?

Donating is Incredibly Easy

Though not all women can qualify for donating their hair — not only must you be able to give away eight inches, but your hair must come free of dyes and bleaches — those who can can count on a simple process. All you need is scissors, an envelope, a stamp, and and a few inspiration photos for your stylist. Or, if your stylist happens to be Beyoncé's, a photo and a self-deprecating inner monologue wondering how she feels cutting the hair of some normal who could never be as fierce as this.

Your Hair Will Go to an Insanely Inspiring Group of Women

At Pantene's Beautiful Lengths event, I was lucky enough to meet Brittany Davis, a singer who was diagnosed with cancer when she was just a teenager. Davis, now cancer-free, regularly donates her own hair to the program to give back to those who similarly suffered from the disease. In fact, she was at the salon with me the same day to get her hair cut too.

And, with and estimated 1.6 million people being diagnosed with cancer just in 2014, Davis is hardly the only person all too acquainted with the c-word. Millions of women are fighting every day to strike down cancer, while working, parenting, and inspiring despite the disease. The very least you could give is a few inches of hair. (And, if you're so inclined, more than a few dollars — here's where you can donate to cancer research.)

You Need It

Your hair got so long so quickly, you're wondering when you transformed into Dolly Surprise. Plus, taking a ponytail holder out of your hair brings you more pain than memories of your middle school break-up. This is the best excuse to get that Lauren Conrad lob you've been drooling over, after all.

And Cancer Victims Need You

As Davis, who has said she feared losing her hair more than losing her life when she was diagnosed with cancer, told her wig recipient in her video with Pantene, "I hope my hair brings some normal to your life." So give them some normal with one of the most normal things of all: a hair cut.

And, Finally, Lobs Look Great In a Wind Machine

Or, more accurately here, a fan. C'mon, I got my hair cut by Beyoncé's stylist. How could I resist a little wind machine action?

Images: Pantene (4); Kate Ward