Being a social worker involves looking for opportunities to give back to the community, say Connie Branam and Teresa Bishop, President and Vice-President, respectively, of Dalton State College’s Social Work Club.

So for the second year in a row, the Club will co-host a “Locks of Love” “cut-a-thon” on Saturday, April 22. Social Work Club members will work with Dalton Beauty College personnel and students to receive donations of human hair that will be made into hair prosthetics for those in need.

“Our goal is to give back to the community,” says Connie, “and as social workers we do that. Through our community service projects, we try to improve the lives of others.”

The others she refers to are children, aged 18 and under, who suffer from long-term medical hair loss. Most of those children suffer from an autoimmune disorder called alopecia areata, which causes hair follicles to shut down. Some have permanent hair loss as a result of severe burns to the scalp or as a result of radiation treatments for brain cancers.

Children have particular issues when it comes to wearing wigs, Connie says, noting that most wigs sold by retailers are made to fit adult heads and are too big for children to wear. Tape or glue is often used to keep them from falling off, and these adhesives can burn or irritate a child’s scalp. And the styles made for adults are often not age appropriate for children.

The hair prosthetics that Locks of Love provides have a number of advantages, says Teresa, noting that they are custom-made from donated ponytails to fit each child’s head and that each hairpiece forms a vacuum seal, like a suction cup, that adheres to the scalp, giving those children a sense of normalcy to their everyday lives.

Anyone who wants to donate hair to this cause should come to the Dalton Beauty College, located at 505 Underwood Drive, on Saturday, April 22, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

“Those who wish to help with this project should be able to spare at least 10 inches of hair for the donation,” says Teresa, who adds that 10 inches is the minimum length for a “straight cut, ponytail” donation.

“People whose hair is shorter than 10 inches can still donate their hair with the understanding that it will be sold to offset the costs of making the prosthesis,” she adds. Each prosthetic hairpiece costs between $3500 and $6000 to assemble and manufacture, and it takes up to four months to complete each one, says Connie.

But she notes that 98% of these prosthetics are provided to the children in need free of charge. The remaining 2% are based on a sliding scale of the family’s financial need.

Those who can’t make it to the cut-a-thon can still participate in this project, Social Work Club officers say, noting that donated hair can be “cut at home” and taken to the Dalton Beauty College. Hair that meets the length requirement will be mailed to the Locks of Love headquarters in Lake Worth, Florida.

For more information, please call 272-2482.