10 inches is a lock

Lindsay Sandham

Not many high school girls would cut off their hair for charity. But

last week, three Newport Harbor High School students went through

with what some might deem a difficult mission.

Christina Kalmbach, 15, Brittany Deyan, 16, and Maaike Trobman, 18

-- all Newport Beach residents -- visited Shanghai Salon in Costa

Mesa on Thursday and cut off lengthy ponytails they had been growing

for several months. All three will now mail their braids to Locks of

Love, a charitable organization that makes hairpieces out of donated

human hair for disadvantaged children suffering from long-term

medical hair loss.

“She’s been planning this for quite some time,” said Julie Deyan,

Brittany Deyan’s mother. “She was so determined, I’m proud of her for

going ahead and doing it. It’s such a great cause.”

Brittany Deyan said she is considering donating to Locks of Love

every two years.

Even though all three girls had been planning the donation for

quite some time, the first cut into one of the ponytails was somewhat

shocking.

“At first I thought it was too short, but then I got used to it,”

said Kalmbach, whose aunt had cancer. “My hair was so long ... [but]

I thought about what I was doing and I teared up about it.”

She added that her hair grows so fast and that it will be long

again in no time.

Trobman said she has no regrets about the haircut and thinks her

hair is a lot lighter and more manageable.

“A lot of people said they like the haircut on me,” she said.

“I’ve been waiting to cut my hair for so long, and then I got scared

when it was time to cut it.”

Trobman said she had back surgery when she was 8 and received a

lot of blood donations, which is one reason she felt obligated to

give back and donate something to other needy children.

Stylists John Alanouf and Christen Herold gave the girls

complimentary stylings after they cut off their ponytails.

“We offer complimentary haircuts for anyone who’s going to donate

to Locks of Love,” said Shanghai Salon co-owner Patty Ashen, who’s

been styling hair for 25 years. “I think when high school girls do

it, it’s so courageous.”

In order to donate to Locks of Love, donors must be able to cut

off a minimum of 10 inches of hair.

According to the Locks of Love website (https://www

.locksoflove.org), the process of providing a child with a hairpiece

takes four to six months. A candidate must be nominated and then

approved, which is followed by an extensive process of molding and

fitting, so the child’s hairpiece will be a perfect match. The

children are also allowed to choose their own color and style.