SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Marie Hines made a drastic change in her appearance that most teenagers - let alone a cheerleader starting her junior year - wouldn't dream of making three weeks before school starts: She had 14.5 inches of flowing brown hair lopped off.
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Hines, 17, took the step out of love for someone she has never seen, heard from or will likely ever meet.
She donated her hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that produces hairpieces for children suffering from medical hair loss.
A friend of Hines' donated her hair to the organization four years ago and Hines liked the idea. She decided she'd like to do the same thing, but she never thought her hair would grow so fast.
"I've gotten attached to it," she admitted as mom, Madonna, brother, Will, and best friend, Jessica Turner, sat in a small atrium in Classic Hair waiting for her appointment. "We've all gotten attached to it," Madonna Hines said.
But, Marie Hines said, "it's hot and heavy. It takes 30 minutes to dry. It falls out of my ponytail and flips in my face when I'm cheerleading," ticking off the list of negatives to thick waist-length hair as if trying to convince herself and everyone else.
"My hair is such a security for me. I can't imagine not having any," the junior at Spartanburg Christian Academy said. "No matter what you say, people do judge you by your appearance."
Locks of Love, based in Lake Worth, Fla., has provided hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children younger than 18 since 1997. The hairpieces are free or priced based on what the children's families can afford. The families have to meet certain financial guidelines to qualify.
Each hairpiece is vacuum-fitted and made entirely of human hair. The vacuum fit does not require tape or glue.
Most of the children who receive the prosthetics suffer from alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition for which there is no known cause or cure. Others may have lost hair because of radiation or chemotherapy treatment, burns or a dermatologic condition.
It takes about four months and 10 to 15 ponytails for the manufacturer to hand-assemble each hairpiece.
A handmade, human-hair wig would cost about $3,000.
Most of the children helped by Locks of Love are girls who want long hair.
The manufacturing process uses 2 inches of the hair, leaving only an 8-inch length.
Most of the girls want hair 12-14 inches long, requiring donated ponytails of 14-16 inches.
When Locks of Love needs to manufacture a hairpiece for a boy, some of the shorter lengths that have been separated by hand from each donated ponytail can be used.
Marie Hines came to hairstylist Willa LeBron armed with photos of "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson cut from magazines and printed off the Internet.
She also brought instructions from Locks of Love's Web site on how to cut and package the hair mailing to the organization.
She had already decided to grow her hair out when she heard about Locks of Love.
"It was to my shoulders. I decided I didn't like it short. I'll probably let it grow out again. Maybe I'll donate it again at the end of college."
LeBron kept glancing at Hines' long tresses over her horn-rimmed glasses. "Normally I wouldn't cut someone's hair this short," she said, a tinge of doubt in her voice.
Turner, who spent the night with Hines for moral support, admitted before the first snip, "I'm getting really nervous."
LeBron parted the teen's hair into two ponytails, carefully measured at 14.5 inches. LeBron poised her shears and said, "This gives me cold chills."
The veteran hairstylist held the ponytail in her hand.
Hines gave a slight scream, then said "Oh. Golly. Oh, my goodness."
No turning back now. LeBron made the second cut. Hines tossed her head like a prize filly.
"It's so much lighter," Hines said. "Wow! I did it! I'm going to be swinging it all day."
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On the Net: Locks of Love: http://www.locksoflove.org
