Incline woman also donates hair to Locks of Love

INCLINE VILLAGE - For most women, the thought of cutting their long hair is frightening, and at times even more so for the stylists, who fear their clients will be unhappy with the cut.

"It's scary," said stylist Heidi Bates, of All About Nails in the Village Shopping Center in Incline Village. "I'm not really an aggressive stylist."

However, Bates did not mind cutting Incline resident Rachel Barth's hair last week because she was cutting for a reason - to donate it to Locks of love, a charity that makes wigs for children with medical hair loss.

Bates donated her services to Barth.

"I've never seen Rachel with short hair," Bates said. "I'm hoping she'll like the cut. I want it to be feminine."

Bates, who has also donated her hair to Locks of Love, knew Barth would be a perfect candidate.

"She has very thick unprocessed, untreated hair," Bates said. "It takes 10-15 heads of hair to make one wig, and it probably wouldn't take as many if everyone else had the head of hair she did."

Barth was not afraid to see her long brunette hair cut; in fact, she was relieved her hair finally was long enough to cut. Locks of Love requires that donors cut at least 10 inches off.

Barth's hair was 18 inches before it was cut, but she wanted to make sure she had enough hair left to tie back when she worked out.

"It doesn't bother me. If I was vain about my hair, I wouldn't be donating it," she said. "It weighs a lot, and when it gets to a certain length, it gives me headaches."

"It's such an easy way to donate to a charity when you have a full-time job and don't have the time to volunteer," Barth said. "It's just an afternoon - and a lot of growing time."