One day before her family took an end-of-the-summer vacation to the Grand Canyon in late August, Spyrithoula Xenophontos got a haircut.
But the stylists at nuBest Salon and Spa didn’t just trim her ends.
Instead, the fifth grader at Shelter Rock Elementary School had 13 inches of her hair cut, which she then donated to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program, a partnership between the hair-care company and the American Cancer Society that supplies wigs from real human hair to women who have lost their hair during cancer treatments.
“When you get cancer, you can lose your self-esteem, and if you wear a wig you can bring some of your self-esteem back,” said Spyrithoula.
Spyrithoula had 11 inches of her hair cut – longer than the 8-10 inches usually cut for girls supporting the program – as an additional two inches were cut at the end of the haircut to even out her new look.
“It felt good, I was proud,” she said.
Pantene has donated more than 24,000 free real-hair wigs to American Cancer Society wig banks throughout the country, according to the company’s official Web site. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Spyrithoula said that by donating her hair, she was following in the footsteps of her sister Georgia, a senior at Manhasset High School who has donated her hair three times.
Spyrithoula said that though she’s still getting used to her shorter locks, her new look suits her just fine.
“It’s easier to comb or brush your hair instead of having to comb it all out first,” Spyrithoula said. “One brush and, whoosh, it’s done.”
Spyrithoula’ mother, Androula, said she is proud of the example her daughters have set by donating toward cancer patients. Her youngest daughter, Sophia, is a first grader at Shelter Rock.
“All my girls like to help out and give back. We all do,” Androula said.
In late September, Spyrithoula helped give out food samples at the Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Festival, at the Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church they attend.
When she went back to school in September, Spyrithoula said her friends asked her why she cut her hair.
When she told them why, Spyrithoula said her friends “thought it was pretty cool.”
Asked if she would donate her hair again in the future, the way her sister had, Spyrithoula said with a grin, “When my hair grows back, probably.”
