For 11-year-old Carlila Schlumpberger of rural Hanska, choosing a new hairstyle was the easy part. Figuring out what to do with the hair she cut off was the real challenge.

All her life Schlumpberger was fortunate to have relatively long and healthy hair. Once she decided to try a shorter hairstyle, she did not want her locks to be wasted.

“I wanted to donate it to help someone else,” Schlumpberger said.  

Schlumpberger’s grandmother Kimberly Schlumpberger and mother Carrie Ahlness were both very supportive and proud of her decision. The next step was to find a hair stylist who could assist Schlumpberger in donating her hair.

Carlila Schlumpberger before donating 14-inches of hair.

Stylist Kendra Gieseke from In Style Salon was able to help the family. Gieseke would be the one to cut Schlumpberger’s hair, but she was also the person to recommend donating the hair to Wigs for Kids.

Wigs for Kids is a nonprofit founded in 1981. The organization provides donated hair to kids and teens experiencing hair loss for medical reasons. Gieseke recommended Wigs for Kids because the organization does not charge recipients of the donated hair.

After it was decided her hair would go to Wigs for Kids, it would still take a few months before the hair was donated. Schlumpberger’s hair had to be cut a certain way to be eligible for donation. First, the hair needed to be clean and the hair donated needed to be at least 12 inches in length, though 14 inches was the recommended donation amount.

Once Schlumpberger had 14 inches of hair to spare, she was in the chair for a trim. Before cutting, she was put into four braids; 2 front braids and two back braids. This is to maximize the amount of usable hair from the donations. If the hair was put into a single large ponytail and then cut, about 20% of the usable hair would be lost.

Before the haircut, Schlumpberger had around two feet of hair. After the trim, she’s down to about 10 inches of hair.  

Stylist Kendra Gieseke prepares to cut Carlila Schlumpberger's long locks.

“My head feels a lot lighter,” Schlumpberger said. She could not remember a time when her hair was this short.

Her mother confirmed this is the shortest her daughter’s hair has been since she was a baby.  

Schlumpberger said having less hair will take getting used to it, but the response has been positive. All her friends said they like the shorter look and were proud of her for donating.

There are other benefits to having shorter hair. Schlumpberger said she no longer has to worry about tangles.  

“I had to wear this long silk bonnet so it wouldn’t tangle when I slept,” she said.

The only downside to her new hairstyle is the wind is still a problem.

“If it’s a windy day, the wind blows in my face,” Schlumpberger said. “You would think if you cut it short it would stop, but it actually happens even more. It’s really annoying.”

Looking to the future, Schlumpberger is considering growing her hair out again to make another donation. It took about two years to reach its previous length. In the meantime, she hopes to encourage others with long hair to donate hair with her.