With hair 17 inches long, sophomore Grace Dubill gave up 11 inches to donate to kids.

“I was getting bored of my old look in general,” Dubill said. “Shorter hair is much easier to handle, and I put in less time compared to 11 more inches of hair.”

She donated her hair to Locks of Love, which accepts healthy thick hair to give to children.

“I chose Locks of Love because I had heard it was a good opportunity to give back to the community,” Dubill said. “I felt like this was a better use of my old hair I didn’t want anymore.”

This donation is through mail only, and they have a specific list of requirements such as clean, dry hair and no bleach or damaged hair.

“We put my hair into five little ponytails and cut them off into big bags,” Dubill said. “If you don’t follow the instructions, they won’t take it.”

To get a healthy length, she has a routine she likes to follow.

“It takes me 10 to 20 minutes at max to do my hair,” Dubill said. “I use Amika shampoo and conditioner and let it air dry.”

Dubill said she tries to stay away from heat but when she can’t, she uses Chi heat protectant.

“I don’t like to use many products on my hair — it’s very virgin,” Dubill said. “I’ve also never dyed my hair.”

With her new hair, she has also had to change up her go-to styles.

“I liked to do ponytails with braids or curl it,” Dubill said. “Now I usually just curl it.”

Dubill said she likes to do her hair for school.

“It’s really just a personal preference, but I like styling my hair because my outfits aren’t the best,” she said. “It really makes up for it.”

Though it was a big change and it took her a minute to adjust, Dubill was overall very happy with the outcome and that she was able to help the community.

“It’s nice to know someone in need will love it one day,” she said.