I used to be a hairy guy.
October 31, 2008 12:01 PM Subscribe
I just shaved my head. My old hair fills a shoebox. What should I do with it?
I was a man with long curly hair, until about twenty minutes ago. Then I shaved my head for Halloween. Now I have a shoebox full of hair, which I would like to keep for old times' sake. (I've had my hair long for fifteen years, and it was a large part in how people perceive me.) What should I do with it? How would I preserve it? Should I put a lock on the wall? Incorporate it into projects? Ideas?
For more information, my hair was about a foot long, a couple inches past shoulder length. It was brown, wavy, and quite frizzy. It matted easily. I tried to get out most of the mats before shaving it, but there might still be a few left.
I was a man with long curly hair, until about twenty minutes ago. Then I shaved my head for Halloween. Now I have a shoebox full of hair, which I would like to keep for old times' sake. (I've had my hair long for fifteen years, and it was a large part in how people perceive me.) What should I do with it? How would I preserve it? Should I put a lock on the wall? Incorporate it into projects? Ideas?
For more information, my hair was about a foot long, a couple inches past shoulder length. It was brown, wavy, and quite frizzy. It matted easily. I tried to get out most of the mats before shaving it, but there might still be a few left.
This might sound odd, but I worked for a guy who found a great use for his long hair. He initially cut it when he applied for the job, but kept it. When his hair grew to medium length, he took his old hair to a salon and had it wove back in. I kid you not. He said it was kind of itchy for ths first couple days, but soon got used to it. Every couple weeks, he would trim the extenstions and move them back. So while new long hair was gradually replacing old long hair, to everyone else he simply showed up for work with long hair and that was that.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:14 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:14 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]
Save it, go as your old self next Halloween
posted by poppo at 12:20 PM on October 31, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by poppo at 12:20 PM on October 31, 2008 [4 favorites]
Locks of Love doesn't want a box of hair.
Keep it for your kids. You know, to discipline them. "You ever stay out past curfew again and I'll GET OUT MY BOX OF HAIR."
posted by roger ackroyd at 12:20 PM on October 31, 2008 [28 favorites]
Keep it for your kids. You know, to discipline them. "You ever stay out past curfew again and I'll GET OUT MY BOX OF HAIR."
posted by roger ackroyd at 12:20 PM on October 31, 2008 [28 favorites]
Compost it. That's what I do with mine.
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:22 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:22 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]
Make a cute little pillow all frilly and pink, or maybe even in a heart shape or some kind of cross-stitched cuteness like "Hair today, gone tomorrow," and stuff it.
posted by kkokkodalk at 12:26 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by kkokkodalk at 12:26 PM on October 31, 2008
Make a pillow.
posted by studentbaker at 12:26 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by studentbaker at 12:26 PM on October 31, 2008
We used to distribute it around the yard for the birds, but to be honest there was no evidence they appreciated the gift.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 12:46 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 12:46 PM on October 31, 2008
If you have a garden and have a problem with deer helping themselves, save it for next planting season and spread it around your garden. It will help scare them away.
posted by meeshell at 12:53 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by meeshell at 12:53 PM on October 31, 2008
Send it into space, so aliens can reconstruct you from your DNA and make first contact. Seriously. I bought the kit for that when I saw it, uh, 10 years ago, but never got my act together and didn't send the package in time :( On the upside, cloned copies of me will never be subject to any nefarious alien activities.
posted by Joh at 12:59 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by Joh at 12:59 PM on October 31, 2008
The birds suggestion is a good one, they will collect it and use it for nest building.
posted by fire&wings at 1:02 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by fire&wings at 1:02 PM on October 31, 2008
DON'T burn it.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 1:04 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 1:04 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]
Marisa, that is so strange I can't even understand it. Roger, that is so strange I understand it exactly.
Here's the upside to the pillow: you can virtually guarantee that you won't be allergic to it.
Here's the downside to leaving it for the birds: as it scatters, you may find yourself implicated in more than one crime scene.
One other possibility: use it to make a voodoo bear, but treat the bear really, really nicely.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 1:10 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]
Here's the upside to the pillow: you can virtually guarantee that you won't be allergic to it.
Here's the downside to leaving it for the birds: as it scatters, you may find yourself implicated in more than one crime scene.
One other possibility: use it to make a voodoo bear, but treat the bear really, really nicely.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 1:10 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]
If squirrels dig up your tulip bulbs, put some hair on top of them when you plant them next time. Squirrels don't seem to like hair.
posted by GuyZero at 1:20 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by GuyZero at 1:20 PM on October 31, 2008
Best answer: You should put shoes in it. Just take the hair out before you do.
posted by Foam Pants at 1:31 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Foam Pants at 1:31 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]
Make a hair wreath. We had one at the museum where I used to work. It was both impressive and creepy.
posted by christinetheslp at 1:34 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by christinetheslp at 1:34 PM on October 31, 2008
Make a watch fob for a loved one. Or better yet, sell it, then buy a watch fob for a loved one. Preferably one who will sell their watch to buy you a nice comb before you are able to give them the watch fob.
If that doesn't work, make a big, thick braid out of it and attach it to the back of a cowboy hat. That would be awesome. Braiding it seems like it would be the best way to keep most of it together, anyway.
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 3:15 PM on October 31, 2008 [1 favorite]
If that doesn't work, make a big, thick braid out of it and attach it to the back of a cowboy hat. That would be awesome. Braiding it seems like it would be the best way to keep most of it together, anyway.
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 3:15 PM on October 31, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ohhh, my answer was definitely going to be "put it in a shoebox", but you've already done that.
Spread it in the garden? Keep deer and moles away?
posted by aleahey at 3:17 PM on October 31, 2008 [1 favorite]
Spread it in the garden? Keep deer and moles away?
posted by aleahey at 3:17 PM on October 31, 2008 [1 favorite]
Um…is the time between now and that point in the future when you will want to lovingly fondle your hair "for old times' sake" longer than the time it will take to grow back?
posted by dinger at 3:39 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by dinger at 3:39 PM on October 31, 2008
Response by poster: What an eclectic set of ideas. Thanks everyone!
M'Baby: That felt is really scary. I just may do that.
dinger: I haven't decided whether I will grow my hair long again.
posted by sesquipedalian at 4:45 PM on October 31, 2008
M'Baby: That felt is really scary. I just may do that.
dinger: I haven't decided whether I will grow my hair long again.
posted by sesquipedalian at 4:45 PM on October 31, 2008
Send it to a family member with a ransom note and see how much you make!
posted by the latin mouse at 5:35 PM on October 31, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by the latin mouse at 5:35 PM on October 31, 2008 [1 favorite]
Some ideas here. Have it made into jewelry, or a flogger (scroll down).
Use it to make a voodoo bear, but treat the bear really, really nicely.
This is the best idea.
posted by ottereroticist at 6:45 PM on October 31, 2008
Use it to make a voodoo bear, but treat the bear really, really nicely.
This is the best idea.
posted by ottereroticist at 6:45 PM on October 31, 2008
Throw it away.
posted by OmieWise at 3:52 PM on November 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by OmieWise at 3:52 PM on November 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
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(or, donate it to Locks of Love if they'll take it)
posted by chrisfromthelc at 12:10 PM on October 31, 2008 [1 favorite]