Deeside man to donate his long locks to charity after being inspired by his sister-in-law with alopecia

The last time Lyndain O’Brien got a haircut, none of us had any real idea of what Covid was.

It was February 2020, and an obscure virus that had only just arrived in Italy.

But by March, after the world went into lockdown, haircuts quickly became a thing of the past.

After realising his next trip to the barbers could be a while, Mr O’Brien decided to put his growing locks to good use.

His sister-in-law Sarah Hector had been diagnosed with alopecia when she was two, so he was aware that many people would be grateful for his hair.

He decided to grow it for The Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides real hair wigs to young people across the UK who have lost their hair to cancer or other illness.

The tree surgeon, originally from Suffolk but now living in Crathie, said growing it took longer than he expected.

‘I’ve come to appreciate what women go through’

“I thought it would take 18 months, but it’s now been almost three years” he said.

“I’ve come to appreciate what women have to go through a lot more with all the washing and drying.”

He says one of his biggest fears is getting in caught in a rope while he is up a tree.

Despite growing his hair down to his shoulder when he was younger, the 29-year-old has kept his hair short since then.

Mr O’Brien is looking forward to getting it all shaved off at a special event in the Balmoral Bar in Ballater on December 3.

It will also be live-streamed on Facebook from 3pm.

Breaking the stigma of hair loss

All the money raised will be going towards the charity Little Princess Trust.

His sister-in-law Miss Hector also donated her hair seven years ago before her alopecia became more serious.

The 27-year-old, who works at the World Horse Welfare Farm in Aboyne, hopes the event will help raise money for a charity that is close to her heart.

“I really hope it raises awareness that alopecia is a thing and is more common than people think.

“I think the more people that know and get involved, the less of a stigma.”

How will the hair make a wig?

Mr O’Brien’s hair is now 16 inches long. The charity always wants the longest hair possible for its wigs.

The minimum amount of hair they accept is eight inches, as three and a half inches are needed to weave the hair into the wig.

Wigs can be very expensive for young people to afford, ranging from £500 to thousands. Each one takes around 60 hours to hand-make as the hairs take so much time to be woven in.

Mr O’Brien’s hair will be styled to fit the wants of whoever receives the wig.

For young girls, it is essential for raising their confidence.

‘My friends don’t know I wear a wig’

Miss Hector says a big help in boosting her confidence was “alopecia Instagram”.

This is where people also impacted by the disease share their tips on how to best live with the disease – including how to draw on eyebrows and eyelashes.

They also share tips on the best places to buy wigs.

Miss Hector was recommended to go Miss Mama Wigs. Her wig is so convincing she says when she goes out, some of her friends don’t know she is wearing one.

Despite looking forward to getting his haircut, Mr O’Brien said: “I think I will be cold afterwards, and I am not looking forward to the tanline.

“I don’t know, maybe I will just start all over again.”

So far the event has raised £495.

For more information, visit the Facebook event. Or to donate, visit the JustGiving page.