How's your Mask Wardrobe?

Do you remember how you felt the first time you wore a mask when leaving the house? I do.  It was a little surreal. I had an unused surgical mask from the medical school where I work sometimes as a patient actor. We never had to wear them before so I had saved it in a Ziploc bag just in case I ever needed it. I put on the mask when I got in the car then of course feeling silly I realized I didn't need it until I got out of the car.

It just seemed so unnatural to be wearing a mask when I wasn't a doctor or in a medical facility. I remember before the pandemic sometimes seeing people wear masks on airplanes and thought "Isn't that a little much?"....I don't think that anymore.

I had used my surgical mask once and I thought I had to throw it away so I did. I didn't want to ask my husband for one of his since he's a physician and they were in short supply all over back then. So I looked into do it yourself masks and saw a short YouTube video on how to make your own face covering with a bandana, and that's what I did for about a week until the cloth masks I'd feverishly ordered on Ebay showed up in the mailbox. 

We now know the bandana masks aren't quite as effective as they don't have a very tight seal. So I don't wear one much anymore. Although it was fun to be featured in a piece in the local newspaper showing how people were making home made masks out of scarves, plastic bags, coffee filters, and other things that were lying around the house. Using everything except toilet paper of course, as we couldn't waste that!

Las Vegas Review Journal's mask feature

My mask wardrobe now consists of about 8 masks. There's the blue sky one I got in a 3 pack at The Gap, the homemade cat one I got on Ebay, and my new favorite, my shiny mask. I saw it online and thought "That's cute! I need a dress up mask in case I end up going out when things loosen up a bit"...so I ordered it. I tried it on when I got it and it looks great! It's funny how wearing a mask is starting to seem like normal everyday life. 

I think masks are going to be around for awhile so I expect my mask wardrobe to grow. It is what it is, I might as well make the best of it. 

My current favorite masks

Need a Haircut? How to Sell or Donate Your Hair!

Since many of us haven't had a haircut in months and are now considering venturing out for one or doing it at home, I decided to re-post one of my more popular articles from a few years ago...

Did you know you can sell or donate your hair?

People need wigs and hair extensions due to hair loss from medical problems or for purely cosmetic reasons such as hair extensions, hair pieces and ponytails.

My friend Nicole recently grew her hair so long she was tripping over it when she walked!...Okay not quite that long, but she seriously needed a haircut. She decided to get it cut in a certain way so that it could be donated.

How to cut your hair and then sell it:

To sell your hair it's best if it's not treated with color or perms because you can usually get more than double the money for untreated hair. Of course your hair also has to be healthy and free of damage.

Your cut strands also have to be long enough to sell, which is at least 10 inches.

You should use gentle shampoo (two brands that make great sulfate free shampoos are  LOréal and Wen). Don't cut your hair until you have found a buyer because freshly cut hair is best! Blonde hair or light brown are the best selling colors followed by brunette, then red.

You can sell your hair through third party websites such as Hairsellon.com and Onlinehairaffair.com. Have someone take a photo of your hair from the back, (remember, don't cut it yet), then set up an account and put it up on the site.

The going rate ranges from about $300 to $1,000 on average, but the longer your locks the more money you will make.

Don't want to worry about the process of selling your hair but don't want to waste it when it could go to a good cause? Donate your hair for wigs for people who suffer from hair loss for medical reasons such as Alopecia and chemotherapy.

To donate your hair:

For donation, a minimum of ten (10)  inches of hair is also preferred.   Layered locks are acceptable if the longest layer is ten inches. Colored or permed hair is accepted but not hair that is bleached out.

Where to donate? For more information on how exactly to get the hair on your head to a person in need, below are two helpful websites.

There is a well known organization called Locks Of Love, go to LocksOfLove.org for more information and to find a participating salon if that's easier for you than sending it in.

Once you have decided whether to donate or sell your hair it is best to have it professionally cut. To show you what to do, here is my good friend Nicole Pano with a quick 45 second video...How to cut your hair for Donation or Sale