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Post by Portia
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Hey APJ Crew,
My partner Jin is a hero. When we got together he had buzz cut hair, about 6 months in he noticed that he is getting a bald spot on his crown, not severely noticeable but becoming something. He confessed that he had had a dream of one day growing his hair long but was worried about how it would look and if it would suit him. Just do it. He did. 4.5 years later he has hair down his back to his waist but now he has done his thing and the hair is actually a nuisance that is constantly up in a bun and takes him hours to wash and dry.
Jin: World’s Greatest Shave 2016
Adjacent to this story is my Mum who died in 2001 of Leukemia (Blood Cancer). This year, 2016, would have been her 80th birthday and she was born on St Patrick’s day, March 17 1936. I miss her every day and wish she had lived to meet Jin (who she would have adored) and see me drug free, happily settled with properties and making a career beyond dancing in the clubs that I love. She was deathly afraid that after clubland I would be lost.
So Jin comes to me one morning in January with this plan when the heat in the rooftops of Sydney has been scorching while he is being a sparky (Electrician). He wants to cut his hair. Not only does he want to cut his hair but he wants to do it as a World’s Greatest Shave event and raise money for Blood Cancer. On top of that he has heard that you can donate your hair to the Leukemia foundation and they will send it along to a wigmaker who will create wigs for children suffering hair loss as a side effect of their cancer treatment. He wants to do this too. He also wants to do it on my Mum’s birthday so it has extra meaning and makes the circle of the story complete. Never underestimate the people around you, if you’ve picked good people then they will constantly surprise you.
His dream was to make just over $500 for the Leukemia foundation. The Sleep Easy Badge means you’ve raised $560. That’s enough money to give a regional Australian family a place to stay close to treatment in the city for one week.
He broke that goal in under a week and then decided it would be amazing to get the Breakthrough Badge: When you’ve raised $2000, that’s enough to aid future breakthroughs by funding a major blood cancer research project, for one week!
Want to donate? You still can. Here’s the link below for anyone else, international too. Even $10 will help
LINK: World’s Greatest Shave DONATE
World’s Greatest Shave 2016: Photo Essay
Here is Jin and his fabulous hair. This is his fundraising page picture. You can still World’s Greatest Shave DONATE, every little bit helps and who knows; your dollar may be the one that funds finding the breakthrough cure for cancer.
Jin flew back from 10 days SCUBA in Thailand on the 17th morning, came home for a shower and then we went to the hairdresser.
The fabulous crew at Hair by Phd Parramatta Store offered to cut Jin’s hair for the wigmaking process for free! You can find them at Hair by Phd Parramatta (02) 9635 4721 35-37 Phillip Street Parramatta, NSW, 2150. The even offer a $25 New Customer Discount on the Phd website
It’s a beautiful, spacious salon. The staff are friendly and it is busy. While we were there every hairdresser was occupied with a very well groomed clientelle. There is an exciting, low key buzz to the place and the staff clearly love their work. Lots of happy, smiling customers leaving with new dos.
Our hero.
Meet Sarah. She is Jin’s hairdresser today. Volunteered to do this for FREE and couldn’t have been sweeter. We were laughing with her immediately and she is very happy go lucky while still conveying the kind of calm that only someone who is really good at their job can project. Fun and efficient, did I mention GORGEOUS!
Jin hadn’t washed his hair because the crew thought it best they give it a salon wash so it can go to the wigmaker in perfect condition.
LOVING the head massage. One happy hero.
Sarah sections the hair out so that each snip will get the maximum hair.
The Leukemia Foundation ask that the hair be triple banded for ease of transport and neatness. It’s quite a procedure. Sarah is so cute, she made sure the bands were the same colour down each section.
Once it was all sectioned out Jin was like, “I’m Miley Cyrus, or maybe Destiny’s Child!” Love that fool.
The first cut. Center front. There was no going back from here.
This is Jin’s happy/panic face. Poor bugger. It was a bitter sweet moment and we all could tell he was being a big tough man.
Last one!
Jin’s lovely locks
So #1 shave all over.
I think this picture captures Sarah’s spirit perfectly. She is a beautiful girl and we loved spending this momentous occasion with her. She is also a fabulous hairdresser.
Aren’t they beautiful? Jin looks so freaking hot. Like the boy I originally fell head over heels in love with. Tanned, smiling and manly. Hubba Hubba.
Please do call Sarah and book an appointment. You’ll be thrilled by Hair by Phd Parramatta Store
Above: the tails hanging out to dry. Jin’s hair has a slight wave through it and is brown, rather than the usual South Korean black. It’s beautiful, thick, soft and will go towards making some cancer kiddie a very lovely wig. Congratulations Jin, you are a hero and I am proud to be your partner.
My partner Jin is a hero.
Want to donate? You still can. Here’s the link below for anyone else, international too. Even $10 will help
LINK: World’s Greatest Shave DONATE
Australian Perfume Junkies 