Larchmont Hair Stylist Lops Locks for Love
by Judy Silberstein
(June
10, 2003) The ponytail is halfway down her back and the look
of doubt is on her face as Joanna Kliger sits in Jerry Glaser’s
chair at Larchmont Hair Stylists contemplating the step she
is about to take. It’s taken almost two years to get
her light brown mane to this length, but now she’s
ready to cut off ten inches to donate to Locks
of Love, an organization that gathers hair to make wigs
for financially disadvantaged children with medical hair
loss.
Reached by phone in Florida, Locks of Love Executive Director
Susan Stone explains her program. “These are not traditional
wigs.” The organization supplies each recipient with
a custom, vacuum-fitted hairpiece that does not require use
of tape or glue.
”They can swim in them. They can go to a sleepover
and wake up with their hair still on. They don’t have
to worry about the bully trying to yank it off at the bus
stop,” she says. “They can be kids again.”
Jerry Glaser is the only hair stylist in lower Westchester
who is registered with “Locks of Love” at the
moment and he is getting about six calls a week from children,
women, and even men interested in donating hair. The haircut
and consultation is free, but to be sure patrons leave his
shop looking their best, he does require they have their
hair blown dry, for which he charges his regular rate.
“I don’t want them leaving here unhappy saying, ‘Look
what he did to me!'” says Glaser. “ I haven’t
had a dissatisfied customer, yet.”
Joanna’s mother, Jan Kliger, reassures her daughter
it will be fine, “It’s not about your hair,” she
points out, “It’s a mitzvah.”
It’s
also a good deed for Glaser, who has been cutting hair since
1952 and has owned Larchmont Hair Stylists ("the Longest
Established Salon in Larchmont" according to their telephone
listing) since 1962. “When you do this, you and I both
get some Brownie points in heaven – and I’m much
closer to heaven than you are,” jokes the seventy-two
year old hairstylist to the Mamaroneck High School graduate
(class of 2001) and Michigan University junior.
“What I’m finding,” says Glaser, "is
that people who come in have the right kind of moral compass.”
Typically, Locks of Love receives two to three thousand
locks per week, 80 percent from children. This pace may pick
up since “Sara,” one of the characters in the
syndicated cartoon Zits, by Jerry Scott
and Jim Borgman decided to cut her hair. Readers of 1100
newspapers worldwide followed along on Sara’s journey
to the hairdresser at the end of May. “This Monday
was incredible,” said Stone. Instead of the usual 3
large bins of mail, there were 5.

Reproduced with special permission from King
Features
Joanna doesn’t read Zits, but she has been contemplating
the donation since last year after having dinner with a family
friend, a fourteen-year old boy who had been growing his
hair long to donate to Locks of Love. “Boy that’s
some do!” Jan Kliger remembers remarking.
Now she is ready. A few snips of Glaser’s shears and
the 10-inch ponytail is in hand. “It already looks
good,” reassures Joanna’s mother. After a wash,
rinse and blow dry, the styling is complete and her mother
is even more satisfied.
Meanwhile,
The donor is also pleased, “It feels so much better,” Joanna
says running her fingers through the stylish, reverse cut. “It
feels great!”
See the Locks of Love
website for registration form and more information
on making a donation of hair or money.
Larchmont Hair Stylists is at 2126 Boston
Post Road and is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to
6pm (telephone 834-2967). There is a separate Men's Department
and a complete range of beauty services offered.
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