Each day, women enter Julie Daniel's Main St. Salon in search of pink hair.
It's not the latest fad or the newest rage off some celebrity hairstyle. These women get the neon extensions to support a young woman, who at 28 is battling a disease that has touched many of them in one way or another — cancer.
Photo illustration by Christy Wooten |
Julie Daniel, owner of Main St. Salon, bonds in a hot pink extension into a client's hair. Daniel is helping to raise money for one of her longtime clients, Chasity Smith, who is battling cancer.
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Photo illustration by Christy Wooten |
The hot pink extension is attached to the hair through a bonding process that uses kerosene. Daniel said the extensions must be professionally removed.
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Photo illustration by Christy Wooten |
Daniel looks down at the hot pink extension that is staretgically placed on the right side of her client's hair.
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Contributed photo |
Chasity Smith, a 2003 SFA graduate, was diagnosed in late 2007 with head and neck cancer. She is currently undergoing treatment at Houston's M.D. Anderson hospital. To offset the medical expenses, Smith's longtime hairstylist Julie Daniel is collecting $10 donations in exchange for hot pink extensions.
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Chasity Smith, a 2003 SFA graduate and longtime client of the Main St. Salon, was diagnosed in late 2007 with head and neck cancer.
"I noticed a growth on my neck in October," she said. "It had been there, ... but then, I realized it was cancerous."
The tumor was removed, but a second one developed on her ear.
"It can't be removed because it's on my seventh nerve, which controls the movements of my face," she said, noting that the tumor has slightly shrunk through chemotherapy and radiation.
Smith is on her third round of chemotherapy and has completed 33 radiation treatments, some of which have been funded through the hair extensions.
"It's overwhelming," she said of the support from Daniel and the community. "... It's made me feel like I'm more than just a client."
Smith and Daniel met three years ago, when Smith, a Hudson Elementary teacher, was referred to Daniel by a friend.
"From the first time she did my hair, it felt like more than just a haircut," she said. "We instantly became friends."
When Daniel learned about Smith's condition, she wanted to help. She had seen pink extensions used to support women during breast cancer awareness month, and felt it was something she could do at her own salon.
Initially, friends and family came for the extensions, but soon, word to spread to the rest of East Texas.
"Right about spring break, girls started coming in together," Daniel said, noting that when she asked how they found about the extensions, many of them told her it was from their sorority.
Smith, who came to SFA in 2001 as a sophomore, was a member of Chi-Omega, a sorority that over the last few months, has been instrumental in getting the word out about the pink extensions, Daniel said.
"The girls went around and spoke to all the other sororities, told their friends and the people they work with about the extensions," she said.
The extensions, a sliver of hot pink hair, is bonded into the top of the hair with kerosene, Daniel said.
"It's human hair, it's just hot pink," she said, noting that the neon flamingo color was chosen with Smith in mind.
Daniel said the official awareness color for Smith's type of cancer is maroon, but it's not a good shade for hair color, so instead, she picked something she knew Smith would like.
"She really likes pink," Daniel said, noting it's quite apparent from Smith's MySpace page, which is adorned from top to bottom in various shades of the color.
The extensions have raised more than $1,200, and Daniel is adamant that she will continue to supply them for as long as she needs to.
"I have so many people that don't even know her come in," she said. "They all have a story. Everyone is touched by cancer in some way. I didn't realize that until now."
Women who wish to get the extension can walk-in during the salon hours — 9 a.m to 6 p.m. Tuesday - Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The extensions are $10, and proceeds go directly to a special account that contributes to Smith's medical and travel expenses to Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Additional donations can be made at Huntington State Bank.
"I'm extremely thankful for everyone who reached out and helped me in so many ways," Smith said.
Smith is currently on leave from her teaching position at Hudson Elementary, but she feels positive that everything will work out.
"The tumors are shrinking, and at my last round of chemotherapy, I didn't get sick," she said. "It just seems sometimes everything goes into place."
Michele Marcotte's e-mail address is mmarcotte@coxnews.com
