Girl's Hair Donation Leads to Meaningful Meeting at Salon

A Madison salon's involvement with a program that provides real-hair wigs to women with cancer led to a special meeting between two clients last month.

When Isabella Grisales had her July 25 appointment at Salvatore Minardi Salon to donate her hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, she met another salon client, Paula Lang, who received a wig through the same program.

It was clear to salon owner Salvatore Minardi the ladies needed to be introduced.

Lang, a client of the Park Avenue salon for more than three years, has had haircare adjustments and a wig styling there as she battles cancer.

"Paula explained to Isabella that when she donates her hair, it goes to women like herself who, 'don’t feel very well,' so they can have beautiful hair, too," the salon said of the meeting.

Another salon client, Kelly Quinn, is striving for her Girl Scout Gold Award with Minardi as her mentor. Quinn developed the Wish You Were Hair project, which provides salons with kits to collect hair donations for Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

Beautiful Lengths has donated 24,000 free wigs to the American Cancer Society’s wig banks, which distribute wigs to cancer patients across the country.

Salvatore Minardi Salon said its motto, "create today's beauty," was given new meaning by Kelly, Isabella and Paula.