Currently, less than one percent of men are hair donors. To put that in perspective, if men didn't donate organs more than 10,000 in the US would have died last year alone. While hair is not a vital organ, to many women and children in need of a hair donation; having to afford a real hair wig is not economical (real hair wigs cost between $2,000 - $6,000USD), because most in need are also paying medical bills. There are many reasons why the number of male hair donors is so low, but many men feel that they won't be able to be a hair donor because the field they are in (business, healthcare, banking, and other white collar industries) frown upon men with long hair. A recent study by Stanford shows that men who don't conform to industry norms usually have a hard time finding full time employment.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-men-are-hurt-by-the-ideal-worker-norm/
As a men's hair donor advocate, I am looking to increase the number of men who are hair donors while also working with companies who will support men to be hair donors in white collar industries.
My initiative is to support men being hair donors, so that women and children who associate long hair with their identity don't have to choose between their life and having a real hair wig, and also so that there is a cultural shift in the workplace that will enable men to become hair donors without worrying about their career.
Thanks for your time and for helping me with this important work. I would be honored to have the chance to share this important issue with your travelers.
Best,
Chris Bell
312-342-5634
chrisbells@gmail.com
A healthcare project management leader with 7 years of implementing enterprise-wide healthcare projects including electronic health records systems, upgrading medical software, medical device integration, & health and wellness projects.
An occupational health marketing leader with experience working with clinical, IT, and vendors to integrate social media, website, and print marketing, building multi-million dollar clinical practices.
A proficient educator, mentor, and lecturer of project management in health informatics, project communications management, and public health.
A dedicated men's hair donor advocate working to breakdown the "ideal worker" stereotype in order to change the stigma of men with long hair in the workplace.
A talented website designer creating over 10 websites for the University of Illinois at Chicago, hospitals, small and non-profit business, and individuals.
An author of communications research in project management and other scholarly works.
A PhD candidate with research interests in Health IT including the clinical analysis of health datasets, the use of electronic communication tools in the field of project management in healthcare, the applications of geographical information systems (GIS) to track work-related injuries, and how to leverage big data in healthcare to improve patient outcomes and improve public health.
