Hairs to true love.
Willing to do anything for his mane squeeze, a benevolent boyfriend volunteered to grow out his hair, grooming it to over 2 feet long before chopping it all off and gifting the tresses to his bald girlfriend to wear as a wig.
“I figured if I grew my hair out for her she couldn’t break up with me,” joked Cody Ennis, 31, of Waterford, Michigan, to Kennedy News of his darling donation to sweetheart Hannah Hosking, 27, who suffers from alopecia.
The disease, which is hereditary, causes patchy hair loss from the scalp and throughout the body. And while recent research has unearthed pharmaceuticals that may aid in curing the condition, it still afflicts men and women of all ages, including A-listers such as Jada Pinkett Smith, Neve Campbell and Anthony Carrigan.
Hosking, a content creator, was first diagnosed with alopecia at age seven. Growing up, the natural blonde strategically hid her bald patch with her own hair.
However, in 2018, the millennial’s hair loss accelerated, ridding her of her once-dangling tresses, eyebrows and eyelashes. The massive loss inspired Hosking to shave off her remaining locks to rock wigs instead.
“Five years ago [when my hair started falling out] I started looking sick so then I just shaved it all off,” she said, noting that her transitioning into faux curls occurred just before meeting her would-be beaux in November 2019.
“When I met Cody he had a short, cute haircut that looked very ‘9-to-5’ job,” recalled Hosking, adding that he offered to adorn her with his hair after only six months of dating.
“I don’t know exactly what made him want to grow his hair out for me,” she continued. “He just looked at me one day and was like ‘I guess if I grew my hair out for you, how long would you want it?.”
Without hesitation, the wannabe Rapunzel jokingly said, “‘I want 30 inches because I love long hair.’”
Hosking remembered, “He said, ‘OK, great. I’m going to grow my hair out for you.’ I said it was going to take three or four years and he said, ‘OK.’”
In May 2020, the lovebirds jointly launched Ennis’ nearly four-year-long hair journey.
The pair diligently followed online tutorials dedicated to maintaining a robust mane through meticulous cleansing routines, used high-quality products and styled his coifs in braids to promote its growth.
“As soon as it started getting near his chin he was like, ‘I need to take serious care of this,’” said Hosking, who referred him to a haircare specialist in her family.
“He reached out to my niece who’s a cosmetologist and asked how to take care of it so it was healthy when it was time to cut it,” she said. “He bought really expensive shampoos and conditioners. He watched tons of videos on how to properly wash and condition his hair.”
And as a cherry on top, Ennis regularly sealed his sprouting strands in protective gear before hitting the hay.
“Every night he slept with it in braids or with a silk bonnet on to help prevent breakage,” said Hosking. “He grew 29 inches.”
When it came time to lob it all off in October 2023, the scrupulous sweeties were careful not to hack away the flowing fruits of their labor.
“I started to put his hair into sections to cut it but then we both got nervous that I was going to cut it wrong,” said Hosking. “So I asked my cousin, who is a barber, to do it.”
The lovey-dovey duo sought out a skilled wig maker, Florida Fancies, to construct their masterpiece hairpiece for $899.
“We wrapped each individual section we cut off in paper towels, bagged them up and sent them on their way,” said Hosking.
After weeks of anxious anticipation, Hosking was brought to tears upon receiving her lush lace-front wig in the mail on January 6.
“When the wig arrived I was so excited [that] I cried,” she confessed while hailing the lengthy unit her “prized possession.”
“Receiving this three-and-a-half-year gift in the making was overwhelming,” added the belle.
To surprise Ennis, who was asleep when the wig made its way to their front door, Hosking painted her face up in makeup, slipped on a haute ensemble and crowned herself with the hair.
“When I first looked at myself in the mirror I felt loved and so much love for him,” she said. “It makes me feel very comforted and safe to know I have someone in my life who is willing to go this extra mile and go above and beyond.”
And although they don’t have any immediate designs on getting hitched, the hairy honeys are already planning to incorporate wig into their nuptials.
“Cody said he wants me to wear it on our wedding day,” gushed a giddy Hosking.