Although you won't see it listed among her salon's repertoire of hair, skin, nail and massage therapy services, Geiger exemplifies this mantra by making a truly beautiful difference in the lives and hair of women grappling with the ugliness of cancer.

Since 2003, more than 100 women and girls from ages 7 to 72 have come to Geiger for their last hair cut before chemotherapy treatment took its final toll on their quickly thinning hair.

"I don't do this as business," Geiger says of her "cutting hair parties" held in the private, afterhours of Anthony's Salon. "It's not anything that I charge for at all. It's a way that I can give back what I love to do."

Whether they are battling breast or ovarian cancer, lymphoma or leukemia, Geiger's clients can enjoy a festive night at the salon as they sip wine, munch on hor d'oeuvres, and snap pictures with close friends and family members. Geiger typically will cut her client's hair in four different styles before finally shaving their heads, depending on their individual preferences. If her clients haven't picked out their wigs, Geiger can measure, match, and later, fit them to a whole new head of hair from a reasonably priced, Florida-based wig distributor.

"Every one of them personally touches your life. Because everyone has a different story," Geiger says of the cancer patients with whom she has worked. "It's wonderful for them to be able to come to a safe place and feel comfortable. And usually by the end of it, they realize that hair is so secondary."

However, their stories haven't all ended happily, she says. In fact, the beginning of Geiger's own story is mired with heartbreak: In 2001, her best friend of more than 30 years, Kate, was diagnosed with and died from leukemia. Yet the silver lining to this tragedy quickly transpired.

Geiger credits Kate for getting her involved with the "cutting hair parties" at the salon and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Cincinnati. In 2004, after her 11-year-old niece also was diagnosed with leukemia, Geiger was named the society's "Woman of the Year" for having raised $32,402 through school penny drives, fundraisers, cocktail parties and letter-writing campaigns.

"That was a true group effort from everyone — all of my friends, family and the salon. We raised money every way you could possibly raise money," says Geiger, who continues to stay very involved with the society.

At the same time Kate was struggling with leukemia, one of Geiger's clients at the hair salon, Tracie Metzger, a 31-year-old mother, was diagnosed with breast cancer. A survivor of the disease, Metzger co-founded Pink Ribbon Girls, a group now more than a thousand strong for young women coping with breast cancer. In partnership with the Pink Ribbon Girls, Anthony's Salon throws an open-house fundraiser one Sunday night every October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At the event breast cancer survivors can choose two of seven donated spa services, including hot towel treatments, makeup touch-ups and manicures, Geiger says.

From styling wigs to organizing fundraisers, Geiger's commitment to serving cancer victims and survivors evolved into her passion, namely "helping women feel beautiful inside and out" and she encourages all women who are looking to make a difference discover this for themselves.

"Find your passion because, with volunteering, in helping one, you help all," she says. "You can't do everything for everybody — that's not possible — but you can do just that little something." Even the small actions, like a "hello" or a smile, can create a large impact on someone's life, she says.

To get in touch with Geiger, contact her at Anthony's Salon at (513) 661-8883 or visit it online.

PHOTO CREDITS
Photos courtesy of Karen Geiger

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