Chip Gaines Gets A Head-Turning New Look For A Good Cause
Chip Gaines was starting to upset "Fixer Upper" fans who like their men to be all clean-cut. Maybe they feared Chip was turning into Waco, Texas' only hippie. Back in mid-July, the other half of the "Fixer Upper" team, wife Joanna Gaines, posted a photo on Instagram of her and Chip having a nice dinner out, to celebrate the launch of their new Magnolia Network. For the Instagram commenters, however, it wasn't about the 150 hours of new TV that Joanna and Chip Gaines had brought to the world (via Reality Blurred). It was about Chip's long hair, which fans thought made him look like that guy from "Sister Wives" (and they didn't mean that as a compliment).
For opinionated Chip Gaines fans, what happened next could be a case of "be careful what you wish for." Chip no longer has those cascading golden tresses that so many people hated. Now, he's bald. And we're not talking about a spot on top of his head or a receding hairline. We're talking fellow Magnolia Network star Andrew Zimmern bald. But don't get too worked up about it. Barbers took a razor to Chip's head for a good cause.
Chip Gaines donated his long hair to a charity that makes wigs for child cancer patients
Chip Gaines sat in a barber's chair on August 27 and went from Waco hippie to "bald as a bat," as Chip said in an interview with "Today" (via Twitter). Initially, he was growing out his locks simply because hairdressers weren't available during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then it morphed into a good cause. As an August 27 Instagram video from Joanna Gaines explained, Chip donated his hair to Children With Hair Loss, an organization that provides wigs to kids undergoing cancer treatment. Chip and Joanna also promoted the hair removal event as a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Donations to St. Jude ensure that families of its young patients don't have to pay for treatment, or even food, travel, or housing.
In the immediate aftermath of the shave, Chip didn't know what to feel. "I've got a lot of feelings, all the emotions," Chip said in the Instagram video. Chip's fans were more sure of themselves in their reactions. "You look soooooooo much better and for a good cause!!" @angel.h.davis commented. This being social media, opinions were divided of course. "Love the sentiment but if my husband shaved his head bald I would file for divorce," @prettypinkcasket said.