Pink-Haired Woman Comedian Wins ‘USA Mullet Championships:’ Breast Cancer Survivor Reminds People ‘You Only Die Once, Live Every Day’

“After chemo, when I was bald, I wanted to grow it out into the mullet because I was like, ‘What is the most opposite thing of bald?’ It made total sense,” the Indianapolis-based comedian told her hometown outlet, WTHR 13News.

Lissa, who was diagnosed “several years ago,” and has been expressing herself with bold styles ever since beating the disease. “That who I am. I just do it because ‘YODO:’ You only die once. Live every day, take all the chances,” Lissa said.

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The competition, which was held at Indiana’s state fair in Indianapolis, featured different categories: adult female, adult male, children, and teens.

Knowing that mullets attract attention, with some laughing at you rather than with you, is par for the course with the famed ’80s hairstyle, but mulletted individuals these days are usually in on the joke.

Related: Reporter Amanda Salas Embraces Funky New Hairstyle as Locks Grow Back After Beating Lymphoma In Video That Is Pure Joy

“I saw a meme once that said, ‘If somebody has a mullet, they don’t give a darn, believe them,’ and it’s true,” Lissa said. “It brings me joy. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day.”

 

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“I get stopped on the street daily. It’s not that they love pink. It’s not that they love a mullet. They love that I have the courage and ability to step outside my box. Do something I wanted to do for me.”

This was Lissa’s first competition, and her big win scored her a spot in the “Top 25 for the Mane Event” this fall. “This isn’t like a hot dog competition,” she noted. “You train for years. You can’t just wake up one day with a mullet.”

Self-Expression After Chemo-Related Hair Loss

While some women choose to prevent hair loss with scalp cooling while going through chemo, many others report feeling liberated by going bald, and find a new, courageous version of themselves post-cancer.

Related: Celebrity Stylist Ann Caruso on Beauty and Femininity After Cancer

Survivor Kara Ladd was 24 years old and just getting her life started in New York City when she was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma. Like Lissa, Kara says that she was completely blindsided after the diagnosis, and it really forced her to take a step back and look at the life she was leading. "I was working too hard, I was stretched too much, I was partying too much … my life was moving at such a fast pace and I didn't know how to stop," Kara told SurvivorNet. "When I was diagnosed with cancer, I was forced to pause and figure out who I really was and what my purpose was."

Bold, Bald & Beautiful: Kara Ladd Met a New Version of Herself After Her Cancer Diagnosis

Like many people in her situation, Kara's priorities shifted a lot after her diagnosis. A young woman who could not imagine herself without hair suddenly felt like a badass when she had to shave her head. "I see the world in an entirely different way now," Kara says.

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