Cancer is one of the most devastating forces known to man. It comes in many forms, all capable of ending lives, splitting up families, and breaking hearts. Fortunately, treatment options are gradually improving and survival rates are going up for many forms of cancer.

However, the chemotherapy that patients have to undergo can often take its toll, both emotionally and physically. Many cancer patients of all genders and ages end up losing their hair as a result of their treatment, but hair donations are on the rise.

All around the world, people are choosing to give up their own locks to make wigs for cancer patients, as well as those dealing with other health conditions that result in hair loss. Here are 50 photos of these kind donors, both before and after their donations.

1) Six Times Already!

This girl may look young, but she’s already on her sixth hair donation! She was six at the time of the first donation and 21 for the sixth. Instead of simply getting her hair cut and letting it all go to waste, she grows it out and donates it again and again. It’s amazing to see such commitment and compassion from a hair donor.

2) Shave It All Off

This AS Roma soccer fan had been letting his hair grow out for several years, but eventually decided that the time was right for a meaningful change. Many people with long hair just choose to have a section of it cut off and donated to a good cause, but this guy went all the way. He even got rid of his facial hair, although we don’t think that was part of the donation!

3) A Drastic Change

Any time we get our hair cut, it can feel like quite a big change, and this is especially true if you’re going from a super long style to something much shorter, like this man. It might seem like a mega change, but he’s used to it. Every two years, he grows out his hair and then has it chopped off to donate to people in need.

4) Pixie Cut

This woman chose to donate her hair to the Little Princess Trust. It’s a UK charity that works to make real-hair wigs, totally free of charge, to children and young people dealing with hair loss because of cancer treatment, alopecia, or other causes.

5) Thumbs Up

Many people might feel a little apprehensive at the idea of losing so much hair. However, everyone who goes through it seems to feel very pleased with themselves. It always feels good to help others, and the great thing about hair is that it always grows back, so the change is only temporary.

6) What A Difference

This guy went totally changed his look but still looks great, proving that some people have faces that work with both long and short hair! He gave all of his lush locks to a charity called Wigs For Kids. Just like the Little Princess Trust, it provides free wigs for kids who need them.

7) Is That The Same Guy?

This guy said he felt like “a different person” after donating so much of his hair to charity. He’d been letting it grow out for years, but eventually decided it was time to make a change, and make a difference in the world around him. These awesome charities help to turn a simple act like a haircut into an act of kindness.

8) So Much Hair

Wow! This lady sure lost a lot of her hair. The charity will be able to make at least a couple of wigs with all of that! Like many others throughout this list, she gave her hair to the Little Princess Trust. It will make a big difference to young people dealing with the pressures of hair loss.

9) Keep The Beard, Lose The Hair

Even after a close cut, this British guy can still be classed as hairy. He’s kept the beard but lost his locks. He actually started up a Just Giving page and asked people to sponsor him to get his head shaved. This meant that as well as the hair, he also had some cash to give to charity too. He managed to raise a total of £700 ($900).

10) The First Time

The first time of anything is often the most memorable, and it definitely must have been quite a big deal for this guy to go through his very first hair donation. He’d had long hair for years but heard about wig donation charities and decided that his pretty locks could be put to good use.

11) All Gone

This girl proved she can pull off the shaved head look, while also doing something amazing for people in need. There are many men who go all the way and shave their heads, but for many women, this can be a bigger deal as they’re used to having longer hair throughout their lives. Either way, this young woman was brave enough to go the distance and provide the maximum amount of hair in her donation.

12) The Couple That Gives Together…

Now this is what we love to see! This couple both bonded over their shared love of giving. They’re clearly both compassionate and thoughtful people who wanted to do something awesome together. Both had been letting their hair grow long for many months, but eventually decided to cut most of it off for a good cause. They gave their hair to “Hair We Share”, yet another awesome wig-making charity.

13) More Than Half

This young woman can rock the short hair look just as well as her longer style, and she bravely volunteered to have more than half of her mane sheared off in the name of kindness. That’s one big donation!

14) From Jesus To Freezus

This brave man had been letting his hair grow out for years, to the point where he’d started to look quite a lot like Jesus. Then, in the middle of winter, he decided to get no less than 25 inches snipped off for the Little Princess Trust. He says he can definitely feel a chill on his hand after losing so much warm hair, but he felt great after making the donation.

15) Donation Number Five

Some people can feel a little anxious about their first donation, but after they’ve done it once, they want to do it again! This kindhearted woman has given hair on no less than five occasions, donating her brown locks to make wigs for kids that lost their hair through chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

16) Still Super Stylish

Those with long hair might feel nervous about giving so much up to charity, worrying about whether they’ll adapt to a short hair style afterwards. However, this guy, like many other people on our list, proves that there are plenty of people out there who can rock both the short and long look.

17) Still Smiling

It can take a lot of courage to go through with such a drastic haircut, but this girl “braved the shave” for Macmillan Cancer Support, one of the biggest British cancer charities. She deserves so much respect for making such a big donation, and it’s great to see how her smile looks even brighter once her head has been shaved.

18) Rapunzel, Is That You?

This young woman is keeping the spirit of Rapunzel alive. At least, she was, until she got all that super long hair chopped off for charity. She’d been letting it grow for no less than five years!

19) A Colorful Head

You can’t quite see it in the before picture, but this lady’s hair was so long it reached her waist! She decided to do a sponsored shave to help raise cash for pediatric cancer research grants and also give up her hair to charity too. She raised more than a thousand dollars! Then, after she was done, the little girl she was babysitting decided to draw all over her freshly shaven head.

20) A Personal Battle

Many of the people on our list are lucky enough not to have been affected by cancer in their lives, but this girl knows exactly how hard it can be. Her brother and father both have leukemia, so she donates her hair and blood as often as possible and encourages everyone else to do the same. What an inspiration.

21) A Beautiful Smile

With such a radiant smile, this woman can clearly have any kind of hairstyle and still look amazing. Maybe that’s how she managed to pluck up the courage to shave her whole head and provide a huge amount of hair for a wig-making charity.

22) A Permanent Change

After making their hair donations, some people actually discover that they love their new look and end up rocking it for years to come! This woman had been letting her frizzy mane grow and grow, but after cutting it off and donating it to charity, she realized how much she preferred looking in the mirror and seeing herself with this short, pixie-style cut. She’s never gone back to long hair since then.

23) Time Warp

This blonde surfer dude underwent a massive change, losing so much of his hair for his charitable donation. It actually looks like he time traveled, going from an 80s glam rocker to a modern man in just one cut!

24) A Little Princess

Grown-ups aren’t the only ones giving up their hair for cancer patients and others in need. There are many amazing little ones who learn about wig-making charities and want to get involved as well. This adorable little 7-year-old girl gave up so much of her hair for a worthy cause.

25) 22 Inches

This woman lost a total of 22 inches and gave it all to the Little Princess Trust in the UK. It’s one of the top charity options for any Brits looking to make a difference with their hair. In the US, Wigs for Kids and Children With Hair Loss are two of the top charities to choose, but there are many others out there. The charities accept cash donations too.

26) Absolutely Awesome

This little boy is wearing the perfect shirt! It totally sums up his awesome attitude to life. After seeing a commercial about cancer patients on the TV, he started researching ways he could help, discovering the idea of hair donations. He decided to grow his hair for two whole years, being bullied by mean kids in the process, but always staying focused on his goal. In the end, he donated a total of ten inches of hair.

27) A Survivor

This firefighter, police officer, and burn survivor has been through a lot in life. He knows what suffering is all about and he always does what he can to help people in need. He let his hair grow long for three years so he could make a massive donation to a wig-making charity.

28) Still Long!

This girl had so much hair that even after chopping off a huge amount, it still looks very long and goes below her shoulders. She donated an extraordinary amount of 30 inches, which has got to be one of the biggest single donations a wig-making charity has ever received.

29) All The Family

Wow! This family decided to make a big commitment and grow out their hair together. Then, the mom and her six kids all got it cut off and donated every strand! They managed to provide more than 17 feet of hair to kids with hair loss.

30) A Little Hero

This 8-year-old boy was watching a video on Facebook about a girl who lost her hair to cancer treatment, and he immediately knew he wanted to help. He grew out his hair for two whole years, and by the time he was ready to make a donation, he was able to provide enough hair for three whole wigs!

31) You’re Never Too Old To Make A Difference

Many of the people in our list have been relatively young, but there’s no age limit when it comes to hair donations. A lot of older cancer patients and other people dealing with hair loss need suitable wigs too, and this silver fox was lucky enough to have a whole lot of hair to give!

32) Anyone Can Get Involved

As long as you’ve got hair, you can make a donation, just like this lady who provided a total of 11 inches to the Little Princess Trust after this haircut. Even those without too much hair on their heads can still spread awareness about these charities to their long-haired buddies or even make a monetary donation.

33) Helping Others And Looking Fabulous

Wow! What a big change! This woman donated over a dozen inches of hair, all tied up in three little ponytails. It’s amazing what a big difference hair can make. Just being able to wear a wig can help so many cancer patients and survivors feel a lot happier and more confident about themselves every time they step outside or look in the mirror.

34) A Different Kind Of Birthday

Many people just decide to donate their hair after hearing about charities like Wigs For Kids, but this woman did something a little different. She actually decided to celebrate her birthday by making a donation!

The idea had been on her bucket list for a while, but she’d been feeling nervous about losing her long locks. Fortunately, her friends and family encouraged her and the Little Princess Trust got a very big donation, along with cash from the woman’s sponsors.

35) So Many Ponytails

If you get your hair cut for a donation, it might have to be placed into lots of little ponytails like this. It makes it easier to gather the hair up and donate it easily, without any getting lost on the way. This lady donated six whole ponytails of her hair!

36) Donations Are Needed All The Time

This might look like a huge donation, and the woman pictured deserves a lot of credit for making it, but charities need more and more hair all the time. Donations are required on an almost constant basis to keep up with the demand and make enough wigs. It can take up to 25 ponytails to make a single wig!

37) A New You

This woman had been letting her hair grow for many years with only little trims now and then to keep it strong, but one day, she decided to take the plunge. She was able to provide four long ponytails to a local wig-making charity, changing people’s lives in the process and rocking a whole new look.

38) Teaming Up

If you’re a little nervous about going through a huge hair change and making a donation, why not take inspiration from these Glasgow girls who all teamed up to make a donation together! Two of them are twin sisters and one of them is a family friend, and they all decided to have their hair cut together, donating 32 inches to the Little Princess Trust.

39) Making A Change

This young woman had been hesitating for some time about getting her hair cut for cancer patients. Eventually, she decided to take the plunge and make a big change. That thick ponytail she chopped off will make a major difference to someone’s life.

40) Looking Good And Feeling Good

Not only does this guy look awesome after a huge haircut, but he’s also feeling great. He donated all of that mane to the Little Princess Trust. It almost looks like a wig already, so they won’t need to do too much work in order to get their hair to someone who needs it.

41) What A Star

This teen named Tamsin let her hair grow out before stepping into the salon for a mega cut. She donated a total of 12 inches of hair to the Little Princess Trust. On top of that, she also worked to raise several hundred pounds for another cancer charity.

42) Brave The Shave

Can you imagine shaving your head? It’s a big change and has got to feel a little weird at first, but it must be so rewarding to know that your act of bravery can make such a wonderful difference to someone else who is battling some of life’s toughest challenges.

43) Merry Christmas

This one is pretty special! In the spirit of the festive season, a whole group of women decided to do something special for those in need. They all got together for a mass haircut, boxing up the chopped-off locks and sending them off to the Little Princess Trust! They made a huge donation that will definitely have an impact this Christmas.

44) Totally Transformed

This brave woman underwent a major transformation, all in the name of helping others. She had a total of 12 inches of her hair chopped off and sent to a wig-making charity.

45) What An Inspiration

Yet again, we see a child setting an example for all grown-ups around the world to follow. Showing a level of maturity far beyond her young age, this girl offered up 14 inches of her shimmering hair for the Little Princess Trust.

46) A Big Event

An audience actually gathered in the salon to watch this woman, and several others, all take part in a big fundraising and hair donation event. This lady was one of the biggest donors, providing more than half of her hair to a local charity and working to raise cash for cancer research as well.

47) Before, During, After

Here, we can see the three stages of a hair donation. This amazing lady felt a little nervous before the big cut but was smiling happily when it was all over. She gave all of those pretty ponytails to the Little Princess Trust.

48) Long Haired Man

This long-haired dude still looks too cool for school after his huge haircut, but he was also able to make a big donation to the Little Princess Trust. What a hero.

49) Out Of This World

This girl’s intergalactic shirt, with planets, unicorns, and shooting stars all over it, really sums up her ‘out of this world’ attitude! She’s a true star, happily sitting in the salon chair while all of the hair she’s been growing out for several years gets cut off and given to those in need.

50) So Proud

This girl’s mom couldn’t be more proud of her daughter after the little one volunteered to have most of her hair snipped off, all in the name of helping others. She, and everyone else on this list, is an inspiration to all of us!

It’s so inspiring to see so many people willing to give up a part of themselves to help others in need. This is what human kindness is all about, and all of these people deserve a lot of credit for their commitment.

Many of them specifically took the time to grow out their hair in order to make a sizable donation, and it’s terrific to see donors of all ages getting involved and helping out.

Some people even follow a routine, growing their hair, shaving it all for donations, and then growing it back out to start the process again!

So, has this list inspired you to share your locks with a cancer patient? Share it around with friends and family to see what they think.