About 40 teachers and students now “feel a little lighter on top” after having their lovely locks chopped off for charity.The mammoth hair-cutting session brought tears and laughter to Bermuda High School for Girls as one person after another watched their hair tumble to the floor.Ponytails and plaits were cut off before the brave participants rushed to the bathroom to discover their new look.They are now sporting shorter than normal haircuts for the summer to help children with cancer. Their hair will be sent to charity Locks of Love, which makes hairpieces and wigs for children in the United States and Canada who have lost their own hair.The students who took part ranged in age from five to 17, plus one little girl who is still in nursery school signing up before she starts BHS in September.The school has also raised about $800 through two hot dog lunches so that a monetary donation can be sent with their hair.Leading by example was the school's Latin teacher Stuart Curtis, who was one of the first people to brave the scissors.The teacher said he “knew just how it feels” as he lost his own hair through chemotherapy when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer aged 23.Then three years ago Dr. Curtis was among eight BHS staff who shaved their heads to raise $25,000 for the Fight For Life Foundation.Dr Curtis said: “My hair was down to my waist, that was three years growth from being bald. I had hoped to still be able to have a ponytail, but no such luck.“I got roped into this, it was announced in assembly that I was doing it before I'd even agreed to it.“But I don't mind. The students found it most amusing and I'm not as vain about my hair as everyone thinks I am. I might get my hair re-styled into a Justin Bieber look now.”The Locks of Love charity event has taken about eight months of planning by teachers Julie Gunther and Jane Thorpe.A team of five hairstylists and one barber from Bersalon gave up their time to cut everyone's hair in the sports hall in front of an excited crowd of about 220 year seven to ten pupils.Rachel Daly, 15, of Devonshire, had taken two years to grow her hair to half way down her back. She is now sporting the new-look of a chin-length bob.She said: “I had to go straight to the bathroom to have a look, I was shocked, but in a good way.“It feels a little lighter on top, it feels like I am missing something.“I had so much hair, I was happy to give some of it away to someone who really needs it.”It is the third time Connie Campbell, 16, of Sandys, has donated her hair to Locks of Love. She first made a donation when she was just five after her mom told her if she didn't want to brush her hair, she'd have to have it cut. She made another donation when she was nine-years-old.Connie said: “I haven't cut my hair for two years waiting for this day, my third time.“My hair's a bit shorter than I was expecting. I thought they were taking 10ins off, but they took 13 ins, it's going to take sometime to get used to.“I'd be devastated if I lost my hair to cancer, so this is the least I can do.”When Connie was asked if she would be doing the same for a fourth time, she said: “If my hair is long enough before college, then maybe.”Margaret Dunne, 13, of Paget, said her hair used to be nearly down to her waist, but “now there's not much left.”She said: “I just looked in the mirror and thought: ‘wow, it's short.' But I don't mind as it's for a good cause. It's a really nice thing for the school to do.”BHS head Linda Parker said staff had put a lot of hard work into the event and she was grateful for all staff and students who had taken part. It is now hoped that it will become an annual event.Sophie Ternent, Bersalon spa/salon co-coordinator, said staff were “more than happy” to donate their time to such a good cause.She said: “Everyone made sure the morning was blocked out to clients in the diary so they could come along and donate their time. I'm so proud of them, it's such a worthy cause.”All those who had their hair cut also get a free shampoo and re-style at Bersalon to “tidy things up a bit.”