A charity head shave provided me with a release from expectations

Claire Darwell has shaved her head twice so far. While the first time was for charity, she mainly did it for a bit of fun.  However, this second time proved to be more poignant and significant.

Claire is Australian, and her first head shave was in 2018 for the Australian Leukemia Foundation through an event called the World’s Greatest Shave.

She says the first time was “scary”: “The fear comes from the thought of having a shaved head and losing the identity that comes with hair.”

For that head shave, Claire and her friend invited friends and family to a ‘shave party’. This included drinks, food and hair-related games.

“People could pop a balloon, and on the inside of the balloon there would be a ticket about whether they had won the chance to cut off a ponytail from our hair or shave a portion of our head,” says Claire. “Our hair was long, and all the money went to charity.”

Then in October 2023, Claire had her second head shave, raising almost £2,500 for Breast Cancer UK. The second time around, she used the head shave as a way to honour her aunt.

“I used the head shave to honour her in my own personal way,” says Claire. “My Aunty Felicity passed away at the end of 2022. She had a long battle with breast cancer, and I couldn’t be at her funeral as I had moved to the UK. So, I thought of doing another shave in her honour and raising money for Breast Cancer UK.”

This time around it was a much smaller affair, and Claire felt differently about it, too.

“It felt cathartic.”

“The shave was less intimidating the second time, and it felt cathartic. It was a way to process the emotions of losing my aunt and coming to terms with plenty of others I knew affected by cancer,” Claire explains. “I didn’t have a big shave party, although I did have a bunch of friends with me. Many of them were eager to cut my hair off!”

Claire explains that she separated her hair into ponytails, and her friends could take turns either hacking off a ponytail or shaving a piece of her head.

“They did it in their own hilarious way of giving me different styles along the way,” she says. “I went through various styles, including a mullet and a Chelsea cut. They left my fringe to the end, so it looked like I had little bug antennas.”

She adds that although the serious goal was to raise funds for charity, it was also a fun experience: “We never really cut hair, do we? It’s usually done by a hairdresser.”

“I understand why people connect their identity to their hair.”

Through doing both head shaves, Claire also learned something about herself and her feelings towards her appearance.

“Because I haven’t gone through a medical reason for losing my hair, and I’ve done it with my own permission and of my own accord, it’s been fun. But you do go through stages of grief with hair loss. I understand why people connect their identity to their hair and why it’s so important, like a security blanket.

“It brings about some uncomfortable feelings at times about your appearance. We’re concerned about how we look at the end of the day, as much as we like to say we’re not. Still, it is a nice way to release yourself from those expectations of what you are supposed to look like, even when you’re in good health.”

Claire adds that her hair is growing back and getting long, and she’s already decided on the cause for her next head shave.

“I’ll definitely be partnering with a pancreatic cancer organisation for my next head shave,” she says. “The last donation on my Just Giving page was from my father-in-law, Leeson O’Keeffe. He was ill around the time of the head shave, although we didn’t know how unwell he was. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away in April 2024. I was so moved that, even as he was unwell, he was generous enough to donate to Breast Cancer UK.”

“Whether supporting someone on their cancer journey or helping clean up the earth, I’m happy either way.”

Claire concludes that a shaved head is temporary for her, as her hair will grow back. But she hopes that the funds raised have a longer effect on a good cause: “Whether that’s supporting someone on their cancer journey or helping clean up the earth, I’m happy either way.”

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Over 55,000 women and around 400 men a year are diagnosed with the disease. Yet, 30% of these cases are preventable. Fundraisers from amazing people like Claire help Breast Cancer UK in our mission to prevent the disease through education, scientific research, and policy change. 

To learn more about the ways to help reduce your risk and live a healthier life, check out our Prevention Hub. 

Inspired by Claire’s story? Find out how to get involved in your own fundraising efforts for Breast Cancer UK by clicking here.

• awareness
• BCUK
• Breast cancer
• breast cancer prevention
• Breast Cancer UK
• cancer
• Challenge
• charities
• Fundraise
• head shave
• prevention