A Johnstone beauty therapist is preparing to wave goodbye to her long locks for the first time in 12 years.

Lorna Kennedy has decided to donate 16 inches of her hair to the Little Princess Trust, which provides real hair wigs free of charge to children and young people who have lost their own hair due to cancer treatment and other illnesses.

The 37-year-old's haircut will take place at her business Buddie Beautiful, in Hazel Avenue, Johnstone, this Thursday.

Lorna told The Gazette: "The Little Princess Trust ideally wants hair that is 16ins and longer, so I've been trying really hard to reach that length.

The Gazette:

"My hair is is probably around 26 inches long, maybe a bit longer, so it will be cut to just below my shoulder.

"I'm nervous and excited about it, as donating my hair has been something I've been wanting to do for a while.

"My hair gets trimmed quite regularly to keep it in good condition but it's not been cut since early 2011."

Lorna's colleague Steph will be in charge of the clippers on Thursday, with the Paisley woman's family members to pop along to the salon to show their support.

A JustGiving page has also been set up by Lorna to raise funds for the Little Princess Trust.

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The former St Andrew's Academy pupil said: "I have a condition called fibromyalgia, which means I really struggle to wash and dry my own hair.

"Steph and a couple of the other girls have been helping to wash and dry my hair for the last 18 months to keep it in good condition.

"I've known adults who have gone through losing their hair and see how awful and traumatic it was for them, so I can only imagine how much worse it would be for a child.

"My hair has always been a source of compliments, so I wanted to give a child my nice, well-kept hair."

The Gazette:

On Thursday, the salon will be decorated with balloons and there will also be tasty cakes to enjoy.

Lorna added: "We're going to make a wee day of it, as we've been talking about it for so long and our customers have been really supportive of it.

"As I'm disabled and have a number of conditions, I'm not able to do things like give blood or sponsored walks, but I can grow and cut my hair.

"If it's the one thing I can do to help, then I'm happy to do it."

To support Lorna's fundraising efforts, visit www.justgiving.com/page/lorna-kennedy-1675782827509.