We write so many stories about the hottest celebrity hairstyles, the best hair care for your unique hair type, and the hippest haircuts you should dare to try, all with the idea in mind that your hair is not only part of you, but helps define how you see yourself and how others see you.

Skip to see Brandi's dramatic hair makeover now.

But not all are fortunate enough to worry about styling their hair or have the luxury of being able to obsess over which trendy haircut is best. Losing hair from illness can be a devastating side effect for many women and can contribute to feelings of isolation. And real human hair wigs or hairpieces are expensive to buy and therefore also not always an option. That's where Locks of Love comes in -- they ask the hair-healthy public to donate their strands to help people experiencing this often-upsetting occurrence. They turn donated hair into wigs that they then donate to people in need.

Recently, Locks of Love and Nexxus teamed up to bring awareness to the ongoing need for hair donations and to inspire people to chop off their locks to help others. They asked their Facebook fans to tell them why they wanted to donate their hair to charity so they could send one lucky fan and a guest to New York City for a haircut and styling session with celebrity hairstylist Kevin Mancuso. We caught up with the winner, Brandi from Louisiana, who captured the hearts and support of the Facebook community with her story and won the coveted trip to donate over 16 inches of her hair to charity, and asked her about her makeover experience. Then, we asked Mancuso to share his advice for styling and maintaining a short cut -- so that if Brandi inspires you to donate your hair, you'll know exactly how to make it look fabulous.

See Brandi's dramatic hair makeover now.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Brandi's story