When we caught up with Brandi she said she was inspired to cut off the hair she'd been growing for the last four years because "there were several children in my area affected by various terminal illnesses and their treatment caused them to lose their hair. I remember when one of them returned to school to see that most of their classmates had either cut their hair very short, or shaved their heads so she wouldn�t feel different. Another big inspiration for me was my Aunt Louise who is a breast cancer survivor. She had the most beautiful hair and lost it during her treatment. I know for a fact that her having a wig helped with her confidence, because she would not go in public without her wig. I can only imagine the effect hair loss has on a child. When I looked at the Locks of Love website and saw the pictures of recipients of these wigs, I knew I was doing the right thing by donating my hair," she said.
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The cut
So how did Brandi feel when Mancuso cut over 16 inches of her hair in one snip?
"There was really no time to feel anything. He sat me down, braided my hair, and immediately started cutting. At first, I was shocked because I couldn�t believe I was really having so much of my hair cut off, but it was really a good thing that he did it that way, because I didn�t have enough time to get emotional about the cut. It wasn�t until I held the braid in my hands that it actually hit me that so much of my hair was gone. I felt a little sad, but excited at the same time knowing that a child would benefit from my donation."
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The shape
Mancuso, celeb stylist to stars like Taylor Swift, Salma Hayek and Cate Blanchett, "wanted to focus on Brandi�s individual style and what would look best on her," he says. "After years of having long hair that didn't have shape, I decided to give her the ultimate in chic -- a low maintenance, precision bob that would hold its shape and silhouette no matter if she let it air dry or blow dried it into a sleek, polished style. A perfect short style for a girl on the go," says Mancuso.
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The style
Inspired to try a short bob like Brandi's? Follow these styling tips:
Step 1: "First, I always advise my clients to start their styles in the shower with a shampoo and conditioner that�s right for their hair type. Women with thick, coarse hair should use moisturizing products -- to smooth and tame locks. Those with fine hair should use volumizing products -- to help build lift and body," says Mancuso.
Step 2: "Apply a heat protecting product to damp hair to prevent damage caused by heat styling � then use a flat brush (try Denman D4 Large Classic Styling Brush, $15.99) while blow drying to control the hair and help it fall into place," he says.
Step 3: "When hair is almost dry, switch to a round brush to polish hair and ends. I suggest using a brush big enough to grab the hair, but not so small that it turns the ends under and creates that Mary Tyler Moore look, instead of a sleek Katie Holmes style. The perfect size brush should allow [you] to control [your] hair and just slightly curve the ends into place," says Mancuso.
Step 4: Finish the look with a light-hold hairspray, which will help set and hold the style throughout the day, while still allowing for movement.
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Brandi's new style
Brandi said she wanted a cut and style that wasn't too short, but chic: "I always loved Victoria Beckham�s inverted bob hairstyle. I wasn�t sure I was comfortable going that short so mine is [now] closer to Christina Applegate's bob, which I also love. My grandmother calls my hairstyle the �Cleopatra without bangs,� she says.
So what does Brandi think of the finished product? "I love my new haircut! It�s so much easier to style now. My daily hair routine went from over an hour to around 20 minutes. My friends and family all love it. Most people do not even recognize me at first," she says.
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.
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.
