Shailene Woodley Chops Hair For Cancer Patient Role

Move over, Beyonce – another star has chopped off her hair.

Shailene Woodley, the 21-year-old star of “The Descendants,” cut off what appears to be at least eight inches of her hair and documented the experience on Twitter.

“And so it begins,” Shailene Tweeted Friday night, along with a photo of multiple pairs of hair scissors, followed by a photo of two chopped off ponytails, captioned “Hair nubbins.”

The actress later added a photo of the final product, a chin-length bob, with the caption, “Work in progress, but luckily, it grows back!!!”

While a haircut may not seem dramatically significant to some, it was a big move for Shailene, who wrote a lengthy blog post explaining why letting go of her locks was emotionally difficult.

“For the past five years I’ve been on an I-want-to-grow-my-hair-as-long-as-possible kick. Before cutting it for a project last December, it was almost down to my bum. Holy wow it was long,” the actress – who is cutting her hair for her upcoming role as cancer-stricken Hazel Grace Lancaster in “The Fault in Our Stars” – wrote in the post on her Tumblr page. “About half way through my hair-growing escapade, I began to deeply look at why I was so keen on creating flowing locks down my spine… After much thought and curiosity surrounding the subject, I finally came to the conclusion that hair, for me, was a symbol of strength. It was a symbol of commitment to my power. Of connection to my ancestry. Of recognizing my natural beauty. That which exists without chemical dyes, or hairspray, or scissors.”

The actress said she was set at ease by a line from Regina Spektor’s song, “Ghost of Corporate Future,” in which the singer suggests cutting one’s own hair, as it continues to grow even after death.

“I was immediately inspired to cut my own hair off with abandon. Shed old layers and practice the art of playfulness,” she wrote.

The “Divergent” star is donating her hair to Children With Hair Loss, an organization that provides human hair replacement to kids who have lost their hair due to medical conditions – and knowing that her hair will help a child without has made the experience a positive one.

“There was a time when growing my hair out symbolized something for me, but the power of sharing that choice, sharing the ability to have long hair with someone feels far more powerful right now,” she wrote. “I know what it feels like to have wind blow through my wavy locks, and I am over-the-top grateful I get to share that gift with another.”

— Erin O’Sullivan