Shailene Woodley Gets Clipped

Well, she did it!

Shailene Woodley went through with her promise and chopped off her long locks for both a movie role and for charity.

Woodley, who starred in “The Descendants" and will be appearing in the upcoming and much-anticipated "Divergent" and is in the limited indie release "The Spectacular Now," will play a young woman struggling with terminal cancer in "The Fault In Our Stars," a film adaptation of John Green’s best-selling young adult novel.

To prepare for the role, the 21-year-old actress cut off most of her long, dark blonde hair over the weekend, documenting the process with pictures posted on Twitter. Woodley saved the hair, and she had some very special plans for her tresses – she’ll be donating them to a non-profit organization that works with children stricken with hair loss.

…and so it begins… #itgrowsback #hairforhazel pic.twitter.com/mWX0C5mopd

— Shailene Woodley (@shailenewoodley) August 17, 2013

Woodley began with a picture of beautician’s shears, adding the comment, “… and so it begins.” Twenty minutes later, long locks of hair tied with black ribbons were posted, with the caption, “hair nubbins.” And finally, along with a pic of Woodley with a much shorter hairstyle, Woodley tweeted, “work in progress … but luckily, #itgrowsback !!! : ))”

hair nubbins #itgrowsback #hairforhazel pic.twitter.com/KKn3qQZ7jX — Shailene Woodley (@shailenewoodley) August 17, 2013

While Woodley’s role in “The Fault In Our Stars” prompted the new hairstyle, the actress is putting the clippings to good use. In an August 14 post on her Tumblr account, Woodley revealed that she would be donating her hair to Children With Hair Loss, a charitable organization that helps kids who’ve long their locks due to illness or medical treatments. As they state on their website, “Our mission is to cover young heads to heal young hearts.”

'[T]here 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,” Woodley 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.”

Woodley may not put much stock in capitalization, but she believes in doing good where she can, and she’s proven she’ll put her hair where her mouth is. And she’s urging others to do the same.

"[If] you are in a place of absolutely loving your lengthy dreds, then GO YOU AND KEEP ON GROWIN‘ IT OUT!," Woodley wrote. "[On] the other hand, if you are in the position to cut off 8 inches of your hair, then i strongly urge you to do it. there are so many human beings out there who would LOVE the opportunity to possess long hair, but simply can not because of their current situation…. let’s share!"

Watch ‘The Descendants’ Theatrical Trailer: