A ROCK star, who has been growing his hair for more than three years, has shaved his head for charity.

Samsonesque Michael Illingworth was worried he would lose his personality if his luscious locks went.

But it had to be done.

Michael is the lead guitarist of Swimsuit Competition, a four-piece band, which tours around East Anglia with gigs, mainly in Colchester, Manningtree and Harwich.

The band came together in 2018 and is now finally going back to gigs after lockdown.

Michael’s barnett has helped him fit the image of a long-haired rock star since the beginning.

But he decided to have his head shaved so he could give his hair to the Little Princess Trust, which provides free wigs to children going through cancer treatments.

He also raised £714 for Cancer Research UK into the bargain.

Michael, 26, of Colchester, said: “It has never been that long before and it became part of me, almost like a personality trait.

“People knew it was quite important to me.”

But as his 26th birthday was approaching, Michael realized he has never done a fundraiser before and wanted to make it special.

He added: “I thought: ‘What have I got that I could give to someone else?’

“I thought my hair being in the condition it was in and the length it was, it would potentially be making a lot of little girls’ lives a little bit easier.”

Michael started a fundraising page at the end of August and raised £714 in three weeks.

He remembered his mother wouldn’t let him cut his long hair as a child, so he thought the right time has finally arrived.

Michael added: “My girlfriend, one of my sisters and my two nieces ended up taking turns with scissors and razors.

“It was a joint effort between four labourers.

“I tried to do a Facebook live, but unfortunately there were some technical issues, so I took it to social media as soon as I could afterwards.”

Contrary to his expectations, Michael is now feeling comfortable in his new hairstyle.

The only downside he said is he is “very cold”.

He added: “I was a bit nervous before the shave about what the shape of my head would be because I haven’t seen it in so long.

“But I was pleasantly surprised to be honest.

“All my family have fully supported me through it whether it was about sharing it on social media or speaking with their friends and colleagues.”

You can watch the full video of Michael shaving his head here.