A Penryn woman who had her head shaved in support of Macmillan Cancer Support has denied being 'brave,' as she just wanted to help cancer sufferers.

Clare Everall, from Polwithen Road, decided to lose her locks for the cause after her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer and facing chemotherapy.

Clare said: "She has lost her hair, her eyebrows, eyelashes, all her hair. She was facing a double mastectomy.

"She has got two boys, and they would want to know what's happening to their mum. They wouldn't understand what it's like to lose everything feminine about you.

"I said 'when you lose your hair, I'll shave mine.'"

Clare had been looking for a way to raise money for Macmillan for a while, as she lost her grandmother to cancer, and has lost friends, and feels it's a disease that touches everybody at some point.

She contacted the charity and found that they had organised a national campaign, 'Brave the Shave' and she became one of the first in the UK to take part, raising £240 so far.

"Lots of men have done it," she said, "but not so many women."

Although her aunt was initially against the idea, her family have been supportive, especially her three children Libby, 15, Max, 12, and Will, 11, who understand her motivation, and use that knowledge to explain to their own friends.

One of her sons, she said, told her: "It's not stupid, you're not shaving your head for fun, you're doing it for a really good cause. It's really cool and I'm proud of you."

She said many people called her brave, and although she sees it as 'only' shaving her hair, which will grow back, Libby said her mother was brave because she didn't think she could do it.

"She said 'I love my hair too much, and that's why you're brave, a lot of women love their hair.'"

She said: "I was quite blasé about it all the way through... until the morning of the shave, but it was too late to back out."

The cut was performed at Hair for Men in Falmouth, and Clare said the barber made her feel totally at ease, giving her a bob before going for the final shave, and even made a donation to the cause.

She said: "I don't think my husband was 100 per cent convinced, when I came out he said 'you look really strange,'" but son Max now asks for a 'lucky rub' of his mum's head every morning before he will get out of bed.

Possibly the best reaction came from Clare's aunt, who is still having chemotherapy. Although she is unable to get about much, she was visiting her sister when Clare came around and showed her what she had done.

According to Clare: "She said 'what have you done,' and then she said 'I think that's brilliant.' That's all she told me."

To support Clare, visit https://bravetheshave.org.uk/shavers/clare-everall/