Three of the four Steele girls - mum Kelly, Makayla, 11, and Alannah, 8, had a total of 120 centimetres lopped off their flowing manes.

With fellow Wauchope Girl Guide Corin Scmitzer, who had 40cm cut off, added to the mix, there were 14 pony tails which will be donated to Variety's Princess Charlotte Alopecia Program.

The program generates awareness about alopecia areata which is a condition affecting humans in which hair is lost from areas of the body, usually from the scalp, for which there is no known cure.

To help instil confidence and self-esteem in children suffering from this condition, Variety grants specialised wigs created from human hair.

Mrs Steele learnt about the program after her husband Richard suggested his two eldest daughters might want to get their long hair cut for charity.

"We brought it up at Guides and that's when senior Guide Corin decided to join us," Mrs Steele, who is a Guide support, said.

The endeavour began about a year ago and, after Mrs Steele researched the program, she knew the girls would have to grow their hair so their pony tails measured at least 30cm.

"About six months ago they were getting a bit iffy about it, so that's when I joined in and said I would get my hair cut too. "It's about two years since I have had my hair cut and 18 months since the girls had theirs done."

When it came time to make the chop last week, Mrs Steele said she was nervous for the girls. She needn't have been.

"I told my friends I was getting my hair cut into a bob but they didn't believe me. It feels really different," Alannah said.

When mum reminded her she could now go to school with her hair out, a beaming smile lit up her face.

Makalya said her hair looked "cool", but when asked if she would be keeping it short she said: "That probably won't happen, my hair grows so fast".

And dad's verdict - a thumbs up to his girls' new dos after hairdressers Jenni Sheather, Joy Ward and Ami Andrews snipped their way through their very thick hair.

"We were definitely happy to give our time to cut the girls' hair for charity," JeniSha Hair Design principal Ms Sheather said.

Variety supplies the hair to specialised wigmakers who create them specifically for each child to ensure it will look as realistic as possible.

The children are able to play sport, swim and do many activities without fear of their wig falling off.

Wigs can cost families up to $5000 and last two or three years, leaving them $20,000 out of pocket throughout a child's youth.

To find out more about the program go to www.variety.org.au/nsw/get-involved/donateyourhair/