A CHARITABLE Halstead worker who watched her mum struggle with a rare form of asthma is set to cut a foot of hair off for two good causes.

Elaine Brachtvogel, who works in Boots on Halstead High Street, is set to have her hair drastically cut in the shop on March 27.

The 25-year-old will donate her hair to the Little Princesses Trust, but is also trying to raise as much money as possible for Asthma UK.

Elaine, of Colchester, has seen first-hand the crippling effect severe asthma can have after watching her mum, Sue, struggle with the condition.

Sue suffers from brittle asthma and has a long list of triggers, including something as small as overpowering perfume.

Elaine said: “My friend told me about Little Princesses and all the fantastic work they do donating hair to children who have suffered hair loss.

“Then my mum suffers from a severe kind of asthma, so I thought I could raise money for them, while donating my hair to Little Princesses.

“The asthma isn’t very well known. Even when she goes to the doctors often they don’t understand or cannot help. She has so many triggers, it could be anything from a change in weather or someone with strong perfume or body spray. Perfume can actually send her into an anaphylactic shock.

“She was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, and the nurse ended up pushing the panic button because someone had come in with a strong per - fume on and it had set her off.“

Elaine has raised more than £300, and is excited about the challenge, although she isn’t brave enough to have her head fully shaved this time around.

She said: “I have psyched myself up for it now and I am quite excited. I am having about 30cms off, which should take my hair up to my shoulders, which will make a nice change.

“A lot of my friends have been saying to me, ‘why don’t you just shave it all off ’ but I am not quite brave enough for that yet.”

Visit justgiving.com/Elaine-Brachtvogel.