It takes a bit of getting used to

PUCKER UP: Having given his locks, Kaitaia pharmacist Eric Shackleton went the extra mile by sacrificing his moustache.

Two of the Far North's best-known faces were transformed on Tuesday, when Mayor John Carter and Kaitaia pharmacist Eric Shackleton had their heads shaved for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand - and gave up their beloved moustaches for good measure.

Mr Carter, who was looking for at least $1500 to part with his hirsute accessory, had possessed his hairy lip for almost half a century, while Mr Shackleton's was of similar vintage.

A confidential source, his son Garvin, said he understood his father had last sported a clean upper lip while still at secondary school, and that was a good many decades ago.

In fact, the man himself confessed to having removed it relatively late in life, on a whim while holidaying in Thailand. His wife Sandra had responded to the new look by ordering him to grow it back.

Both were working on new moustaches on Tuesday afternoon, in Mr Carter's case having been prompted perhaps by former National Party colleague Paula Bennett's comment that without it he looked like a half-sucked Mintie.

It was all in a good cause though, the nine shavees - Doug Te Wake (who escaped before the photographer arrived), John Carter, Kevin Matthews, Nina Gobie, Theresa Burkhardt, Eric Shackleton, Rueben Porter, Jimmy Huang and Juanita Aramoana - collectively raising $2800, and still counting as of yesterday.

Nina Gobie confessed to being nervous before losing her locks, and too nervous to look in the mirror after she had lost them, but promised that an even bigger campaign was planned for next year. She was sure her son would recover his powers of speech, which he lost when he saw what hair stylist Lesa Mullaney had done to his mum.

Juanita Aramoana, who had already had half her head shaved, gave up the other half willingly, saying how impressed she was to see everyone coming together in support of people going through a hard time.

By-election candidate Rueben Porter wasn't too keen on losing his hair (and displaying his "battle scars,") but cancer was "big in Maori," and he wanted to send the message that prevention was better than a cure.