They took him a year and six months each to grow, but on Tuesday they were gone in 30 minutes as Kaitaia College student Francis Bradley had a very public hair and beard shave to raise money for cancer research and support.
Year 13 student Francis, aged 17, kept much of the school entertained on Tuesday lunch break as he had fellow students bid for the, erm, privilege may not be the right word, honour of cutting or shaving his hair and beard for cancer charity Shave for a Cure.
Francis was inspired to make the cut after his younger brother had his head publicly shaved last year.
He'd been growing his hair for a year and impressive beard for six months.
"Whoa, oh my gosh," Francis gasped as a schoolmate showed him a photo on his smartphone of the action on his half-shaved head and said it felt quite liberating to lose his locks.
Thirty minutes after starting, and many hands doing the cutting, a clean-cut Francis felt "awesome", firstly because of the money and awareness he was raising about cancer and secondly to finally feel the sun on his ears again.
"It feels great, I can't remember feeling the sun on my ears before. Wow, what an experience, it feels so different," he said.
Mum Emily was on hand to watch her son shed his hair and was proud of the effort both sons had made to raise money and awareness of cancer.
"It's awesome what Francis is doing today and I'm very proud of him," Mrs Bradley said.
And like any proud mum, she declared he was even more beautiful without all the hair and beard.
* Shave for a Cure is Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand's biggest fundraising event. For more information or to make a donation check out www.shaveforacure.co.nz.
