WHAT an incredibly selfless and bold thing it is that teenager Amy Carr has done by having her lovely long hair shaved off to raise money for charity.

At an age when young girls are becoming self-conscious about their appearance, this 13-year-old Stroud High School girl has taken a stand against the ghastly trend for the selfie which is growing with alarming popularity among teenagers.

The need to post endless pictures of themselves on social media sites is, Amy believes, making young people obsessed by their physical appearance.

Instead, this youngster has poured her energy into something more positive and has managed to raise a staggering £2,700 for Cancer Research UK and for the St Roses School in Stroud which helps children with complex disabilities.

With a wisdom far beyond her years Amy has shrugged off her decision with the words: “It’s only hair. People have to live with cancer every day.”

Like many people, Amy’s family has been personally affected by losing a loved one to this awful disease.

But her choice to have her head shaved says so much more about her and it’s a positive indication that she might grow up unscarred by another disease in our society – the belief that looks alone are enough to get by and the latest handbag or footballer on your arm is the key to happiness.

The constant bombardment from celebrities on how to be thinner and more plastic by the minute is hard to escape if you are a young person these days.

But Amy’s belief is that girls should be strong and be allowed to be who they are and not what people and society thinks they should be.

Hear, hear. She’s one smart cookie we are probably going to hear a lot more from as time goes by.