Theatre actress Karen Tan will be wearing a wig for her acting roles in the next few months, but it is not for a part in a new show. She has shaved her head for charity.

Tan, 42, is among nearly 700 caring Singaporeans taking part in the seventh annual Children's Cancer Foundation's (CCF) annual fundraiser, Hair For Hope.

It encourages people to shave their heads in solidarity with sufferers of childhood cancer, and raise more than $540,000 for children with cancer. Participants so far have included 20 employees of DBS Bank who got their locks shorn this week.

Others set to take part include The Straits Times' editor Han Fook Kwang, senior executives at shipping carrier Neptune Orient Lines and telecom sector regulator Infocomm Development Authority.

A mass head-shaving event for the general public will be held on July 5 at Velocity@Novena Square.

This is the first time Tan, whose husband, Dr Quek Swee Chong, specialises in gynaecological cancer prevention, has shaved her head. Life! was present when she did it.

After the first strokes of the hairstylist's shaver, a shocked Tan said: 'It feels like there's an F1 race happening on my head. I'm shaving my head a little earlier because I need my hair to grow back before my next big project in August.'

She will be acting in a second run of the hit drama, The Crab Flower Club, from Aug 20 to 29 at The Drama Centre.

Her proud daughter Rachel, 13, said: 'Even though she has theatre work, she's doing this because she made a promise to help other people.'

The foundation's corporate communications officer, Mr Christopher Daguimol, said: 'It boosts the self-esteem of children undergoing chemotherapy by sending the message that there is nothing wrong in losing their hair or being bald.'

Last year, a total of 1,112 people shaved their heads, raising more than $500,000 for the foundation.