Carey Carter and Mitchell Barnes, owners of the posh Carter Barnes salon in Atlanta, Georgia, found an amazing, unconventional way to bring Christmas joy to hundreds of people in need of a pick-me-up. With just weeks to go before Christmas, after a client rang to say she couldn't afford to get her hair done after losing her job, Carter, Barnes and fellow stylists decided this persistent economic downturn needed a beauty intervention, with free botox, free color and free styling for all.

The salon spread the word, and soon there was an influx of heart-wrenching letters from men and women who were facing tough times: job loss, broken marriages, illnesses. The stylists selected 250 people who were desperate to regain some of the confidence only a good cut and color can give, but were unable to afford it. Now, the giving has become contagious, with some of the newly styled clients finding ways to pay it forward to others in need this season.

See the video below and read the full story at CNN.com.