A HAIRDRESSER who suffers from alopecia has opened up Ayr’s first wig boutique as she aims to help others who are battling hair loss.

Kayleigh Simpson opened up the store - an extension to her existing award winning High Street salon Vogue last week.

And she has vowed to give people back their identity after they have lost their hair, after being spurred on by her own personal experience.

Kayleigh told the Advertiser: “I did a wig making course about four years ago specifically to make wigs for myself. I suffer from alopecia myself and nothing was working, no hair systems, no hair extensions no medication.

“So I went and did the course, loved it, started making myself wigs, then clients were asking me to make them wigs and telling their friends and I just got that busy that we couldn’t do it in the salon anymore, that’s why I thought to have it downstairs from the salon.

“I understand what girls are going through, I have been going through it for years. Nothing was helping, in fact it was making it worse and the stress of it was making it worse as well.

“I just thought this is definitely the best route. Wigs have a stigma, people relate it to cancer, things like that but not everybody who has a wig has cancer.”

Although wigs are being made for reasons other than cancer, such as alopecia and for fashion purposes, Kayleigh has been helping clients who have been going through cancer treatment and the devastating side effect of hair loss that chemotherapy can have.

The bespoke service offers a consultation to discuss options before each wig is tailor made to be exactly how someone’s hair used to be.

Kayleigh said: “It’s really rewarding. I find that a lot of women, especially younger girls who are going through cancer (or any sort of hair loss due to an illness), that their hair loss is sort of belittled as if they shouldn’t be concerned about their hair loss, they should be more concerned about their illness. “A lot of them have still got their jobs to go to, kids to look after, they still have to go on and if they have got their hair sorted it gives them something to face the world with.”

The wig boutique opened on Saturday, October 26 and Provost Helen Moonie attended.