Your hair is often known as your ‘crowning glory’, so when women lose their hair through chemotherapy or alopecia it can be very traumatic.
Inspired by her sister Sheelagh’s battle with cancer, and her subsequent hair loss, Ursula Hanley began designing and making headwear as a comfortable alternative to wearing a wig.
Before Sheelagh started her chemotherapy treatment she was fitted for a wig but as her treatment commenced she found that the wig was both uncomfortable and impractical to wear around the house. However, her search for an alternative came up empty when she looked for suitable headwear.
Ursula, an experienced seamstress, offered to design secure, stylish, comfortable headwear that offered total head coverage. After much experimenting she produced fitted scarves with hidden elastic at the back to ensure a secure fit, as well as bandanas, bands, and turbans made from soft stretchy material.
Sheelagh tried all of Ursula’s designs to ensure they were suitable for her needs, and this also led to Ursula producing soft night caps as many people with hair loss often feel the cold in bed.
A stylish collection of headwear is central to Ursula’s designs. She was particularly inspired by the character Samantha in Sex and the City who lost her hair as a result of chemotherapy but showed that she did not intend to lose her sense of style. Sheelagh also wanted to look her best at family and social effects and Ursula produced scarves and headwear that co-ordinated with her outfits.
Word began to spread and several women approached Ursula looking for similar headwear and so her business grew. Sheelagh has since made a full recovery and Ursula continues to work from home designing headwear for those prone to hair loss through chemotherapy or alopecia. She also designs a range of headwear for children.
Contact Ursula at (090 ) 6475462 or (086 ) 3899026, or to view some of her designs visit www.headwear.ie
