Hartlepool hair salon Poppys partners with The Little Princess Trust to offer free wigs to young people suffering from medical hair loss

Poppys Hairdressing, in Victoria Road, is one of just 120 hair salons across the country to be accredited by The Little Princess Trust as wig fitters.

The Little Princess Trust is a children's charity that funds research into childhood cancers and supplies real hair wigs to children and young people up to the age of 24.

Salon owner Janice Auton said: “We are making an incredible difference to these young people.

"Recently a beautiful four-year-old visited. She had asked her mum if she could have magic hair like her friend in another bed on the hospital ward.

"When it was fitted in our private room just off the salon, she bounced out to show all the other clients her new beautiful long blonde magic hair.

"Now that’s magical.

"Poppy’s senior team are giving hair and hope to the children and young people living in Hartlepool and surrounding areas.”

Earlier this year, Poppy’s Hairdressing celebrated its 10th year as a member of mynewhair, a charity that supports and offers advice to those living with the effects of medical hair loss.

In 2022, it expanded its premises to add a private consultation room to support women across the region suffering from hair loss due to medical treatments, alopecia, female pattern baldness, pregnancy or hormone imbalances.

The founder of The Little Princess Trust, Wendy Tarplee-Morris, said: “The Little Princess Trust gives hair and hope to children and young people by providing wigs and funding vital research into childhood cancers.

"These real hair wigs, which are made from hair donations from our wonderful supporters, are provided free of charge to children who have lost their own hair due to cancer treatment or other conditions such as alopecia.

"Every effort is made to give as wide a choice as possible to each wig recipient and to find a wig which closely matches their natural hair colour.

"We know from speaking to our wig recipients what a difference a wig can make to a young person’s confidence and identity, and how the wigs can restore some sense of normality at a very challenging and difficult time.”