A COURAGEOUS Whitehaven woman who suffers from alopecia has launched her own wig business.

And the venture is being promoted in Los Angeles by actor, and fellow alcopecian, Anthony Carrigan who stars in the American series Gotham.

Vanessa Cowan has started Glamorous Butterfly, offering services to people experiencing hair loss. 

The business is a result of an emotional journey for Vanessa who rapidly lost all of her hair, known as alopecia universalis, last year.

The former civil servant said: "I was under a lot of stress at work. I noticed when I was in the shower that I was losing a lot of hair.

"I went to the doctors and was told it would grow back."

She visited a specialist in hair and scalp and received treatment. However, she lost all of her body hair within three months.

"It was the worst time of my life," she said. 

She said "handfuls of hair" would fall out of her head which was painful. She also felt down, and sought help.

But, the 39-year-old says she chose to use the difficult experience to help others.

And the loss of her mother Brenda Cowan to cancer when she was younger, gave Vanessa a different outlook, she said.

"It gave me strength. When I looked back at everything she went through. She was always concerned about other people. She always had a smile on her face. I thought 'right, I'm going to give myself a shake!'"

Buying wigs for herself elsewhere gave Vanessa an insight into products.

She is now selling custom made or ready-to wear real hair or synthetic wigs for women and men, hair pieces, and a blow drying and styling service for wigs. 

Vanessa will also be holding make-up tutorials and selling silk scarves.

Following her diagnosis, Vanessa researched the different types of hair loss; alopecia areata affects a patch of hair, alopecia totallis affects hair on someone's head, eyebrows and eyebrow and alopecia universal affects all body hair.

As alopecia is an auto-immune disease, people who have it are 50 per cent more likely to get other auto-immune diseases like diabetes, MS and ME, said Vanessa, who is keen to raise awareness and advise others.

She has made a number of contacts including actor Anthony Carrigan who is going to promote her venture in LA.

Her business is based at the Senhouse Centre, Whitehaven and Vanessa is also offering a mobile service. 

Contact Vanessa on 07889224019 or vanessaglamousbutterfly@gmail.com