For hairstylist Amy Hauke, watching her young daughter lose all her hair has been a heart-wrenching experience—and one that inspired her to open a natural hair salon in Surrey while raising awareness about alopecia.
Amy, who has worked in hairdressing for 20 years, began her career as a teenage apprentice in Frimley Green. She always dreamed of styling her own children’s hair one day. But when her daughter Tilly, now seven, began losing her hair at just two-and-a-half years old, that dream took an unexpected turn.
Tilly’s hair loss started during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. After the first lockdown, Amy noticed patches missing from Tilly’s scalp. The little girl was often tired and too exhausted to walk to school or spend time outdoors.
Due to NHS pressures at the time, Tilly waited nearly 10 months for a medical appointment. Amy eventually sought private care before returning to NHS treatment when pandemic restrictions eased. The family began attending regular sessions at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, where Tilly received steroid cream treatment for a year.
“It wasn’t helping. The steroid cream was hurting her scalp,” Amy recalls. “Then she lost her eyebrows and eyelashes, too. That’s when I started looking for natural remedies.”
Five years on, Amy has opened her dream hair salon at home in Camberley, specialising in sulphate-free and vegan products that are gentle on both hair and skin. She chose an Italian brand called Mood, known for its recyclable packaging and natural fruit-based ingredients.
The salon is partly named after Tilly. “Her confidence and radiance through her alopecia journey showed me the true meaning of beauty,” Amy says. “After personal struggles with grief and mental health, I found the motivation to start my own business focused on natural care.”
Amy offers a full range of services—from haircuts and colouring to special occasion styling for proms and weddings. The intimate, friendly atmosphere of her salon makes it an ideal space for customers with hair concerns or children getting their first trim.
“I would have loved to do my daughter’s hair,” Amy says. “Tilly loves doing other people’s hair and mine, too. All you want is for your child to be confident. She has a wig but doesn’t wear it—she prefers a bow that matches her outfit, which is her way of coping.”
Tilly experienced bullying at school, but Amy praises the school’s support, including adding a children’s book about alopecia, Where’s Your Hair Hannah?, to the library. While other kids ask why she has no hair, Tilly confidently replies, “I have alopecia or a poorly scalp, let’s go play.”
Amy encourages Tilly to greet other children, helping to break the ice as many are shy to approach her. “I knew a little about alopecia, but I didn’t realise there were different stages,” Amy says. “I don’t know if her hair will grow back—it hasn’t since she was two and a half. Her eyebrows and lashes come and go.”
Amy’s home salon, Amy Rose Hair, welcomes men, women, and children. It offers special rates for kids and teens, with convenient parking in a leafy Surrey neighbourhood. Clients can relax with music, tea or coffee, and magazines while enjoying their pampering session.
Amy’s mission is clear: to create a peaceful, supportive space where everyone feels comfortable and confident, no matter their hair journey.
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