The Halo Effect: The Story Behind Hair for Hats
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The story of how a difficult experience with chemotherapy led to a different way of thinking about hair loss, wigs and hats.
The Halo Effect is a short documentary produced by Sustainable Salons and UnReel Films that tells the story behind Hair for Hats - from my own experience of chemotherapy and hair loss to the idea that became a comfortable alternative to traditional wigs.
The story behind Hair for Hats
Hair loss can be one of the more confronting parts of going through chemotherapy. For some people, a wig feels like the right choice. For others, it may be a scarf, turban, beanie or simply going without hair.
For me, I wanted another option.
I wanted to be able to wear my own hats, while still having the look and movement of real hair. I also wanted something lightweight and comfortable, particularly at a time when my scalp was sensitive.
That is how the idea for Hair for Hats began.
Instead of putting a complete wig over the head, Hair for Hats uses human hair attached to an adjustable headband. The hair sits underneath your own hat, beanie or scarf, allowing you to choose the headwear that feels right for you.
The result is a different kind of hair-loss solution — one that doesn't require buying a new hat or wearing a full wig.
Why I called it Hair for Hats
The idea is simple: hair for the hats you already love.
A Hair for Hats hairpiece can be worn underneath your own hat, beanie or scarf. Depending on the style, it can provide hair at the front, back or both.
The hairpieces are made from 100% human hair, so it looks, moves and feels like real hair and can be styled to re-create your own style.
For someone experiencing hair loss, this can offer another choice alongside traditional full wigs and headwear.
Made from donated Australian hair
The story of Hair for Hats is also a story about what can happen to donated hair.
The human hair used by Hair for Hats is sourced through Sustainable Salons, whose hair donation program collects ponytails and repurposes donated hair.
For me, using ethically sourced hair was a non-negotiable aspect of setting up the business.
A different option during hair loss
There isn't one right way to manage hair loss.
Some people love a traditional wig. Some prefer scarves or turbans. And some people want to wear hats and beanies with the appearance of hair under it, without having to wear a full wig.
Hair for Hats was created for that last group - and for anyone who wants a lightweight everyday hair loss solution.
You can learn more about the different styles of human hair hat wigs, including front pieces, back pieces and halos, on our Human Hair Hat Wigs for Hair Loss collection.
Explore Hair for Hats
Our Human Hair Hat Wigs Range
Hairpieces designed to be worn under your own hats, beanies and scarves.
How Hair for Hats Works
See how the hairpiece attaches and how to wear it with your own headwear.
Complete Guide to Wigs and Headwear for Chemotherapy
Explore the different options available when preparing for or experiencing hair loss during chemotherapy.
About The Halo Effect
The Halo Effect was produced by Sustainable Salons and UnReel Films and tells the story of the experience that inspired Hair for Hats.
The film shares my personal journey with chemotherapy, hair loss and the search for something that felt more comfortable and natural-looking — and how that experience eventually led to the creation of Hair for Hats.
I'm grateful to Sustainable Salons for telling this story and helping share the idea with people who may be looking for a comfortable wig option for hair loss.
Read the full transcript of The Halo Effect
[00:00]
Hair is beautiful, and the longer the hair, the more beautiful. It can add a sense of normalcy and help you feel more confident.
[00:43]
It's sort of fall... Let's see. It's thinned out. But check this out. It's every time.
So, just over five years ago, I was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. I found it after my daughter was born. Say hello.
Just wanting to see my kids grow up. That's all I want.
Hoping my hair comes back soon.
The treatment that you have to go through makes you lose your hair. Hair makes such a big difference to how you look and how you feel.
I have a background in fashion, and I lived in Japan for a while. I went over there with very platinum, long hair that I played with. I had black hair and brown hair and did some hair modelling.
Suddenly, I looked a lot more beautiful and could feel that.
And so when you're bald, you're very exposed.
And I didn't have time. I had two young kids. So I don't have time to muck around with a wig and styling it and washing it.
And I didn't want to just be wearing a hat without hair that made me look sick. I didn't want people to think I was sick.
[02:00]
All the information says the right thing to get is a synthetic wig.
And online, I just didn't trust any of the photos. And then I went to a wig shop, but it just looked so bad.
[Laughter]
I don't want to look like I'm walking around in a fake wig. That's just as bad as no wig.
So this is this sort of unknown option.
What I found was, Googling "hat with hair attached," and there was an aha moment where I saw a headband with a fringe attached.
But I thought, that could do the trick. I get it. That can be worn under all my hats.
So I ordered a bunch and I tried them on, and they all looked absolutely ridiculous - except for one, which was the human hair one.
I'll show you how it works.
It's a fringe that clips on using Velcro.
You can see my lovely new army hairdo.
It's not shiny. It looks so much more natural.
And it made such a big difference.
How come nobody else knows about this?
[03:07]
Someone should make these.
Someone should make these.
Someone should make these.
[Laughter]
And then I eventually went, well, maybe I could try.
And I sat there on my laptop and I went, "Okay, what's involved? I'm going to have to find ethically sourced human hair in Australia, and I'm going to have to find someone who can make these."
So I started by calling some wig makers, local wig makers. And one of those wig makers said, "You should email Sustainable Salons."
And within an hour, I was on the phone to Paul.
It was like magic, the way that things started to line up.
[03:46]
Okay, so there's these layers of machine weft.
I found a manufacturer and I said, "Let's do 50 in this colour."
And then they arrived, and they were in different colours.
So we tried chop and change with different versions.
We tried short pieces, but they were cut way too blunt. We tried different colours, dyeing them with different dyes.
The journey through a lot of mistakes.
[Laughter]
[04:11]
The kind of Velcro mechanism I use makes the headband adjustable.
When you have a hairdresser, that's a whole new thing. She can just style it, make it so it's finished beautifully.
And now that's got us the variety that we have today.
You have the option to wear just the front piece. And sometimes you might not want any hair on your face. You just want the back piece.
And then when you want the fuller look, you can wear both.
There's the halo.
[04:43]
When I wear this hat during chemo, it just kind of took me back to that happy place.
It just brings me back to feeling 26.
It's come a lot of places with me, and it's been my happy place.
But now I have my hair back, and I now have this life.
Feel like I'm me again.
We have our children that are growing up. They're my everything.
Going through the journey I went through, you really appreciate every moment, every day.
[05:26]
The learning journey that I've been on with this has been a learning journey into hair.
You can't overestimate that feeling of how important hair is for each of us.
If someone was about to go through this, I would say, have a look in the mirror and reflect on your hair.
What is the role of your hair, and what do you want your journey to look like?
I want people to know that there is this solution out there.
That feeling of beauty, that feeling of confidence.
It changes that journey, and it changes how that journey fits into your life's story.
[06:02]
[Music]