KRISTY RAMNARINE
Kristy.ramnarine@cnc3.co.tt
Feeling overwhelmed when dealing with hair loss is all too familiar to Jamila Bannister.
The brand and marketing strategist has been working in a number of areas, including government agencies, law enforcement, financial services as well as health and fitness, since 2007.
However, her fast-paced life slowed down after receiving the news of her breast cancer diagnosis in 2023.
After starting chemotherapy, her hair started thinning and falling out.
That thrust her into a whole new realm.
“You feel confused about where to start when you need to buy a wig or get extensions that suit you,” she explained.
“Whether your hair loss is sudden, like the type I experienced from chemotherapy, or it’s happened slowly, that trauma is the same and it can really cause you to sink into a deep hole.”
Chemotherapy uses powerful medicines that attack fast-growing cancer cells. The medicines also hurt other fast-growing cells in the body – which include cells in hair roots. Hair usually begins falling out two to four weeks after treatment begins. Hair loss typically continues throughout treatment and up to a few weeks afterwards.
Like, most people who experience this, she said she sought options to maintain her physical appearance in the form of wigs.
“I know when I was looking for my wig, it was definitely a trial-and-error situation, I just saw something that looked like it could work and got it. Since then, I’ve been able to learn more about the styles I like and know that I can help an overwhelmed or confused woman,” Bannister said.
“The truth is, women who live with hair loss are often fighting other health battles under the surface and having a brand that gives you exactly what you need and community who can relate to your story is priceless.”
It’s the reason Bannister’s launched the Beautiful Market, an ecommerce store focused on selling wigs, toppers, extensions and beauty products to women who live with hair loss.
“The Beautiful Market is a brand and concept that evolved from my love for beauty, my work in marketing and my lived experienced with hair loss,” she said.
“In 2023, I was fired from a job and to supplement my income, I decided to invest in a long-time dream of mine to start a beauty business. But a few weeks after placing an order for inventory, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“The diagnosis meant going through chemotherapy, a treatment that causes your hair to fall out. It was one of the most difficult times in my life and although I was investing in a business to start selling hair, up to the point of my diagnosis, I, personally, had never worn a wig.”
Her diagnosis meant putting everything in her life on hold to focus on her health both mentally and physically.
“Then, me, the girl who had never worn a wig was wearing one every day to hide in plain sight from everyone I knew,” she added.
“When I decided to get back to my business, I knew the purpose of my business had to change. It couldn’t just be about selling hair. It had to be about serving a community of women who live with hair loss every day. The warrior women who get up, get dressed and keep moving in spite of challenges.”
The Beautiful Market has been curated for women who live with hair loss.
“It could be partial hair loss like thinning hair or loss around the edges of your head, or it could be total hair loss like the type you experience with chemotherapy or alopecia,” Bannister added.
“The pieces that we carry consider all types of hair loss and hair textures. Because hair loss is not confined to any colour, creed, class or age, we carry hair that can blend with different hair types.”
She added, “We also carry a selection at different price points. This was very important to me because I know what it’s like to be ill, be low on disposable income, while still wanting to look beautiful and presentable. If you want to invest in a piece that is glamorous and high quality, we have something for you, and if you’re more conservative with your budget, you can get that too.”
With the Beautiful Market, Bannister hopes to serve an underserved market with more dignity and compassion.
“I’m now experiencing new growth post-chemotherapy, but I still wear my wig when I want a glamorous transformation or when I just feel to switch up my look,” she said.
“I also hope that this brand can help to change people’s attitude about wig-wearing because the truth is there is still a lot of wig shaming in society.
“Wearing a wig or clip-ins or extensions for many women isn’t about duping anyone. It’s about protecting themselves, feeling safe and preserving their beauty as much as possible in the midst of what could possibly be a fight for their lives.”
Learn more at www.thebeautifulmarket.com