Barber shop specializing in alopecia opens doors in Antwerp: “Every customer enjoys complete privacy here” (Antwerp)
The planned opening at the beginning of May fell through due to circumstances, but now that the works in the building in the Volksstraat are almost complete, the Dutch Ivonne Held (74) is ready to fly. The owner of Hellywood Hair Collection will not only perform average haircuts, but also provide alopecia patients with a beautiful haircut.
“Hellywood Hair Collection is not your standard barber shop. Antwerp residents can come to us for a standard treatment, but we are starting a whole additional beauty treatment such as waxing, manicure and pedicure”, Held begins her story. But above all, Hellywood wants to be a safe place for people who suffer from alopecia, a hair condition with a person starting permanent hair. The causes are diverse.
“Those that I can suffer can come to me for a wig, which I order from scratch and completely customise. In doing so, I appeal to real emergence from different parts of the world. Unlike the synthetic variant, real hair can be treated a lot for the customers. I also love to help anyone who wants another model in his or her wig.”
Alopecia is a disease that comes in different forms. According to Held, it can range from a small spot to a completely bald head. Of all the different forms, the Dutch is most at home in FFa, or frontal fibrosing alopecia. “A shape translated by a symmetrical band of hair loss and intermediate women over fifty.”
Treatment with respect for privacy
The idea of creating such a concept dates back to 2008. After a number of drastic events in her life, Held herself had to deal with severe hair loss. She couldn’t find a suitable hairpiece and started attaching it with wigs. And so it happened. “Hair is an important part of their personality for many people. It stands for strength and ability and self-confidence. I want to help people with alopecia regain their self-awareness, quality of life and joy with this unique hairpiece,” said Held.
Anyone who visits Hellywood can count on treatment with the greatest respect for privacy. “Everyone is safe here. People with alopecia sit in a room where others cannot see. This is important because they are often insecure and shy, especially women. That’s why I do one on one, when you go out, no one questions the reasons for your visit. With the advancements being made in our industry, no one will notice you’re wearing a wig. They are becoming more beautiful and modern.”
Globetrotter with passion for beauty
In Antwerp, Held hopes to fill a void for people who suffer from the disease. “There are a number of hair salons where people with alopecia can go, but nowhere is there such a focus on specialization as here.”
Held is delighted with her adventure in the cookie city. “I have lived in different places, from Berlin to Switzerland to The Hague. I’m not made to stay in one place for too long, especially when I don’t see a margin of progression anymore. Antwerp is a metropolis, I can’t wait to get started”, she laughs cheerfully. If everything goes according to plan, it will be held within two weeks and the doors will open.
(lava)