About Us
So who are Peluka Salon? We are a team of hairstylists and one wig wearer. The brainchild of Francesca (said wig wearer) who is determined to make alternative hair less 'hush hush'.
Working with clients in a salon environment, to provide hair loss solutions they can feel confident in. Alopecia, cancer treatment, thinning hair; none of these should prevent the luxury of 'having your hair done'.
Peluka Salon is dedicated to providing expert solutions for those dealing with hair loss. Founded by Francesca, a wig wearer, and Matthew, a hair stylist. Together they pride themselves in understanding your individual needs.
Francesca and Matthew strive to create a salon experience where clients feel pampered, cared for and supported.
Peluka Salon is based inside Six Salon Services, a vibrant salon in Leigh on Sea, Essex, UK. Providing alternative hair solutions both online and in salon. Offering consultation, fitting, cutting, colour and maintenance services.
Meet The Team
Francesca's Story
"April 2020 will mark the 5th anniversary of finding a small bald patch on my crown, the hair loss was rapid, five months later I didn’t have a single hair on my body.
There is no doubt that Alopecia is distressing, that waking up to clumps of hair on your pillow is terrifying. This photograph was taken on the day I decided to shave off what was left of my hair. I remember looking in the mirror and thinking, ‘this is ok, as long as I don’t lose my eyebrows and eyelashes…I can do this’. Two weeks later I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes.
At this point YouTube was my friend, searching tutorial after tutorial, looking for tips on how to draw eyebrows that didn’t make me look bonkers, looking for wig brands that didn’t make me look bonkers (although I have to say that nowadays I do quite like a little bonkers). My point is that I felt utterly alone during this time.
Wig shopping was the most distressing, it felt a little like shopping for clothes (naked) in a rush and coming home with something that wasn't quite right, but there didn't appear to be any alternative. I spent those early years blindly researching and making many costly mistakes. Add to that a few humiliating interactions with wig shops and you can see how I have arrived at the decision to launch Peluka Salon.
Yes, hair loss can be debilitating, but with the right care and support, the transition can be easier. For me it was about accepting this new reality, the realisation that once I freed myself from the fear and embarrassment and looked hard in the mirror, I could still see myself reflected back.
And hey, I get to wear wigs, all manner of wonderful wigs. Alopecia means never having a bad hair day again.”
Matthew's Story
Matthew comes to us with over 30 years experience, he is Co-Owner & Partner at Six Salon Services, with Steve Turner, a wonderfully lively and cutting edge hair salon in Leigh-on-Sea (and home of Peluka!).
His experience in the industry is vast, with a catalogue of magazine and session work, highlighting his flair for hair! A passionate stylist and extraordinary colourist, Matthew’s role is to customise client’s alternative hair in close consultation. Giving them a salon experience where they feel pampered, cared for and supported.
"I began working with alternative hair when I met my partner Francesca (yes, lucky me!) and was humbled when she thanked me one day for making her feel, for a moment, that the hair I was cutting and styling was her own, a sensory experience she thought was gone.
As I continue to work with clients I feel I am in a unique position to empathise with and support. I see first hand, day to day, the impact of hair loss, the routine it takes to ‘get ready’, to be prepared for the day ahead. I see the highs and the lows that interchange seemingly from one moment to another. I see it all. I see what is at stake.
My job is to make your wig or topper blend seamlessly into YOU, there is no ‘formula’ and it takes time. From cutting to colouring, I ensure that each step is small, respecting the cost of not only your purchase, but also the cost to your identity and ultimately your emotional wellbeing.