Emma Smith, a West Lothian hairdresser, has been named a finalist in the Specialist Salon of the Year category at the UK Hair & Beauty Awards. She runs Brock's Hair & Clinic in Bathgate, where she specialises in custom hair pieces, scalp analysis, and non-surgical hair replacement for women.
Personal inspiration behind the specialism
Smith, 43, began focusing on this area after her mother was diagnosed with cancer. "A few years ago my mum was diagnosed with cancer. When she was given wigs they were awful so I customised them," she said. "At the beginning of lockdown, I started to do a lot of training in this area and it turned into something of a focus."
She added: "I suffer with thinning hair myself so it's something that I am passionate about." Her work has drawn clients from across the country, with women coming from Newcastle, Aberdeen, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, as well as West Lothian.
Awards and experience
Smith has previously won Stylist of the Year for 2021 at the 10th Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards. Brock's has been open since September 2019, but she has more than 20 years of experience in the trade.
"I have had my salon for around seven years but I feel that my vision is starting to bear fruit," she said. "Every week we get people coming in and didn't realise we were here."
Restoring dignity and confidence
Smith emphasised the emotional impact of her work. "I think we are giving people their dignity and self-confidence back. If we can get women going away feeling like a million dollars then it will all be worthwhile," she said. "I've lost count of the number of tears I've shared from clients. Losing your hair as a women can be so debilitating. We aim to keep our hair pieces as natural as possible."
She currently dedicates one day per week to creating the hair pieces, but plans to expand this in the future. Her work can be viewed on TikTok at Brocks_HairClinic and on Instagram at @BrocksHair_Clinic.
