A HAIR salon owner who gives those suffering hair loss a lifeline and dedicated support has been invited to Buckingham Palace.

Rebecca Morgan-Brennan, who runs Morgan's Hair, Beauty and Wigs in Prestatyn and Chester and is a hair loss specialist, was nominated by the Welsh Government for her contribution to helping those with hair loss.

She will attend the King's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May.

Rebecca, who last year opened a brand new hair loss specialist salon in Cardiff city centre and has been working in the hair-loss industry for 13 years, said: "It was a real surprise to be nominated. I received an email from the Welsh Government and I actually thought it was a spam. I asked my husband 'do you think this is a spam email?' 

"We have been nominated as we were a finalist with the St David's Awards with the Welsh Government and they have nominated us for recognition, for all of the work we do with the wig service in Wales and hair loss.

"I have never been to anything like this before so I am so so so excited. 

"I'm taking my husband Neil with me. I think it is just really amazing that we have been recognised for all the hard work that we have put into building our brand and building a service for the hair loss community.

"We are now a supplier [of wigs] for all the NHS."

Supplying wigs for all of the NHS in Wales has been a dream of Rebecca's. 

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"It is so vital to people in all of Wales," Rebecca said.

"It has been really hard work - blood, sweat, tears, getting the right staff and making sure that we are giving everyone the service that they desperately need, especially when they have had a cancer diagnosis. Their lives are turned upside down in so many ways when they start a cancer journey, and it is down to us to just make that journey a little bit easier for them."

Rebecca has made big transitions in the last year in preparation for being an all-Wales provider.

She said: "We knew that an all Wales contract was coming up. We tendered for it - it is never an easy process or any guarantee that we were going to get back on the list again and obviously, I've got staff, overheads, the Cardiff business - I have taken massive risks and invested so much money because I know there is nothing out there like what we offer. 

"I was so stressed waiting to see if we were successful in our bid.

"We were providing all of the hospitals with a service in North Wales and now we can provide any hospital in the whole of Wales [this was of February 1]." 

Rebecca doesn't have any plans to open any further salons at this stage, however, she has re-started the Llandudno service.

"We operate a service at Code Cosmetics," Rebecca said.

"We run this service every few weeks and people have to contact our Prestatyn salon to find out when appointments are available. It is, just again, extending our service out so we can help people avoid travelling. 

"We have been nominated for a few other awards - the Cardiff Life Awards and the Welsh Hair and Beauty awards, so we have got those to look forward too. It is all going well."

Rebecca is putting a focus on 'hair loss through menopause' this year. This will involve new products, education and Rebecca will travel to Italy in March with two of her team to a trade show.