Peterborough salon to raise funds to help vulnerable people with life-changing dematting hair care

Serenity Loves, in Oundle Road, plans to raise funds through community events, partnerships with local businesses, sponsorships, and online donations to help those who would benefit from the salon’s specialist dematting and detangling service.

Owner Jo Bevilacqua said: “People often think this is just about hair, but it’s really not.

"For many people, severe matting is a symptom of a much bigger struggle.

"It can be painful, deeply distressing, isolating, and it affects hygiene, self-esteem, physical comfort, and whether someone even feels able to leave the house or seek help.”

She said staff were overwhelmed by the number of people reaching out for help but unable to afford the specialist care they urgently need.

"Depending on the severity, a single dematting transformation can take multiple days and require multiple trained stylists, working slowly and gently to avoid pain and protect the scalp.

“It is highly skilled, emotionally sensitive work — and for people in crisis, often completely inaccessible without support.”

Jo said the fundraising campaign was prompted by an inquiry from a woman with no friends or family to support her but whose hair condition was causing significant distress.

She said: “The lady could not afford the care she needed — and her story highlighted a much wider, largely unseen problem within the community.

“That was the moment we realised this couldn’t be something we do quietly anymore and that not everyone can afford how much the service can cost.”

The funds raised will be used to provide fully or partly funded dematting care for individuals in crisis, create a support fund so that no one in genuine need is turned away and explore partnerships with wellbeing, mental health, and community organisations

The team is inviting the local community to get involved — whether through donations, sponsorship, attending fundraising events, or helping spread the word.

Jo said: “This work restores far more than someone’s hair.

"It restores dignity, comfort, confidence, and often a person’s ability to re-engage with the world. If we can help even a small number of people feel human again, then every bit of effort is worth it.”

To donate, support the initiative, or find out more, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/de-mattinghair