Gail Mabalane creates her own hair care line after hair loss experience
"When God turns your mess into a message" - Gail is bouncing back from her hair loss experience and educating the masses while she is at it!
Gail Mabalane says her new natural hair care products will help transform the industry with "knowledge, empowerment, and honesty".
The actress says her newly launched Ethnogenics products are dedicated to combatting hair loss. Gail knows all too well what it feels like to lose huge chunks of hair.
She first opened up about her alopecia diagnosis three years ago after a routine visit to the salon.
"To my shock, after my wash, a big chunk of my hair was GONE!!!" Gail wrote in a March 2019 Instagram post.
A dermatologist revealed that she had Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia. "Simply put ... a very common cause of Alopecia or hair loss in black women," she wrote.
After shaving off all her hair, Gail decided to embrace her hair loss journey and educate her followers with similar issues.
ALSO READ: Cassper Nyovest reflects on his weight loss journey - 'I can't explain how proud I am'
Gail's hair care line has been two years in the making.
"It was clear from my own hair loss journey that knowledge was the missing piece. I realised there was a distinct lack of education around how to solve the problem," the 37-year-old said in a statement.
The 'Blood & Water' actress also opened up her hair journey in a YouTube video she shared last year.
"Growing up I have always had good hair, my hair has never been problematic. It was in 2006 when my brother passed away and I decided I just want to do something different; I want to start fresh, I'm going to chop everything off as short as possible- to my mom's horror,” she said.
The short pixie cut would go on to become her signature look.
ALSO READ: Unathi reveals what she eats to stay fit: 'You CANNOT out gym a bad diet'
Gail later had to change up her look for a movie role, and her pixie cut was slicked back into a bun with lots of hair gel.
"I could feel that it was tight because I had an instant facelift," she joked. Several weeks after she was done shooting, Gail decided to say goodbye to the impractical hairdo.
"I finally got to the hair salon and said I am done shooting, I'm ready to change my hairstyle. So, off I went to the washbasin and we started removing [the bun]... The lady who washed my hair removed the bun. I remember her taking it off - it literally felt like it broke off my hair. My hair, you could literally break it... and where the bun was - that whole section at the top of my hair - literally came off with the bun."
MORE FROM EAST COAST RADIO
Moral of the story? Don't be ashamed of your hair loss and avoid tight ponytails or buns.
@scoutthecity Besties, help! I’m bald! What would @Kourtney ❤️ do? #fyp #hair #hairfail ♬ original sound - scoutthecity
Gail's hair care range includes a stimulating scalp lotion and hair growth supplement capsules. The products will be available at Clicks and retail for between R179.99 to R299.99.
ALSO READ: Watch: Kylie Jenner releases unseen pregnancy footage, changes son's name
Main Image courtesy of Instagram/@gailmabalane, YouTube/Gail Mabalane