BHB Academy in Palmerston North gets creative for Wig Wednesday

BHB Academy hairdressing student Michael Smith, 19, puts a new twist on a combover for his Wig Wednesday creation. Photo / Supplied

It's probably not a look you'd wear on a big night out but it got Michael Smith's clients laughing.

The BHB Academy hairdressing student grabbed some combs, brushes and clips from the academy's resource room for his Wig Wednesday creation.

Wig Wednesday is a fun day where people wear a wig, style a funky hairdo or shave their head while raising money and awareness for the Child Cancer Foundation.

It's the first year the Palmerston North academy, which teaches hairdressing, barbering, makeup and skincare, has taken part in the fundraiser.

Smith has a cousin in the same course while his sister is doing the barbering course.

Students were encouraged to create wigs and hairstyles for Wig Wednesday but as most of them did the challenge during lockdown they had to be innovative and use what they could find at home.

BHB Academy student Saiyan Clark has a lightbulb moment for his Wig Wednesday creation. Photo / Supplied

For example, Saiyan Clark positioned his head under a stylish black lamp.

The academy reopened for business after lockdown on Tuesday and the day's takings of $232 were donated to Child Cancer Foundation.

BHB Academy co-director Salina Murphy says the business loves to give back to the community and be able to teach the students they can be part of that. Paying it forward is important and being in the hair and beauty industry they are in a prime position to do that.

Hairdressing is about people and the academy wants to give its students a sense of community and thinking about others, she says.

It sells coffee to its clients for $1 and that money goes to Manline and Women's Refugee.

It also recycles tinfoil and tin tubes both for its own salon and others. Money raised from this also goes to the two charities chosen by students.

In 2019-20 there were 160 diagnoses of children with cancer in New Zealand, and in 2020-21 183.

The treatment these children undergo often means they need to brave the world with no hair.

September is also Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Child Cancer Foundation hopes to raise $250,000 from Wig Wednesday. You can donate at wigwednesday.org.nz.

+ INFO You can see a video of BHB's Wig Wednesday creations on its Facebook page.