Growing up in a small town on the east coast of Scotland, I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere. I had an intense and troubling beginning in life and was subjected to quite extreme forms of bullying, all because I looked "different" and was never "pretty enough". As I got to my teens I was facing even more challenges with my mental health and greatly struggled with finding some stability within myself, let alone happiness.
During one of the darkest moments of my life I found something so magical, I found joy in doing hair.
It first started in my family's kitchen, just me and a small mirror, propped up against a cabinet. Sometimes my parents would help me with the back of my head, and we would spend hours trying to get it done right. At the age of 12 I first dyed the ends of my hair copper, then red, then a year later I went green and had the "emo fringe". Doing my own hair gave me something I really needed at the time, control.
That control was mine and nobody could take that from me, even though I was still struggling each day.
When I began doing family members' hair I started to realise that I was pretty alright at it, given that I was around 14 and knew nothing in terms of technicality or safety (for example: dyeing my parent's bathtub red for around 5 months because I "NEEDED" red hair 😅)
I thought to myself "maybe I can do this for a living? I mean, how hard can it be?"
Boy was I in for a ride!
Fast forward to 2024, I decided to leave the UK and head to the Netherlands. With help from my wonderful boyfriend and friends, I started DISTORTED as a sort of homage to my child self. It's been an incredibly challenging and exciting journey. Since being diagnosed with C-PTSD in 2025 and dealing with a long term chronic illness, I'm pretty proud of myself for getting this far and finally feeling somewhat stable.
If I never put my foot down and started my business I would never have met all the lovely people who have welcomed me into their homes and let me play with their hair for a few hours. I am truly grateful for every appointment!
I'm open about my story because I know a lot of my clients carry their own. You don't have to explain yourself, but to know that you are not alone in whatever journey you're going through is so powerful. 💚
I'm a naturally quiet person who likes to think that appointments should feel like a breather from the chaos of every day life.
Each appointment is booked a minimum of 2 hours so we can take as much time as needed to get to know one another and make any adjustments if necessary (If you have cats, a minimum of 5 days 😅). I plan a maximum of 2 clients per working day, so we can never feel rushed.
When coming into a new home I always ask if shoes need to be taken off, if I can help get our dedicated space set up and always gently greet any animal companion, if you have any!
I'm a huge fan of just enjoying the time we have, so If music makes you comfortable, play your favourite tunes! Need a silent appointment? Yes please!
When I'm not doing hair, you'll most likely find me gaming. I've been a die-hard horror game fan since I first learned to walk. My absolute favourite games are Resident Evil 4 (2005) and Silent Hill. I even have an RE4 inspired tattoo! Although I'm a jumpscare junkie I do have a soft spot games such as Animal Crossing, Cities Skylines and even Euro Truck Simulator 2. Yes, really... 🙈
Due to my chronic illness I'm unable to get up and moving in the traditional 'go to the gym and run on a treadmill' way so for me yoga is perfect, not only for my body but for my mind. I'm pretty new at practising it and try at least 2 times a week at home.
