LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville entrepreneur is using her chemistry knowledge to create products that she says help cancer patients regrow their hair.
Ira Porter was living a healthy life when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer in 2021.
"It came out of nowhere," Porter said. "At some point I felt something was going wrong in my system."
The Shawnee High School graduate and U.S. Navy veteran underwent chemotherapy, but doctors said he'd lose his hair.
"It's part of your identity," Porter said. "First it was my beard that started coming out, then the next couple treatments it would have been my eyebrows coming out."
Porter survived the treatment, but part of his identity was gone.
Ira Porter before left, and after, right chemotherapy.
"My hair was so delicate from the chemo that even though it was braided up, I could pull it from my scalp," Porter said. "My hair texture was really thin."
That's when Porter met Summer Wood, a professional hairstylist who specializes in healthy hair care. Wood works with clients on hair regrowth treatment and also teaches hairstylists and cosmetologists.
Wood turned Porter onto Canela's Homemade Hair Care, created by Synamon Whaley.
"Every product is something to help with the process for you to have healthy hair, which in return will help it grow," Whaley said.
Whaley started creating her all-natural hair care products at her home after researching natural solutions for hair care.
"I started to using everything like eggs, mayo, strawberries, bananas, avocados, whatever it was, veggies, fruits, herbs, I used it," Whaley said. "I put it in my hair and I started seeing the results. My hair started to flourish."
First she made the products in her kitchen, but needed more room, so she built a lab in her backyard.
She started her selling her products at Rainbow Blossom's farmers markets.
"A couple customers called me the hair doctor," Whaley said.
She says her all-natural, cruelty-free products have helped people regrow their hair with a variety of health issues.
"Cancer, alopecia, eczema, lupus, during radiation treatment, weight loss, taking weight loss medicine, postpartum depression," Whaley said.
Whaley believes it's her purpose to help others regrow their hair.
Synamon Whaley and Summer Wood talk at Sum'n Special Studio in Louisville, Ky.
The regrowth of hair represents a returned identity for people.
"It's important because it helps people live better, it helps people feel better. It puts everybody in a more positive mind state," Porter said.
The hair care products are available at all six Rainbow Blossom locations, and also Sum'n Special Studio. Wood works with clients on creating a plan to help regrow hair.
"She pinpoints the exact issue and that allows us to be able to attack the issue, come into with it with a plan and then we both come together, then we go over it each week," Wood said. "It was a no-brainer for us to put the products on our shelves and use it."
Wood is the owner of Sum'n Special Special Studio in downtown Louisville at 629 S. 4th Street Suite 304. Wood also utilizes the space for Masters Enterprise, which is designed as an incubator space for entrepreneurs to grow and succeed.
To learn more about Canela's Homemade Hair Care, click here.
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