Does beauty really have to equal pain?
Ciara May didn't think so, and she wanted to prove it with the launch of her Charlotte-based startup Rebundle.
The company, founded in 2019, manufactures plant-based, biodegradable synthetic hair used for protective styles like braiding and twisting. May said the synthetic hair used in these styles, which have been used predominately by Black women since the 1950s, have historically been made from plastics and toxic chemicals that irritate the scalp, cause itchy and sometimes painful reactions and is not environmentally friendly.
May's experiences, and those of millions of Black women around the world, pushed her toward creating a product that she hopes will change the way synthetic hair is made and worn.
"Last summer I experienced severe scalp irritation while wearing my hair in braid extensions. I was scratching my scalp uncontrollably and was so uncomfortable," she said. "Though I had dealt with this sort of irritation many times before, I had finally had enough. I knew that other women had similar experiences, but I did some heavy research to quantify it."
Rebundle's closed-loop hair is not only biodegradable, but its plant-based ingredients make it safe and pain-free to wear, she said. May said the company focuses on building an alternative product by changing the actual fiber of the hair.
The product has been in beta testing since August and is nearly ready to launch. Pre-sales will begin in December, and orders will start shipping to customers sometime in January. The hair will be manufactured in small batches by the Rebundle team.
Now that her vision is close to fruition, May said she's beginning to feel nervous for the first time.
"I think for the majority of the summer I was really focused on and concerned about getting it right," she said. "Now that we're positioning to launch, I have all this anxiety wanting to make sure this is great and people love it. I have to make sure we deliver on the brand."
Rebundle also runs a program that allows wearers to mail in used hair and braids that the company then recycles back into new products.
"We're just excited to be in this space," she said. "It's an industry that's hard to get into, and it is that way by design. We've carved our way in by doing the market research."
