CWA Hairdressing student, Rachael Penny, 49, from Wisbech has won a national hairdressing competition, beating many other outstanding entries to take the top prize.

The Instagram competition was held by Prostyling UK, who are the leading manufacturer of hair foils and dispensing systems in the UK. The company set

a brief centred around creating an avant-garde hairstyle using silicon-based bungee tape to hold the style.

Rachael created a style called ‘Crowning Glory’ using the bungee tape to secure cascading curls in a halo above the head. 

As part of her prize, Rachael has won a supply of Prostyling UK equipment and products.

Rachael said: “I am completely overwhelmed at winning this competition! There were some amazing entries submitted and I’m over the moon that they chose mine. I would also like to thank all the amazing online hair educators who have shared their time and talents to inspire and teach people like myself during lockdown.”

Rachael decided to return to learning as a mature student and has just completed her level 2 qualification in Hairdressing at CWA’s Wisbech campus, while juggling being a full-time mum to 9-year-old twins.

She said: “Hairstyling is something that I am passionate about and now that my children are getting older, I am able to commit the time to learn.

 I’ve always wanted to learn as much as possible about hairdressing in order to become a successful stylist as a mature student, I feel like I need to work twice as hard! The hair industry is continually changing, and it is important to keep educated and up to date with current trends.”

If you would like to see more of Rachael’s work, you can follow her on Instagram at @RachaelPennyHairstylist

If you’re considering studying hairdressing at CWA, join us at our virtual open days, taking place from October onward. You can register at: cwa.ac.uk/about/open-days