A CANCER sufferer has launched her dream beauty business on wheels.

Beauty therapist Amanda Hayes has converted an RV motorhome into a mobile salon.

Now, after delaying the launch because of lockdown, she is revving it up to ride around Oxfordshire giving top treatments to cancer sufferers just like herself.

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Ms Hayes, 32, who lives with her parents and dog Hugo in Didcot, was diagnosed with cancer three years ago.

From the beginning, the outlook was not good.

She recalled: "It was pretty touch-and-go for a while, so I had to give up beauty while I underwent treatment."

Thankfully, the treatment that she received was successful, but as with all cancer diagnoses, there is no such thing as getting an absolute all-clear.

She said: "I have always got this hanging over my head because I have got incurable cancer, so you have to adjust your life to live around it.

Oxford Mail:

"I then had to decide what to do with my life after I had been hit with cancer."

One thing Ms Hayes discovered as a cancer sufferer was how hard it can be to get beauty appointments in salons with people who have special training.

She said: “Generally, if you have been affected by cancer, beauty salons don’t really want to accept you as a client and especially for the first five years.

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“It is impossible to get beauty treatments unless you find someone who specialises in oncology beauty treatments.”

Spotting a gap in the market locally, she trained in oncology beauty specifically for customers who have been diagnosed with cancer.

It was also a chance to realise a lifelong dream.

She said: “I have always had the idea that if I ever became a mobile therapist it would be so much easier to have a converted RV and they are generally set up with the space you need for a salon.

“I got hold of a van and used the conversion of it as a bit of a recovery project and just something to look forward to.

“I extended my qualifications to include things like oncology beauty treatments so that I could incorporate both sides of my life before and after cancer."

It also means she can now include others who have been diagnosed with cancer like her.

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Ms Hayes has previously worked in other salons, but the beauty bus will be the first time she has managed her own.

Inside the mobile salon she has installed a massage bed, a comfy chair for nail treatments, a sink, and all the necessary beauty products.

The walls are decorated with flowers and fairy lights, making the space comfortable and stylish.

Ms Hayes offers massages, facials, eyelash upgrades and many more beauty treatments all from her salon on wheels.

The coronavirus pandemic delayed launch, but now she is hitting the road.

She said: “I’m hoping the beauty bus is going to be a business for me to get my life back on track and give me a bit of independence as well as helping others along the way.”

Go to www.the-beauty-bus.com