Fashion: If you're planning to shake your booty, Melanie Burrell has the Beyonce wig to match

Every week we've been sitting on the edges of our seats, waiting to see how Cheryl, Dannii, or even Wagner will be wearing their luscious locks on The X Factor. Will Cheryl's be red and pinned up in big Mickey Mouse ears? Or long and girl group glorious, as shiny as a polished conker as it tumbles over her tiny shoulders? If it's red, it prompts a rush on red dye only equalled by the one that ensued when Delia recommended fresh cranberries for Christmas. And if she's wearing extensions, we can't wait to rush to the hairdresser and a liaison with their little heated tongs.

So this party season you can guarantee we'll be going gaga for extensions, wigs and pieces as we glam up for the dance floor. One person who's counting on it is Melanie Burrell, owner of Parrucche, a new boutique devoted to all things hair-related in Glasgow's Virginia Mall in the Merchant City.

Burrell first became interested in wigs and extensions two years ago when her mother was treated for cancer and lost her hair. Trawling Glasgow to help her find something suitable was a frustrating experience and led Burrell to consider setting up a salon of her own.

"There wasn't anything to give women a luxury, as opposed to a clinical, feel. They were also out of the way and added to that feeling that there's a stigma around wigs. I thought I would open up somewhere myself, somewhere fun and glamorous that would make them feel better. Parrucche - it's Italian for wig - was the silver lining of the experience," says the 34-year-old.

Instead of the clinical surroundings of the traditional wig shop, Burrell has gone for chandeliers, tapestry curtains and a relaxation area where friends can wait, or more often join in the fun and try on a wig or two.

As well as the personal experience of her mother's illness, Burrell had a good business head on her shoulders after ten years in the financial sector, working in investment banking.

"It's a completely different industry and allows me to do something good for other people, make them feel nice, which I couldn't in the financial sector. My mum's illness made me look at myself and what I wanted for the future as well as pointing me in this direction. I'd always wanted to have my own business but it probably wouldn't have been hairpieces."

So what should we be wearing this party season? A full Gaga wig or a few subtle extensions that won't look out of place at work the day after the bash?

"The newest thing is three-quarter wigs. They sit on the crown and you leave the front and sides out so it looks very natural. And you don't have to worry about them coming out as you can tip your head upside down and wave it about."

A crucial consideration at this time of year. Not all of Burrell's customers are party animals, however, and many try hairpieces as a result of illness.

"If you're ill, perhaps with cancer or you have alopecia, you deserve a bit of fun. And we also style and cut the wigs too."

Now Burrell's mother has recovered and her hair has grown back, she's still tempted by Parrucche's wares. "She doesn't need to wear a wig now but she's thinking about doing it just for the fun of it." n

This article was first published in the Scotland on Sunday on December 5, 2010