'A golf course accident made me go grey, and learn how to embrace it'

A traumatic accident on a golf course when she was just a child set Co Mayo business woman Jane Buckley on a journey with her hair that led to the realisation that often you are the only person who can pick yourself up, and to a business that is all about nourishing hair

Jane Buckley: 'Stress led to my hair going grey. Grey hair runs in my family, but not as early as I got it. By the time I got to secondary school, it was all white, snow-white, when I parted it. I had to dye it once a week to maintain the roots.'

I was nine having my first golf lesson. I got hit accidentally on the third hole. I’ve never blamed the boy who hit me; he was a child too. He’s the nicest boy, and I’m still friends with him today.

I was standing where I shouldn’t have been — behind him. He hit me in the mouth with the golf club. I was in so much shock, I didn’t even cry. My mother was out on the 18th hole getting a lesson herself.

The woman who piggybacked me off the course is now my mother-in-law! I was lucky not to have marks on my face. I lost three front teeth and all the bone above them, making dental work difficult after. I remember them trying to get fluids into me. It was difficult with my lips so swollen. I also remember the doctor having to leave me and go to my dad, who took weak.

Afterwards, I remember people bringing presents to the house — a toy till. I went to Dublin for dental work. I remember the cold stuff they put on my bottom teeth to see if there was damage, and then the jumping with the pain. One of my front teeth was saved, but it’s a horrible tooth. It should have come out; it’s always been discoloured.

I got false teeth. I’d be messing with them in my mouth, taking them out, showing people. I was too young to be self-conscious. The dentures were in until I was old enough to get train tracks. By the time I was 13, I was conscious my teeth didn’t look nice at all.

The stress led to my hair going grey. Grey hair runs in my family, but not as early as I got it. By the time I got to secondary school, it was all white, snow white, when I parted it. I had to dye it once a week to maintain the roots.

My friends knew I was grey. One friend was in my house when I was dying my hair one day and said: “You’re like a badger.” I cut my hair like Victoria Beckham but, where hers was straight, mine was curly. My hair looked horrendous in secondary school.

Jane Buckley: 'Girls are very conscious of their looks, but I didn’t get a hard time. I wasn’t bullied, but there was this group of lads who called me Sideshow Bob.' Picture: Michael Donnelly

Girls are very conscious of their looks, but I didn’t get a hard time. I wasn’t bullied, but there was this group of lads who called me Sideshow Bob. 

I suffer from psoriasis, so hair dye wreaked havoc on my scalp. Dying was routine but, when my psoriasis was bad, it wasn’t routine. It was painful, inconvenient. Sometimes in winter, I’d wear a hat and try to go three weeks without hair dye. If somebody asked to go out for the night, I’d have to see if there was time to dye my hair.

I remember a friend getting engaged in Dublin, one of the girls saying: “Will we go up and surprise her?” I had an inch of white roots, so I put the hair dye in for 10 minutes. Better light brown roots than white.

Jane Buckley: 'The hairdresser explained the risks of bleaching. The bleach did damage my hair... horrifically. I was afraid it’d start falling out. It felt like chewing gum was stuck in it.' Picture: Michael Donnelly

Another young girl mightn’t have gone out. I was a social butterfly, still am. I’ve a very good husband. One time, in my late 20s, I was dying my hair and giving out to him: “It’s your fault I’m stressed and have psoriasis.” And he said: “Just stop dying it.” I said: “I’m in my 20s, I can’t.” And he said: “I love you whether your hair is grey or dark.” 

Deep down, it gave me the confidence to grow out my hair — knowing he wouldn’t judge or feel different about me. 

I didn’t do it straightaway. I dyed it blonde to get longer out of it so the roots wouldn’t be as visible. 

The hairdresser explained the risks of bleaching. The bleach did damage my hair... horrifically. 

I was afraid it’d start falling out. It felt like chewing gum was stuck in it. I’m not sure when I thought I won’t dye it and see how it looks. I was 29. White hair wasn’t in fashion. I didn’t know anyone my age or see anyone online letting their hair go white — until I saw a girl with bleached platinum hair. 

She was very pretty. She became the end goal for what I wanted my hair to look like. And then, when I had a tan, make-up, and my hair nicely blow-dried, I started getting stopped in petrol stations. 

Women wanted to know if that was my natural colour or who was dying my hair. I started to like my hair. I’m 10 years with my own natural colour now. I feel lucky I had the confidence to grow it out. 

I apply the experience to life. Sometimes when things get you down, the only person to get you back up is yourself. 

The gas thing is I practically live on a golf course now. One of my children has decided he’s going to be the next Rory McIlroy. So I can go to golf courses, but I still can’t go to the dentist!

• A third-generation entrepreneur, Jane Buckley, partnered with a Spanish manufacturer to create Juvaré. Its debut COM-PLEX collection is a five-piece range designed to repair and strengthen hair. Visit juvare.ie.