The 41-year-old mother-of-two has shiny, thick, dark locks that she is justifiably proud of.

But it hasn't always been that way. Gillian, a former PA with Bradford Council, has had fine hair for as long as she can remember and as she got older more and more of it went down the plughole.

She started to dread going out and being seen in public because, she claims, when she talked to people their eyes were drawn to her thinning hair, and on photographs the flash seemed to shine right through to her shiny scalp.

"The problem started to really upset me and affected the overall quality of my life. My confidence levels took a dive. I dreaded sitting down when other people were standing and I'd make sure I was at the back of a room so people behind couldn't look at my hair," says Gillian who lives in Bailiff Bridge with her husband, Simon, and sons, Sam, aged 13, and Joe, 11.

She went to see her GP about the problem but was told there was no underlying medical condition. It was simply down to her genes – she recalls her grandma had thinning hair too – and says she's not alone. "Female pattern hair loss is becoming more and more widespread.

The British Association of Dermatologists states that by the age of 35 almost 40 per cent of women show some degree of hair loss and that 95 per cent is down to andro genetic alopecia (hereditary hair loss.)"

Stress and the fact that women are having children later in life, may also be a factor, as this is known to affect the rate of hair loss and thinning. No matter what the cause, Gillian believes the affects of hair loss in women are vastly underestimated and at worse it has been known to cause suicidal tendencies because of a perceived loss of femininity and attractiveness.

"We appear to accept hair loss in men and regard it as perfectly normal. However, when it happens to women, it can be truly devastating," she says.

She believed she had found the answer to her problem when she read an article in a Sunday newspaper some years ago about a London hair salon which specialises in a form of hair extensions for women with hair loss. The hair is attached to a custom-sized hypoallergenic lace material (which looks exactly like your scalp) and is fitted to your head and your own hair is pulled through. Real hair extensions are then fitted to replicate the fall and movement of your natural hair.

The cost ran into thousands and Gillian would have had to travel to London every couple of months to have the system adjusted, so she decided against it. But last year when they were looking for voluntary redundancies at Bradford Council, Gillian decided it was her chance to start her own business specialising in the hair extensions and helping other women like herself.

The result is Verve Hair Volumising, Gillian's new company, which has just opened within The Image Warehouse hair salon in Sowerby Bridge.

Gillian spent months researching the hair extension system and travelled to London and Manchester for training. There are only a handful of salons offering it in the country and many, like the London one have waiting lists. "The London salon has been offering the system for around 10 years and several celebrities are regular customers," she says.

Gillian had her new hair fitted in Manchester six months ago and says it has, without doubt, changed her life for the better. "It doesn't stop or reverse hair loss, what it does is give you back the confidence hair loss takes away. I can't recommend it highly enough."

Gillian is at pains to point out the hair is not a wig and does not look like one. She says the human hair used just makes you look as if you have got a lot more hair and the beauty is you can wash and style it just as you would your own hair, using a hairdryer, curling tongs and straighteners.

The system, which costs from £750 upwards, can take from five hours to apply but should last between 18 months to two years. Clients need to return for an adjustment every four to six weeks and have the system re-aligned every six months. "I want the emphasis at Verve to be on caring and confidence. The initial consultation is free and it is all done in private with no pressure to buy," says Gillian who is now working on her first clients and putting together a portfolio of before and after photographs.

She feels the best recommendation of the system is herself. "I can empathise with women because I've been through it myself, but no one would know because I get lots of compliments about my hair these days, which is fantastic."