Parul Gulati aka Nish Hair talks to us about becoming an entrepreneur and managing a successful brand

"To me, Nish hair means something that has given happiness to so many women," says Parul Gulati when talking about her hair extension brand.

Indian artist, Parul Gulati has proven over time that she's incredible in every field that she tries her hand at. Like many talents, Parul has become a familiar face because of the work that she has done over the years. She has contributed to the Indian entertainment industry either on the small screen or the big screen. Gulati appeared in the TV series P.O.W.- Bandi Yuddh Ke, Haq Se (2018) which was an adaptation of Little Women, Netflix production Selection Day and Girls Hostel (2018-19) for The Viral Fever Girliyapa. Apart from her notable characters in TV shows and movies, the actress is also taking over the online space with her content creation. But most importantly she is known for her own brand, Nish Hair.

The actress and content creator joins the list of all the incredible women entrepreneurs in India. It's not just the brand but also the way she's trying to create a change and help women that makes Nish Hair so admirable among the consumers. With countless women suffering from hair loss, hair thinning, alopecia, restricted growth, damaged hair or simply looking for a change in style, with Nish Hair, Parul hopes to help women meet this need for good quality human hair extensions beyond the fashion and beauty industry. With each hair topper that Parul has given out, she has changed the lives of these women by giving them the confidence they've never had.

Talking about the brand she said, "Each extension is made with 100% human hair, hand-selected, and stitched to perfection. They believe in practicing integrity, honesty, and quality in all that they do, making sure that each process from sourcing to production is done in a clean, safe, and ethical manner. The brand is made for women by women, and 90% of the team is women! Nish Hair nurtures a culture of inclusivity and respect, rewards hard work, and values open-mindedness, courage, compassion, and a belief in the limitless potential of all."

We also had the opportunity to know more about her brand and life as a businesswoman in one of our recent chats with her.

Here's what Parul had to share:

You're an actor, content creator, and founder of your own brand. How do people recognize you? Have there been any interesting encounters with fans that made you love what you do?

It's different for guys and girls. Girls react differently about a few things. I would like to be recognized as a girl who is driven and not just a content creator or an actor. Some people recognize me because of my brand and some recognize me for my work. 

Talking about beauty, entertainment has always been that one industry that sets up beauty standards. So, being associated with this industry, how do you look at it, and how it has changed over the years? 

In the entertainment industry, it's mostly about looking like the character you play. It's not always that you have to be beautiful and something glamorous but accurate to the part being played by the person.

How is the experience of working in films and series? What makes you more comfortable? 

I get asked this question a lot. It's the same as being a journalist and interviewing people coming from different industries. What's the difference? Absolutely nothing. So as an actor, I'm just acting. The medium can be anything. 

Can we talk about your brand, Nish Hair? How did the idea come to existence? What's the story behind it? 

There isn't a big story behind it. When I look back, it's just an urge to have something that has my name on it. I come from a very lower-middle-class family in Rohtak. So it was always my dream to put my name on something. Then it took the shape of a business. Okay, this was clear that one day, I'll have a brand of my own but here it was clear that it's going to be around hair extensions. The next day, I was calling around to people for raw materials and started experimenting with them. It took a long journey to make it reach where it is now. 

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A post shared by Nish Hair Extensions (@nishhair)

Did you feel any difficulty with the Indian market because of the stigma attached to hair fall? 

Definitely, because I made India's first online hair extensions. For around 2 years, it was really hard for me to teach people about hair essentials and Instagram helped me a lot because I made videos and showed people how it works. 

In the initial days, I literally used to put up stalls where I expected visits and then I asked people to test the products to get their attention. Then there were also women who came to me asking if I had any products made for them. Then I realized that I should be making products for their needs. So, yes it was a really tough job to educate Indian consumers about hair extensions. 

Indian hair is also a bit different. How do you make sure that these extensions look natural on different types of hair?

Well, India is the biggest exporter of hair. I source them from Tirupati Balaji temple, where I get my hair from. I get it in every texture, so making hair for Indian women is easy.

When it comes to hair loss, there are also a number of surgeries available to deal with it. Do you suggest that getting hair extensions is better than surgery considering the cost or side effects if any?

I think this is subjective! If somebody has made up their mind about a hair transplant and people go for it when they have lost their frontal hairline. I make products generally for women and they mostly go for hair extensions. And hair transplants are really painful. There are young girls who suffer from severe hair loss and choose extensions with the hope that their hairline will grow back. So I cannot say it for everyone. But most women prefer hair extensions only. 

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A post shared by Parul Gulati 🤍 (@gulati06)

As an actor and an entrepreneur, which profession do you find more difficult? 

Acting is also a business. I'm selling my skills. So, at the end of the day, all the actors are doing business. I consider both to have different challenges. There are moral responsibilities that you have to take care of. But I do it because I love it.

What are your future plans for your business? Are you planning to start making extensions for men as well?

Of course, I would like to explore the area. I'm not educated enough on the subject but definitely would love to know more about it. When it came to women, I understood their needs and what they wanted but it's harder to understand the needs of men. 

If you have to describe Nish hair, how would you do it? 

To me, Nish hair means a way of life. Something that has given happiness to so many women. I take pride in running Nish hair. So, for me, Nish hair is a way of life.

Here's wishing Parul all the successors and all her future endeavors.

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