Nurse Co-Creates FIGS Satin-Lined Scrub Cap That Protects Curly Type 3A-4C Hair

"I was once just a little girl in Accra, Ghana and now I get to create something this meaningful for our healthcare community…My heart is so full." 

The nurse-beloved scrubs brand FIGS has done it again—the brand introduced the first-ever scrub cap specifically designed for textured hair, the Farida Scrub Cap.

The Farida scrub cap was designed by a real nurse, natural hair advocate and Nigerian-American cardiac RN Farida Labaran (@reeedz__), who created the cap for curl types 3A-4C in partnership with FIGS. The cap launched on May 1st and features a satin lining that can protect curls and accommodate volume through long shifts. 

"Farida’s innovation is a powerful example of what happens when real experience drives meaningful change," Bené Eaton, Chief Marketing Officer of FIGS told Nurse.org.

Shop Farida Scrub Cap

The Farida Cap: Innovation Born of Frustration

In an Instagram reel on her account, Farida explained that she set out to design her own scrub cap after becoming frustrated with options that either damaged her curls or could not accommodate her hair's volume. She was often forced to cobble together her own makeshift scrub caps on the fly, affixing hair caps with headbands to fit all her hair in.

@naturalhairbestie

So, Farida "turned her frustration into a solution" by partnering with FIGS to co-create the Farida scrub cap and bring it to life.

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A post shared by Farida Labaran (@reeedz__)

The response to the Farida scrub cap has, rightly so, been overwhelmingly positive as nurses and other healthcare workers express their joy and relief in finally having a solution to protect their hair. 

• "The satin lining is so thoughtful! I’m obsessed with mine!!!" wrote fellow nurse Courtney of @melanin.and.medicine.
• "I remember seeing you on the unit with that makeshift cap," commented former coworker and RN @marmar643.

The scrub cap was designed for nurses like Farida, who need both protection for their texture and extra space in their caps to accommodate high-volume hair. And as a nod to the cap's co-creator, every scrub cap features Farida's personal drawings to add a touch of her stylish flair. Plus, the caps can be tied at the top, bottom, or in the middle for different hair styles and needs. 

"From an idea born out of frustration to these beautiful caps…I couldn’t be more proud," Farida shared. "I was once just a little girl in Accra, Ghana and now I get to create something this meaningful for our healthcare community. Thank you, FIGS, for supporting me every step of the way. My heart is so full." 

FIGS Viral Nurses Week Video

During Nurses' Week, FIGS celebrated Farida as well as seven other real nurses making a difference on the frontlines, for both patients and their fellow nurses.

For instance, one of the nurses they highlighted in addition to Farida is Danielle LeVeck  (@nurseabnormalities), a cardiovascular ICU Nurse Practitioner who spent 15 years in critical care before recently transitioning to a role in telehealth. 

LeVeck was chosen to be featured on a Times Square billboard for her role in advocating for the nursing field. She is passionate about recognizing the often invisible work that nurses perform that keep the healthcare industry operating. 

"Nursing is a paradox—you don't notice what nurses do until it's not there," LeVeck points out. 

The nurses were all featured in a short film produced by FIGS that quickly went viral, for a very good reason: real nurses resonated with the real stories of their peers.

• “So emotional watching this 🥹core memories of nursing 💙,” said @vikilecollado.
• "Crying 🥹 being in this profession is so exhausting but so special in an unexplainable way. loved this one, figs," added @paulanagta. 

The film has resonated so strongly with nurses, Eaton notes, largely due to the fact that she says FIGS started the tribute "exactly where it should—with listening." 

"We spent months talking to real nurses." she explains. "We asked about their daily lives, their toughest moments, and what they wished more people understood about what they do. Then we built the campaign around them."

FIGS tells Nurse.org that just like every individual nurse working with their own patients weaves together a network that makes up the entire nursing industry, the film highlights individual nurses who, together, represent the spirit of nursing. 

"Each nurse’s story is remarkable on its own," Eaton says. "Together, they show the extraordinary diversity, compassion, and ingenuity that define the nursing profession."

Going Big for Nurses Week

The film went live just in time for Nurses' Week, and Eaton notes that the launch was no coincidence. "Every year, we go big for Nurses' Week," she explains. "Nurses deserve nothing less. These awesome humans show up for others every single day. They carry so much, they give so much, and they do it without asking for anything in return."

FIGS held many special events for Nurses' Week, including Wellness Pop-Up shops at six New York University hospitals, where nurses were treated to curated wellness experiences, snacks, and FIGS gifts, providing a much-needed pause for the city’s nurses at a time when 65% of nurses say they're burned out.

The brand also introduced "fun surprises" at its Community Hubs in LA and Philly and partnered with The Jennifer Hudson Show, featuring the first-ever hospital Spirit Tunnel, to make sure millions more people see and celebrate nurses the way they deserve. The Tunnel will take place on May 12th outside the JHud studio at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA to close out Nurses' Week.

The conclusion to the end of Nurses' Week will be the first time that non-celebrities will be celebrated at the Spirit Tunnel. Instead of "famous" figures, 50+ real nurses will make up the tunnel, who, let's face it, are famous in the hearts and minds of their patients. FIGS continues its tradition of "going big" for Nurses Week, says Eaton, because they believe nurses deserve it. 

"Every single thing we did was rooted in one idea: Nurses are the backbone of healthcare," she says. "They deserve to feel seen, heard, and celebrated not just during Nurses Week, but always."

The Goods

Of course, because FIGS is a company and not just an initiative dedicated full-time to curating special events for nurses, the brand introduced new products for nurses during Nurses' Week. In addition to the launch of the Farida Scrub Cap for textured hair, some of the new FIGS products to check out include: 

• New limited edition scrub colors, including Seaglass, Sunset Drift, and Dark Harbor
• New limited-edition styles, such as a shorter contour jacket in new colors
• New sleep and loungewear like pajamas, sleep masks, and loungewear to catch some zzz's post-shift
• New on-call accessories, including new footwear and compression socks

Even outside of Nurses Week, Eaton says FIGS is dedicated to lifting nurses up through stories, products, and solutions that support them.

"We hope it helps shift culture," she notes. "Nurses deserve to be recognized for what they are. They are the backbone of healthcare. They are essential in every possible way. By celebrating them loudly and proudly, we hope we help move the world one step closer to valuing nurses the way they have always deserved to be valued. Because when we honor nurses, we honor the very best of who we are."

🤔Nurses, share your thoughts in the discussion forum below!