Children’s haircut is one of the most difficult services in the hairdressing industry,
because you’re dealing with children from 7 months and up who don’t understand what’s going to happen to them.
Many parents face a huge problem with their children just at the mere hearing of hairdresser and haircut.
The same happens in most salons where hairdressers are confronted with a child
who cries, screams, vomits, shakes like a bum and of course refuses to get a haircut.
The biggest problem is not the children
it is the parents themselves who unwittingly stress their children more with their anxiety about whether or not their child will get a haircut and how.
Cutting hair is often an unpleasant experience for young children but for a child on the autism spectrum it is particularly difficult.
What are the common causes – problems that a child on the autism spectrum faces at the hairdresser’s?
- They break out of their habits, children on the autism spectrum need a routine a schedule and of course information detailing how long the child’s haircut will last, if it hurts etc.
- Sensory difficulties.
We all have sensory difficulties.
Someone is bothered by woolen clothing or someone gets goose bumps with the squeaking of nails, children on the autism spectrum have multiple sensory difficulties.
What to us may seem like a normal sound to them may be unbearable.
Haircutting is a procedure that can cause sensory overload for the child especially if he or she is not properly prepared. - Touch.
Often children on the spectrum are very sensitive to the sensation of touching contact.
With foreign bodies, the feeling, the vibration of the mowing machine, the opening and the sound of the scissors,
the cape of haircut around their necks, even by the hairdresser himself standing near them without knowing him.
- Hearing System.
In general, any kind of loud noise is distressing for children with autism.
The hairdresser’s room with the hairdryers, the sound of the clippers and even the people it serves can be torturous for them.
- Anxiety about new things and situations.
If it is the child’s first time at the hairdresser’s and he doesn’t know what to expect, it causes him incredible anxiety and fear.
It is advisable that there is some preparation by the parents and even a visit to the place without a haircut so that the child can adapt and get to know the environment.
Solutions to make the haircut process more attractive.
- Children’s hairdressing salons.
With specially designed areas to make the stay in the area more pleasant. https://www.instagram.com/queens_teens_alimos/ - Preparing the child – adapting the child to the space.
Give him time to see smell to hear to process… of course and getting to know the hairdresser so that he trusts you. - There are special videos.
Children’s haircuts on videos on the internet so that you could prepare the child before the visit to the hairdresser.
- Special hearing aids
so that you can protect it from unwanted sounds (perhaps by listening to its favourite music).
- Reward
reward your child verbally first,
it’s good to have a toy or his favourite sweet knowing that after the haircut he will have his present.
In some salons they give gifts to all children of all ages and believe me they look forward to it.
- Make an appointment
make sure that the time you go is convenient so that the salon is not crowded.
Tell the hairdresser if your child is on the autism spectrum believe me it will make the child’s life and your trial easier.
- Get a change of clothes
with you so that you can change it as soon as the haircut is over because there is a chance that the child will not accept the cape.
Anyway, children’s haircut is a difficult process for the hairdresser and for the children themselves
However, based on my experience over the years with children’s haircuts, I have to admit that those who deal with this group of customers are also involved,
which is special, has risks of injury to both the hairdressers and the children themselves.
Concluding….
But I would like to mention that when we do manage to cut them,
when we manage to make them our buddies
the love they show us is unconditional
all this compensates us doubly for the work we do
but also for the lovely delicate faces that become our buddies and we watch them grow one by one…
Elizabeth Makri.
