Caring Cuts by Grace

I know this doesn’t look like the face of a little boy who is terrified of haircuts but I prooooomise it is 😂

Meet Harrison!
Harrison has previously hated every part of having his haircut! Barbers visits have been stressful for both him and his Mummy and she has had to restrain him in the past whilst he’s had his hair cut… resulting in crying, screaming and fighting to get free… not much fun for anyone!

I’m not a magician, and I can’t magically ‘fix’ a hair cut phobia but there are a multitude of things that can help make these experiences less traumatic.

Trust, time, patience, routine and reassurance are the most important things and are all needed to make the child feel safe…. Once they feel safe, the haircut and style can progress… no pinning them down, regular play breaks and actually listening to the child’s worries can work wonders!

Haircuts can actually become a fun and enjoyable experience for these children believe it or not!! I think these photos from Harrison’s last haircut help to show this! Well done little buddy.. you look super cool 😎

♥️♥️♥️ Little love bug 🐞

I don’t think we could ask for anything better than to see our girl so happy on her way to school, it just goes to show sometimes changing schools really can make a world of difference, she is happy, she feels safe, and she feels supported. Where she was before she had to be literally dragged in and came out so angry, now she goes in like this and comes out happy! It’s never easy when your parenting a child with autism, but to at least know she is happy with her school is a massive help! Excuse my haggered tired face, indigo tricked me getting up at 5am, telling me it was 6am 🤣🤣🙈🙈🙈

James has had a tough relationship with haircuts in the past. After several half-finished attempts elsewhere, and experiences that had left him distressed and overwhelmed, even sitting for a haircut felt scary for him. Hair on his skin, unfamiliar sensations, being held, and feeling rushed had all made haircuts something to fear.

This haircut was different. 💛

We took everything at James’ pace. We played first, talked through what was going to happen, and gave him time to explore the tools himself — trying the tickle brush and spray bottle on his hands before using them near his hair. Clipper vibrations felt on his arms and legs before gradually moving to his head, all while bubbles, water games, breaks, and reassurance helped him feel safe and in control.

James did brilliantly communicating when something felt itchy so we could stop and brush the hair away straight away. Nothing was forced, nothing rushed, and every step was about listening to what he needed in the moment.

The result? No tears, no holding, no trauma — just a calm haircut, proud smiles, and a little boy who finished the appointment wanting me to stay and play. That’s far more important than a “perfect” haircut.

Building trust always comes before perfection, and James absolutely smashed his appointment. ✂️🫧

Jack’s journey so far…

When I first started visiting Jack at home, haircuts felt really scary for him. He would wriggle, run away, shout at me to tell me off, and anything more than clippers just wasn’t safe. At that stage, a simple buzz cut was the quickest, kindest and safest option for everyone — and that was absolutely okay.

Fast forward to my last visit... and WOW.
Jack stood happily playing with his Mummy while I worked, with no fear and no stress. Still a little wriggle bum of course but this time he managed to tolerate a full haircut using clippers, scissors AND water spray! We were completely finished in about 30 minutes!

The biggest win wasn’t the haircut itself, although he does look super cool! - it was Jack feeling safe, confident and proud of himself which is exactly how he should feel. This was a massive accomplishment for him!

These things don’t happen overnight. They happen through patience, trust, consistency and going at the child’s pace.
A huge thank you to Jack’s mum for trusting the process, supporting every stage, and never rushing him before he was ready. That teamwork makes all the difference
Swipe for the before and buzz photos.

Little Alfie is two and a half and his Mummy contacted me for help as he has been terrified of haircuts. In the past they have resulted in him crying until he’s almost sick which is obviously traumatic for both Alfie and his parents!

We started off Alfie’s session with some playing… he’s still so young so it’s very important for me to build up a relationship with him first rather than going straight in to try and cut his hair…. He needs to feel safe with me, especially when I am trying to do something that he’s scared of.

This is why I always leave an hour for each haircut/session. If a child feels like i am rushing then this adds a whole heap of pressure and the fear increases.

After playing for a while I introduced Alfie to the feel of the clippers… gradually working up to holding them on his back, neck and then head whilst I counted to 3…. Alfie could then turn the clippers off for me showing him that after a count of 3 we always stop and have a break.

There is no instant ‘fix’ for a fear of haircuts but with time and patience things usually get easier. Alfie was still worried and nervous but with support and reassurance he managed a cut with minimal upset. The regular breaks allowed him to regulate his emotions if he got a bit upset and there were also plenty of giggles during the session.

Alfie couldn’t cope with the feeling of the trimmers around his ears and the back of his neck but that’s completely ok! It’s not about getting the perfect cut… it’s about helping him overcome his fears and feel proud of what he has achieved! He couldn’t wait to show off his new haircut once we were finished!

Noah 💙😎

Swipe to the end for the before photo ✌🏻

Proof that a good beard tidy can take you from Gandalf to grandad-chic in no time 😄