Haircuts: Why they can be tough for kids with sensory processing issues
For many of us, going to the salon or barber shop is a delight; a fresh new do, relaxing scalp massage, luscious smelling shampoo and maybe even a delicious lollypop when you’re all done. However, for others, this experience can be a traumatic and painful one. Particularly for those individuals with sensory processing difficulties.
To understand why your child may kick, scream, cry and fight to get their haircut, it’s important to first understand what sensory processing difficulties mean. Sensory processing – or “sensory integration” as it is also known - refers to how our nervous system receives and organizes sensory information and processes or interprets it through our brain in order to behave in a meaningful and consistent manner. Children who have difficulty processing or interpreting this information have what is known as Sensory Processing Disorder. As a result, the child exhibits maladaptive responses such as covering their ears, running away, becoming overstimulated, disliking touch or tactile input, seeking or exerting too much force when engaging with toys or peers, impaired balance and coordination and trouble sequencing or performing age-appropriate tasks consistently. Kids who have difficulties or aversions with touch or tactile input often have significant struggles with successfully performing self-care tasks such as taking a bath, brushing their teeth, tolerating different texture foods, wearing certain clothing, washing their hands and, yes….even haircuts!
So, what can you do to manage or help decrease these sensitivities during the course of your child’s haircut? Keep in mind that every child is different, and some strategies may work better than others. Start by introducing one or two tactics to see what may or may not be working. Too many at once may be another trigger all together.
Visual Strategies
- Plan a visit to the hair salon ahead of time. Allow the child to observe the environment, examine the tools and meet their stylist.
- Read or create a social story with pictures to introduce them to what they will experience.
- Watch videos of hair cutting.
- Face the child away from any mirrors during the haircut process.
- Distract the child with their favorite TV show or movie or other preferred activity for distraction.
- “Practice” or pretend play haircuts at home on a sibling, another toy, stuffed animal or parent.
- Remove the fear of sight of clippers or scissors by slowly introducing them. Start by placing them across the room from the child. Then have your child move closer to them as tolerated.
- Provide a step-by-step picture board.
Auditory Strategies
- Use scissors versus electric clippers.
- Schedule their appointment time when the salon isn’t as busy.
- Skip the blow dryer.
- Use a spray bottle to get the hair wet versus using the shampoo bowl and water.
- Provide the child with earphones or a headset to either reduce or drown-out noise or let them listen to music or their favorite cartoon.
- Remove the fear of sound of clippers/scissors by slowly introducing them. Start by placing them across the room in the “off” setting. Once they are comfortable, turn the clippers on and have your child move closer as tolerated.
Tactile Strategies
- Remove the fear of touch with clippers/scissors or hair; desensitize the scalp by providing deep pressure/massage vs. light touch, perform the Wilbarger brushing protocol just prior to the haircut, use a vibrating massager progressing from the child being able to tolerate touch on their extremities to tolerating touch on various parts of their head/neck or use of feathers or other soft textures similar to hair and encourage tolerating touch to different parts of the child’s body including their head, neck, arms and ears.
- Bring an extra shirt to the salon they can change into after the haircut.
- Shower or bathe immediately after haircut.
- Eliminate washing/wetting the hair in the shampoo bowl and forgo application of hair products including gels and creams.
- Provide calming deep pressure such as a weighted blanket they can wear under their cape.
- Try wet vs. dry hair or vice versa.
- Use of something to prevent hair from touching their skin; visor, turtleneck or extra towel, clippers that collect hair, hairdryer to blow hair away
Smell/Olfactory Strategies
- Eliminate application of hair products including gels, creams and/or hairsprays.
- Using unscented shampoo/conditioner or skipping altogether.
- Reducing/removing other scents in the immediate area such as perfumes or air fresheners.
- Offer the child something that contains a scent they can tolerate.
Behavioral Strategies
- Allow your child to bring a preferred activity (favorite toy, iPad/tablet, etc) as a calming distraction.
- Provide a fidget tool.
- Provide your child with consistent positive reinforcement.
- Allow the child to have some control by providing choices for what to use as calming techniques and compensatory strategies.
- Use of rewards.
- Use of a timer.
- Slow, fun and non-pressured progression of steps – verbally tell the child what is going to happen first, next, last, etc.
- Establish pleasant memories of hair cutting – take pictures of your child in the chair, getting their hair washed, dried, etc.
- Engage your child in the experience by giving them a job to do (hold the comb, turn on the hairdryer, open the shampoo bottle, etc.)
Environmental Strategies
- Find a salon that has kid-friendly equipment; some salons have a toy truck, horse or airplane for the child to sit in versus a salon chair.
- Find a stylist who has experience with kids and who is patient. Even better if they have experience with working with kids who have sensory processing difficulties.
- Opt for a salon that has less stations/employees to reduce sensory input.
- Schedule their appointment time when the salon isn’t as busy/crowded.
Remember, the overall goal is to create a positive experience for you and your child and where their anxiety level can be decreased within reason. If haircuts are a challenge for your child, talk to one of our skilled therapists to further discuss your questions and concerns.