Your advice this week comes from senior hairstylist Ashley Taylor from Greg Malloy Hairdressing Penrith.

Your child has smiled, laughed and eaten their way few the first stages of its wonderful life and now for another milestone…..the first haircut!!! This is a very daunting time for both child and parent. Up until now you have educated your wee one that strangers are to be avoided or at the very least treated with suspicion and that sharp objects such as scissors are a no go as they will hurt you. So It’s no surprise to learn that your child will probably be horrified at strangers wielding scissors coming towards them!!

The best way to have a positive first haircut is to play hairdressers at home. Get your child to enjoy hair brushing etc. spray water on their head and speak excitedly about hairstyles. You could also let them observe you getting your hair cut. Try not to use the word “cut” it sounds painful. Try telling them it’s a trim or a style. Always avoid attending a salon with a child that is starving or tired and if you can download a game or video onto a smart device it is a good tool to distract your child.

You could pop past the salon before the first trim and allow your child to pop in and say hello to avoid the salon feeling too alien on the first appointment. Try to brush the childs hair so it is free from knots as if the stylist hurts your child getting knots out it doesn’t bode well for the child allowing a trim to take place!!

It might be advisable to contact the salon to check how child friendly they are and enquire which stylists are most suitable. Some hairdressers I have worked alongside in the past dislike childs hairdressing so they will not be as patient as may be required! Some parents also find that they feel very uncomfortable taking a child in a busy salon full of clients if there is a risk the child will become distressed.

Above all never let the stylist begin a haircut on an already distressed child. Also do not restrain the child. You will terrify them and the psychological impact of having been restrained or heavy handled in a salon will mean that they will continue to fear any service on their hair.

At Greg Malloy Hairdressing  we will put those first locks in a container with the date and a record of the haircut for you to keep. We also offer a free first haircut to regular clients children and other salons may have similar offers so it’s worth asking!!

Good luck and if at all in doubt do what many parents do…..send the child with their Grandparents for their first haircut!!!