SITTING rooted to a chair while a strange adult uses scissors and other machines to cut hair can be a thing of the past for children with additional needs after a Stalybridge salon was set up.
Lisa Hampton uses her personal experience to work with youngsters for whom the thought of going to the hairdressers terrifies them.
Specialising in working with children living with autism or special educational needs, her Market Street business features sensory equipment and she uses other ways to keep customers calm.
And having been through similar experiences with son Joshua, she knows how parents can be as stressed at the trip.
So she is more than qualified, as her growing client base shows.
Lisa, who comes from Ashton and has worked in salons around Tameside, said: “I was a ladies’ hairdresser and I had a son, who’s 27-years-old now. He had ADHD and mild Tourette’s.
“He hated having his hair cut and I thought, ‘I can go and do this.’ I also know how the parents feel. Even though people say, ‘It’s all right,’ you just have that feeling.
“It wasn’t until my son got older that he explained to me what it was he didn’t like. He said, ‘It’s the way they grab you,’ so I offer something different.
“I’m just me. I haven’t trained – although I’ve obviously done a lot of courses with my lad – but I just do me.
“Some mums will say, ‘My son’s non-verbal.’ I reply, ‘Don’t worry about that, I can talk for all of us.’
“Before I do anything with a child, I introduce myself and get that friendship with them., so I let them invite me into their personal space.
“Before I cut anything, I also have a little box with toys in they can play with to distract them. I’ve a little man called Sam too and we get him out and get him to turn the clippers on and off.
“If children don’t want to sit in a certain location, that’s fine – I’ll cut hair anywhere. I’ve cut hair near a taxi rank before now!
“I always go off a three-haircut rule. I tell parents if a child has a third haircut, they’ll be asking you to come to me.
“At first, some kids won’t even come through the door – by the end, they won’t even leave. They want to just stare.
“I give after care to mums too. It can be something as simple as an electric toothbrush and the kids not liking the vibrations.
“So I’ll get mum to put one on their nose, on their cheek and up their neck. It’s the same noise and feeling.
“I also play games with them. We’ll play statues, tickle tests, grumpy chin.”
Lisa’s LH Barbers is open from Wednesday to Saturday and is available by appointment only – but on Tuesday, she goes to her clients’ homes.
She added: “I’ve got a really good client base now and I do home visits as well.
“Some children won’t even come in, so I’ll go and have a play day with them and I’ve seen the results.
“At first, they didn’t want to know then they let me in, now I ask them to pick their favourite toy and they can have their hair cut with you.
“And with the business, this opportunity came up. It’s a place where my kids can be my kids, my guys can be guys.”
LH Barbers is based at 47, Market Street in Stalybridge and appointments can be made by calling 07595 393137 or by messaging through its Facebook site at www.facebook.com/Lisahampton2021.
Lisa is amazing you surely won’t be disappointed . My son used to hate his hair been done . Now he just lets lisa cut his hair he even feel asleep while she was cutting his hair .
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