Looking for feedback on Liverpool sensory hair salon

nicky43

I'm opening a Sensory Hair Salon in the next few months. We will make a personal consultation action plan for each client to ensure a successful visit for all. Just like to get people in the little liverpool areas thoughts on this and if people think this is a needed service? 
Hope to hear some feedback guys! 

Thanks for reading 
Nicky 

Alex

Hi @Nicky43,

What exactly is a sensory hair salon? 

Thanks,
Alex

nicky43

Hi Alex, it's a hair and beauty salon that has sensory needs in mind. It has soft lighting, low noise equipment, no Cfc hairspray gasses, no ammonia in hair colouring, a sensory area for children, a gaming area with headphones and mine craft. We are creating social stories for the little ones who are worried about haircuts. We will be fully accessible to all salon users. Just wanting some feedback from the community to put into my buissnes plan Alex. 
Thanks for asking ☺️

Blue Frog

That sounds a brilliant idea. My last post was too long so it got edited automatically to the first 5 words  

So sorry for lots of small replies!! .....

Blue Frog

my little girl is very sensory seeking and likes to chew the cape when she has her hair cut. Could you have heavy or weighted capes/blankets - as they can help some people feel safe and relaxed. 

Blue Frog

We have a fairly cheap piece of equipment called a Go To Seat (made by firefly) it enables my little girl to sit on pretty much any chair. It has lots of support and straps to help her sit up. 

Blue Frog

As well as the social stories, can you do a sensory story? Feeling a brush/smelling shampoo/hearing a recording of the dryer etc

Blue Frog

I think there are a lot of children who could benefit from this. Have you spoken to a local SEND school they may have more ideas. 

Blue Frog

There is an interesting thread on here - in parents and carers - about a young woman who finds having her hair dried difficult have you seen it? 

Blue Frog

Ooh and visual timers so people know how long they have to sit for (I would like that too when I have my hair straightened) 

nicky43

Yes I have weighted waistcoats and sensory timers and lots of other helpful gadgets. My son has autism and my daughter is a wheelchair user so this is a plan very close to my heart. I have just compleated leval 3 in understanding autisim so I'm learning as much as I possibly can to create a sanctuary for children adults and parents and carers. All suggestions are really gratefully received and will put together a picture of what the community need. I'll look for that thread about the woman who finds hairdryers difficult and ask if she has used a silencer on her dryer. It takes the high pitch noise down a bit. I am doing questioners for parents who go to the provision my children go to so hope that gives me ideas too! Thank you for your suggestions ☺️

nicky43

I'll look up that seat too, by firefly

Blue Frog

  we will come and see you if we have a day out to Liverpool x

Sam_Alumni

This sounds like a great idea! I know a lot of friends who have big issues getting their kids to have a hair cut!

nicky43

Thanks Sam, hair cuts are one thing people take for granted but it's a struggle isn't it. I'm not saying I know all the answers but I'd like to try and help overcome some of the sensory issues that make hair cuts harder. My son hates getting a hair cut but if I can time it roughly how long each stage takes , give him a game to play
and let him wear a gown with no top on underneath because of itchy hairs then I have a chance of doing it. I have calm clippers too which are scissors with a guard on so there is no nasty buzzing noise. I'll post details when I'm open for business with an open day and special offers. 
I'm still looking for new ideas so keep posting and I'm making a note of it all. 
Thanks lots
Nicky

Sam_Alumni

@VioletFenn I thought this might be of interest to you 

Sam_Alumni

@Lorri3 what do you think of this, would it be something that could help you?

Lorri3

Hi Sam thanks for highlighting this I hadn't been on for a week or so.  Unfortunately we are in Scotland but it does sound great. 

Geoark

@nicky43 my daughter has aspergers and has only had her hair cut twice. The first when she was 12 was a bad experience for her. The second was more recently and she did a lot of research before deciding on trying a hairdresser. She decided on an LGBT CIC hairdresser for a number of reasons. 

Not least because they offered different time slots and are willing to take time to talk and listen to customers about any concerns. One thing she did love from her research was they do not charge more for women's hair and the maximum price £40. They also do sessions where they will do your hair at a huge discount if you cannot afford to pay. This is done on the trust basis.

To be honest it was a totally different experience from when we stepped in. We were met by one of the hairstylist who asked us to wait on a seat. The next thing he mentioned was the music, he told my daughter if she wanted it changed they would be happy to change it to something she would prefer, turn it down or even off if it bothered her. One thing I noticed straight away was how wheelchair friendly it was. This included a lower basin so hair could be comfortably washed, For a small salon they had one of the biggest toilet areas I have ever seen, and well equipped for a wheel chair user. Being inclusive was a real commitment rather than not just having a step you don't have to struggle to get over.

Having booked a longer time slot to give her time to talk to the hairdresser about what she was looking for, the appointment went really well and he took the time to let her know what he was going to do next and make sure she was comfortable with it. By the end she had the hugest grin on her face, worth the £40 in itself. Her hair looked great. A couple of months later I am still telling people about them.

To answer your questions, yes it is needed, get it right and you will attract more than just the local people. My daughter was prepared to travel to get her hair done at this salon. I wish you all the best in your endeavour.

nicky43

Thank you very much, that's really helpful!

Geoark

@nicky43 something else I wanted to share, though not autism related.

The estate I live on has an higher than average pensioners living on it. For the women one of the earlier signs that I have noticed in them either starting to have problems coping, or there is a potential mental issue is when they stop caring for their hair.

It was something else though that brought home to me how important women's hair is to them. As chair of the TMO I was approached by the family of one of the older residents living on the estate. She has to wear a body frame and so cannot bend. As a result she was finding it impossible to find a hair dresser willing to come to her home and do her hair. The family asked if there was anything I could do, they appreciated it was outside of what we did but had heard I could sometimes find solutions to difficult problems. I said I could not promise a solution but would see what I could do.

I spoke to a hairstylist I know and explained the problem to her and ask if she had any ideas. Fortunately she was happy to do her hair. I heard back from the family within a couple of weeks of them approaching me, they were delighted with the results and mentioned it made a huge difference to their quality of life.

Not many people realise we have 3 autistic young people living on the estate with very different capabilities. One has a lot of sensory issues and mum will not bring her to estate events, so I always make sure that if we are doing something she does miss out by taking her a few treats which I give to mum. My friend also does her daughter hair at home.

While I am sure you will want to be concentrating on your salon there will also be those who cannot visit and struggle to find hairdressers willing to visit them.

One other thought, my daughter went to John Moores University in Liverpool. For young autistic people going to university it is often the first time away from home and living in an area they don't know. Depending how far away you are to the universities it may be worth letting them know there is an autistic friendly hairdressers available.