Specialists in Special Needs Children
We believe that all children, regardless of disability, deserve a quality haircut and a comfortable experience while they get it. On top of the various activities within the salon, all our staff are trained and aware of the sensory and processing issues that some children can face.
Below, you can take your child on a virtual haircut. A lot of the difficulties children face come from uncertainty and visiting 'strange' places. We hope the below can ease some of the anxiety, as well as show you how we work at J4K. Feel free to use our contact form to get in touch with any other unanswered questions.
#1 - Entering the Salon
J4k can be found at the top of the Andover high street, easily recognisable by its bright, colourful exterior. The first thing you may notice is the mural of children playing on the window, telling of the fun times that wait ahead...
When you enter, one of our hairdressers will greet you, take your name, and add you to the queue. We are quite popular, and can get busy during the after-school time. If busyness is a concern for your little one, try to come during the day, if possible. We only do walk-in appointments, so we'll be here for when you're ready!
#2 - Wait and Play
After your name is taken, there may be a bit of a wait. Thankfully there is plenty to do at J4k! We have a range of iPads with child-friendly games, TV shows and movies for your child to enjoy. A retro arcade table also sits below an exciting range of sweets and chocolates - but they're for after!
If your child is more artistic, we also have a range of colouring pens and pencils to doodle with. Our array of vibrant artwork on our walls and windows can provide inspiration for your little artist.
#3 - Time for your Haircut!
After having some fun in the salon, it's time for the main event - the haircut! We have a range of exciting chairs for your child to sit in, and get taken on an adventure while we get to work. We also do have a selection of standard barbering chairs, should the rest of the family want a haircut or our fun ones are otherwise inaccessible.
Much like while you wait, your child can enjoy some cartoons on an iPad, or play some games on one of our Nintendo Switches. Each seat also has a mirror, so your child is aware of all the hard work we are putting into their haircut.
#4 - Sitting in the Seats
Each haircut takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. During this time, some sensory-aware children may experience some discomfort, as listed below...
- To keep hair at bay, a barbers cape can be used, but this may be uncomfortable for some.
- To make hair cuttable, we will have to spray your childs hair with a spray bottle.
- We use razors which make a buzzing sound. Some children don't like this, especially around the ears.
- Before we finish, we may use a brush to sweep hair off your child.
Feel free to ask us any questions, if any of these things may cause discomfort for your child. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.
#5 - Finishing Up!
Towards the end of your haircut, we will double check to make sure everything is looking good, before sweeping your child down (if they're okay with it) and taking the cape off. We did it!
After getting out the chair and tidying everything up, you're all finished and free to go on your way. But there's one more thing that needs to be done...
#6 - Before you go...
Sweets! All of our customers get a bag of sweets as a thank you for being so well behaved during their haircut. We know that sometimes it's not that easy!
Now that everything is finished, we say our thank-you's and goodbye's, and you're free to carry on about your day. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
