What to do if the child fears haircutting?
By nishdan01
@nishdan01 (3051)
Singapore
April 20, 2009 4:55am CST
My son fears haircutting. He is three years old. He screams to the point that he would hesitate to even enter saloon. I tried to cut his hair at home this time and it too does not seem to work. Have you feared haircutting? What can be done to remove the fear? Can a visit to child psychologist be of any help? Share your experiences if possible.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@alharra (507)
• United States
20 Apr 09
The next time you go to get your hair cut take your son with you and let him see what happens. Chances are this is just fear of the unknown. You may have to take him several times for him to get over it. ANd don't let the stylist use clippers until the fear is completely gone..... the sound of the clippers will bother him more than likely.
@nishdan01 (3051)
• Singapore
21 Apr 09
Actually clippers seem to be the culprit. No hair stylist in our area uses scissors. Every hair stylist use clippers and he starts to shreak. I have clippers at home too. He likes to play with it, but when it comes to hair cutting he is scared.
@nishdan01 (3051)
• Singapore
22 Apr 09
I will try to find one. Let me see if one is there in my locality.
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
24 Apr 09
Have you talked to him about why he is afraid? Examining and confronting the fear can help him to get past it. Are you taking him to a barber to get a hair cut? Perhaps what he needs is a salon for women where scissors are used. Many men like to go to those salons to get the pampering treatment they don't receive at a barber shop. Your son would probably prefer it as well as the women would likely play with him and talk to him and make him feel more comfortable.
@nishdan01 (3051)
• Singapore
29 Apr 09
I have taken to women salons too. That to does not seem to work. Infact, the fear became evident for the first time in a women's salon. I am talking to him on his fears. The problem is that he is not a person who gives a clear reply. He talks and communicates very nicely. When it comes to communicating by asking question he replies in just a word. he is just three. I am hoping that I cam talk to him as he grows up a little more.
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
29 Apr 09
You may just have to let his hair be a bit long for a while. My nieces amd nephews used to have a similar issue around getting theit hair washed.
@eshaan (6188)
• India
20 Apr 09
i dotn think its that serious that u need to go to psychologist, many times the hair cutter at the saloon are specialist in managing them, like giving toffes, being freindly with children, try at some other place and maybe the other person can manage it...i never had this problem with both my children, thank god.
@nishdan01 (3051)
• Singapore
21 Apr 09
I have taken him to many stylists in the past 2 years. After the second cut at about 15 months, the stylist told me "not to bring him back again". Then we took him to another place. That stylist was an expert, but there are about 15 stylists in that shop alone. So you may not get the same stylist every time you go to that shop. Now he is three and he refuses to enter the saloon. Toffee and sweets and stickers does not seem to work. He will only look at them after hair cut. He will say thanks and take the sweet only after hair cut. Now I am trying to speak to him on that every day. Hoping that he will soon overcome that fear.
@Wizzywig (7847)
•
20 Apr 09
If my child was frightened by haircutting I would probably take the easy way out and either let his hair grow or cut it whilst he was asleep. Maybe, if you cut your own hair in front of him he may see that you're not afraid and that it doesn't hurt. He probably senses your tension now so perhaps someone could distract him whilst someone else cuts his hair in your own home.... and you are in another room ? Do you think its the scissors that he fears? Does he have play scissors for cutting paper? Maybe you could make 'paper plate' faces with him and attach strips of paper to look like hair which he could then cut off?
