Another Hairy Situation

Back in April I wrote about how much J did not enjoy getting his hair wet or having it cut. Here we are in October and not too much has changed.Bath time has gotten easier, although he still has his moments. We still can’t wet a brush or comb when styling his hair.

Before school started, I took him to get a haircut. We made multiple attempts in multiple locations and none of them ended well. He was crying, screaming and trying to run away. It got to the point of his hair being in his eyes that we knew we had to try a different route before school started. My husband took on the duty of adding stylist to his resume. It was a struggle and took over an hour, but ultimately J had his hair in a much better state than he started with.

Hair grows fast. This weekend we found ourselves once again in the position of needing to take J to get his hair cut. We figured we’d skip the struggle of getting it done somewhere and just have my husband do it again. Needless to say, it didn’t go well (not horrible but could be better) and we will definitely be going back to the professionals for next time.

Click here to read “A Hair Situation,” which I posted back in April. I also included 3 videos from Sensory Spectacle in the post discussing why those with SPD find washing, brushing and cutting hair difficult.

Since we’re discussing hair cuts again, I have included that video below. What may not be fun for some kids is heightened for those with sensory difficulties. 

A Hairy Situation

‘J’ had his first haircut on the day he turned 1. We were in Disney World and went to the Barber Shop on Main Street. It was so much fun and he did great! He may have been ok with a haircut or two after that one but since that timeframe, it has been a struggle.

As time has gone on, it’s not just a struggle to cut his hair. Washing his hair is usually being done as he is screaming or crying. Brushing his hair is a big battle in the morning. Sometimes I try wetting the brush a bit since he definitely has a big case of bed head every morning. I’m trying to give up wetting the brush since he hates feeling the water and only makes him hate the experience more.

It’s tough when we’re getting ready for school and he’s running away screaming not wanting his hair brushed. Or if I was able to brush it, he then has to rub his head in the couch, bed or on his hand while screaming which puts us back to square one.

This is an ongoing process to see what may help him get through these activities. It’s another example of something most people take for granted, but for him, it’s an extra sensitive situation. Like most things in parenthood, it’s trial and error until we find the key to what works.

Below are two videos from Sensory Spectacle. The first talks about why someone with SPD may not like brushing their hair, the second discusses why they may not like washing their hair and the last is all about haircuts.