Kyoto salon a cut above the rest for developmentally disabled children

KYOTO--A local hairstylist known for his welcoming smile has become the de facto choice for haircuts for anxious children with developmental disabilities that have trouble sitting still in the barber’s chair.

Ryuji Akamatsu, 48, the owner of Peace of Hair salon in Fushimi Ward, said he now cuts the hair of two to three kids with developmental disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, each day.

His shop has become a godsend for exasperated parents who otherwise hesitate to bring their kids to a professional barbershop, since they hate getting their hair cut and cause a fuss once in the big seat.

Some families even come from out of the prefecture.

Akamatsu stumbled into the specialty practice in 2010 when he received an unusual request from the mother of a boy with a developmental disability who wanted her son to “practice getting his hair cut by professional barbers.”

“My child feels nervous when he’s getting his hair cut, so I usually cut it at home by myself,” the mother told him.

After he accepted her offer, Akamatsu realized he knew nothing about developmental disorders.

The cut was going smoothly right up until Akamatsu started using an electric hair clipper to finish up. The boy abruptly stood up and ran around the shop, panicking because of the jarring buzzing noise.

Akamatsu said he was disappointed at the time that he could not “do a professional job.”

So, he asked himself what he could do about it. He read up on developmental disorders and listened to a university professor’s lecture to deepen his understanding.

After Akamatsu learned that these children often fear that they cannot predict what will happen next, he decided to produce illustrated cards that show each step of the process, from sitting on the chair and being wrapped in a towel to using the hair clippers.

Akamatsu would slowly walk the young boy through the process, and it eventually worked. He gradually became accustomed to getting his hair cut.

One day, Akamatsu heard the child murmur he was “feeling good” while his hair was being shampooed. Akamatsu said he will never forget that moment.

Word spread about Akamatsu and the magic he works among other parents, and before long a steady stream of children with developmental disabilities started turning up at Peace of Hair.

Since Akamatsu always grins as he welcomes them and cuts their hair, he has become known for his special “smile haircut.”

Akamatsu has now cut the hair of some 6,000 children with developmental issues.

The secret to his success was not only educating himself but also listening to specific issues that the parents told him they face daily. Some told him they had resorted to cutting their child’s hair while they slept. Others said they would have someone hold down their child’s arms and legs to get it done.

Akamatsu even met a parent and child who came all the way from Shizuoka Prefecture, since “there are no shops available for us in our neighborhood.”

He once heard a salon manager say, “Hairdressing (for children with developmental disabilities) may take too much time.”

But Akamatsu is now making it something of a life mission to change that mentality.

He founded the nonprofit organization Sorairo Project Kyoto in 2014 in the hope of providing other barbers and stylists with advice and simple tips through lectures and other means as part of efforts to make the industry more inclusive.

Upward of 2,000 hairdressers have taken his courses, he said.

Akamatsu also distributed a pamphlet and published a video online last fall to share his expertise. It explains that children with developmental disabilities are characterized by visual and olfactory hypersensitivity or difficulties in concentrating, and that they need special attention.

The materials recommend that “several strands of your own hair should be cut and shown to the children first, so that the children can understand what will happen.” It also said it is important to praise and encourage them a lot during the process.

They also offer advice on business matters, such as setting aside extra time for these cuts.

“A bit of consideration and improvement can bring smiles to the faces of children with developmental disabilities and their families,” said Akamatsu. “I would like our society to become a place where all barbers and hairdressers will extend a helping hand.”

Akamatsu said his next goal is sending that message to the next generation of haircutters by having his method introduced in a textbook for students who want to become stylists.