The Kid (4-12)

Half an hour for boys four through twelve — the full Haircut, brought down to a kid’s size. We don’t pretend that cutting a child’s hair is the same as cutting an adult’s hair. They’re different jobs, and The Kid is built for the difference.

What’s different

• We use a chair booster if your son needs one. The room has one in good shape, and we set it up before he climbs in.
• We keep the cut to shears wherever we can — clippers in only for the very back of the neck. Most kids prefer it; their ears prefer it too.
• We skip the straight razor at the neck. The line is set with a foil shaver instead.
• We give the shoulder massage at the end if he wants it; most boys don’t, and that’s fine.

The cut, the shampoo, and the hot towel are otherwise the same as on the adult tariff — a real haircut, just at a size he can sit through.

What we do best on lads

A clean side part, a longer textured top, a tidy short-back-and-sides, a school cut, a haircut for picture day. We don’t do skin fades on boys under eight — the line is too sharp for that age, and it grows out badly.

A note on temperament

Most kids settle in once they see we aren’t in a hurry. If your son isn’t ready, we will not push him through it. We’ll set the cut down, pour him a glass of water, and try again in a quarter-hour. If it doesn’t happen, the chair is free, and we’ll see you next week.

When to come

Saturdays before noon are the busiest hour for kids’ cuts. If your son is shy of a crowd, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons are the quietest. By appointment — the booking link is the fastest way to a chair, the telephone the slower one. For a younger child, see The Toddler.