HOW TO HIRE · BEAUTY & GROOMING

How to hire a children's hairdresser in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence covers children's hairdressers in any UK nation. Here is what to check, what to ask for a nervous child, and what to do if it goes wrong.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a children's hairdresser in five steps

  1. Pick someone used to childrenAsk how many children they cut a week and whether they do first haircuts.
  2. Book a quiet timeMention sensory needs or nerves; a quieter slot or a longer appointment helps.
  3. Stay with your childSit where they can see you for the whole cut.
  4. Agree the cut in plain words"A trim, ears out, fringe above the eyebrows" — or a photo.
  5. Check the price for their ageSome prices change at ten or twelve; ask.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

You will not find children's hairdressers on any official register in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, because none exists. A children's hairdresser's portfolio and insurance do the job a register would.

Look at their recent work on hair like yours and ask about their training.

Insurance that covers the child's haircut

Ask the children's hairdresser about insurance before the child's haircut, not after: policies list the treatments they cover, and anything left off the schedule is not insured.

A photo of the schedule is enough: it should list the child's haircut by name.

Trader status under the Consumer Rights Act 2015

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers a child's haircut bought from a children's hairdresser in business. Reasonable care and skill is the standard; below it, you can require the work again or a reduction.

The trader badge shows on the children's hairdresser's Locufy profile; save the booking message as your record. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

A child's haircut is standard-rated at 20%. A children's hairdresser over the £90,000 turnover threshold must charge it and show it on the receipt, while a small salon or a mobile cutter below that may add none.

Ask whether the salon is VAT-registered; if it is, the receipt should give the VAT number and the VAT apart. gov.uk →

“How often do you cut children's hair?”

A good answer: Most days, with a booster seat and a child-size cape ready — a children's hairdresser who has done this many times.

“Can you book a quiet time for a nervous child?”

A good answer: Yes, with a longer slot if needed and no pressure to finish if the child is upset.

“Scissors or clippers, and can you do it without the noise if needed?”

A good answer: Options offered for a child who dislikes clippers, from a hairdresser used to it.

“How do you keep children still and safe near the scissors?”

A good answer: Patience, breaks and safe handling — and a parent close by.

“Is the price different at a certain age?”

A good answer: A clear age rule on the price list for a child's haircut.

“Do you do a first-haircut certificate or keep a lock of hair?”

A good answer: Yes or no, and whether it costs extra.

“What happens if my child will not finish the cut?”

A good answer: A fair answer: pay for what was done, or come back another day.

Getting the quote right

  • The price for your child's age and the style
  • Extras named: wash, design, braiding, first-haircut package
  • A longer or quieter appointment, if that costs more
  • Who actually attends your child: the children's hairdresser you asked for, or a trainee, and whether they are employed by the salon or subcontracted
  • A VAT number on the receipt where the salon is registered, with VAT on its own line

Walk away if

  • Impatience or force with a frightened child
  • Dirty combs or a cape not changed between children
  • Being asked to wait outside while your child is cut
  • A price for a child's haircut that changes in the chair
LOW
£12
TYPICAL
£15
HIGH
£29

What a children's hairdresser costs: £12–£29 per cut

Children's hairdressers price per cut, often by age, with fades, designs and first-haircut packages priced on top. Children's Haircuts price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Children's hairdressers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Settle inBooster seat, child-size cape, and a few minutes for a nervous child to look around.
  2. Agree the cutThe children's hairdresser asks you and the child what is wanted.
  3. CutScissors or quiet clippers, with breaks if needed, working around the ears with care.
  4. Fringe and necklineFringe cut dry and checked, neckline tidied.
  5. FinishBrush-off, a mirror for the child, and a price that matches the list.

Booster seat
A raised seat so the child is at a safe height for cutting.
Skin fade
Hair faded down to the skin at the sides — takes longer and may cost more.
Dry cut
Cut without a wash.
Clipper grade
The guard length used on clippers, from 0 upwards.
First-haircut package
A first cut with a certificate or a keepsake lock of hair.
Quiet appointment
A calmer, longer slot for a child with sensory needs.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the receiptThe price and the cut agreed, in case it needs fixing.
Check the fringe and earsLook at the fringe dry and from the side before you leave.
Ask about a quick fixA wonky fringe is usually a two-minute job if you go back soon.
Leave the reviewReviews of children's hairdressers on Locufy come from real bookings only. If the child's haircut is not right, use the make-it-right step first so the children's hairdresser can put it right before the review goes up.

STEP 1Tell the children's hairdresser, in writingWrite it down, with dates and photos, and ask for a fix or a refund. A child's haircut that misses the Consumer Rights Act 2015 standard of reasonable care and skill gives you both options.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyGive the child's haircut under four stars and we ask whether to send it to the children's hairdresser first; we follow it through with them, and then you review.
STEP 3No regulator — Trading StandardsNo body licenses a children's hairdresser, so a child's haircut dispute you cannot settle goes to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) or Consumerline in Northern Ireland (0300 123 6262).
STEP 4Small claims, if it comes to moneyIf the children's hairdresser will not refund or redo the child's haircut, you can claim without a solicitor: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a children's hairdresser: questions people ask

No. Nothing in UK law licenses or registers children's hairdressers, which is why training, insurance and their own work are what you check before a child's haircut.

A child's haircut that falls below reasonable care and skill breaches the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Ask the children's hairdresser in writing for a free redo; if that is refused or fails, ask for a reduction.

£12–£29 per cut, typically around £15. Older children, skin fades and premium salons take it towards the top figure. Check the children's haircuts price guide for the full picture, then search your town above for children's hairdressers close by.

Hairdressing carries no register or vetting requirement in any UK nation, so most children's hairdressers will not hold one. Stay with your child for the whole cut, and the question does not arise.

Many will not, for other customers' sake. Check before you go and ask the children's hairdresser what their policy is.

Tell the hairdresser that day. A cut that ignores what you agreed was not done with reasonable care and skill, and a price reduction is fair.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in beauty & grooming

How to hire: Mobile HairdresserHow to hire: Blow Dry & StylingHow to hire: Hair ColouringHow to hire: Balayage SpecialistHow to hire: Hair TreatmentsHow to hire: Hair ExtensionsHow to hire: Men's BarberHow to hire: Afro & Textured HairAll 701 hiring guides →

Children's hairdressers near you

Children's hairdressers in LondonChildren's hairdressers in ManchesterChildren's hairdressers in BirminghamChildren's hairdressers in GlasgowChildren's hairdressers in BelfastAll children's hairdressers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — tattoo, piercing and electrolysis licence (England and Wales), with London's Special Treatments Licence
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — your rights when a service falls short
  4. gov.uk — VAT rates
  5. nidirect — small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  6. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register