LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new barber in Louisville is offering a unique service for people with sensory needs. Goldenrod Barbershop is taking the extra time to give people who have special needs a nice new hairdo.

Kegan Kegley is cutting his son Miles’ hair at his new barbershop, Goldenrod Barbershop.

“I’ve always cut their hair because I’ve been a barber the entire time since they have gotten to the states,” said Kegan Kegley, owner of Goldenrod Barbershop. 

His sons Miles and Erik are adopted. They have down syndrome and are non-verbal, so finding barbers and services that can provide for them is a challenge.

“Trying to find different service providers for our boys, we know that it can be tough, so being able to help the community, the special needs communities, I’m glad that I can be there to help out,” Kegley said. 

Kegley’s goal has always been to support the overlooked population, so when he opened up his own barbershop, he knew he needed to offer sensory cuts for people with sensory needs.

“We offer both fidget toys and earplugs for people who need to keep their mind off of the haircut itself,” he said.

The barber also offers a social story that clients can read to get comfortable with the idea of a haircut. They often use this on their son Erik.  

“That way they can read in the days before getting a haircut so they can get more familiar with the idea before they come in here, as well as see pictures of the barbershop so they’re more familiar with the space before they even walk in,” he said. 

Listening to parents and having patience, he said, is key to a successful sensory aware hair cut.

“Even though somebody who’s non-verbal might not necessarily be able to verbalize it, they certainly appreciate being able to look good just as just as much as neurotypical people,” he said. 

Just in case you need a break during your haircut or don’t want to worry about time constraints, Kegley asks that you call ahead.