Maidstone Hairy Bear - Maidstone

James H.

Our little boy has always found haircuts super challenging. Martin, and the team at Hairy Bear Maidstone are incredible! He is patient, and astute. Our little boy is now able to have a hair cut without it being too difficult. Martin is a great man and we would like him to know that his services are making such a difference to families like mine. If you have a child with additional needs or if you have a child who is anxious I highly recommend you pay him a visit. Thank you Martin.

Lara H.

Absolutely amazing! Cannot recommend them enough. Took my daughter here and booked her in under the SEN option haircut, I had a few questions prior to the appointment so the person answering the Facebook messages was so helpful and lovely. Then on the day Martin was unbelievable with my little girl, it was her first hair cut at 4 years old, he was so calm with her and so aware of what she might and might not be happy with because of her needs. He even put some of her curly hair in some little bags for me to keep! Outstanding service, thank you so much for making the experience so lovely and calm!

Dani Q.

This barbers came highly recommended, my 6yo son is autistic and absolutely hates having his head touched in anyway.

The gentleman that did his hair today was fab, so accommodating and lovely, I 100% recommend this barbers and will definitely be back with my son.

Sophie B.

Had my 5 year old son’s haircut here on the additional needs service, he is non verbal and autistic and haircuts have always been such a challenge. Martin was amazing and we will definitely be returning, although my son was still upset at the whole hair cutting process it’s the best he has ever been, with Martin talking to him and reassuring him throughout, letting him know what he was doing. What a friendly, welcoming place and hopefully in time he will enjoy coming, the lollipop at the end also helped. Such an amazing job getting such a neat haircut. Thank you!

Sean B.

Martin at Hairy Bear Barbers, Maidstone did an amazing job on our autistic son's hair. First visit to a Barbers and using the clippers, he looks amazing and even gave Martin a high five. Thank you and see you again for the next trim. Highly recommended to any parent whose children have sensory needs.

UPDATE:
It's been a bit of a roller coaster for our little one and his hair cut journey from calm first sitting to full on meltdowns, but we persisted.
All of a sudden, he sat calmly for his 6th haircut and laughed as it tickled.
For his 7th haircut, he was even talking to Martin and asking questions. We were blown away, and he now can't wait to see Martin again for his next trim.

Thank you so much to Martin and the team, you are truly heroes.

FINAL UPDATE:
Well with the most recent visit, my little boy decided instead of sitting on my lap to have his haircut, that he would be a big boy and sit on the seat himself.
He was an absolute Trooper, and Martin was able to cut his hair quickly with clippers and scissors which would have never been possible before.

Martin has changed our lives and anyone with a sen child would understand this... thank you

Miranda M.

Martin is working wonders with our 4 year old autistic boy. He has gone from having a full-on melt down, throwing himself everywhere and screaming at the top of his lungs to sitting really well and even saying,'this haircut is so great' and laughing. I honestly didn't think we would get to this stage - so much so, shed a tear this morning when I watched with pride.
Thank you so much Martin!

Kelsey B.

The best barbers about! Very understanding and calm with children with SEN/Additional needs! Martin is absolutely brilliant with my autistic son & he’s the only barber for miles that he will let cut his hair! 10/10 service I strongly recommend! 🙂 staff are angels!!

Saul

The lady was really lovely, but she gave me one of THE worst fades in my life 😄 I mean you could see the lines of each step…my partner thought I had cut my hair myself that time…

EDIT:
Reply to your response Mr Hairy Bear.

I have popped into this barber shop on the 27th Jan. and there was only one lady hairdresser. I did not have any bookings and so you wouldn’t see me on your system. I paid cash, I think she charged me £16.50 if I’m not wrong. I did leave a generous tip and gave her £20 no change needed.

I am not so stressed that my haircut was a mess. But I would never go back again.

I’ve tried a few barbers in Maidstone, but unfortunately this was one of the worst experiences.

Defend all you want, but the reality is what it is. 🙂

EDIT 2:

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I just want to clarify that I don’t usually leave bad reviews unless they’re genuinely warranted. This time, I was in a rush to get a haircut before heading out to meet friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to return for a fix.

I only noticed how poor the fade was after taking a shower and seeing it properly in the mirror under good lighting. My partner even smiled, assuming I had attempted to cut my own hair, and my friends noticed it too.

It’s unfortunate that I happened to visit when a cover barber was working, and I suppose that was bad luck on my part. Either way, I stand by my experience. I appreciate your offer to fix it, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable coming back. I hope this feedback helps in some way. Perhaps someone will ask next time in case barber is covering or is there full time.

That’s what reviews are for! 😉 so people know what they’re getting into.