Roanoke hair salon makes cuts less stressful for kids with different physical and sensory needs

Getting a haircut can be stressful, especially for children who have different sensory or physical needs. The goal at Little Royals Cuts and Styles in Roanoke is to cut away the stress.

"You can love cutting hair, but if your love of children doesn't exceed your love of cutting hair, you won't succeed in this business," co-owner Angelique Lawrence said.

Lawrence has a nephew with autism. Her business partner, Tumeaka Berry, has a brother with Down syndrome. Both understand the need for patience and sensitivity when their young clients sit in their chairs.

"They don't want to be treated different," Berry said. "They want to be treated the same."

Berry cut 6-year-old Luke's hair as he sat in his wheelchair, making jokes and tossing a toy football to his mother.

"With the exception of being in a wheelchair, he is a typical 6-year-old kid," Luke's mom, Nicole Stickane said. "He has an older sister and a younger brother and he wants to do all the things they get to do."

"I want to help build their confidence up when they look in the mirror. They don't have to second guess. Like, I look good just as the next kid," Berry said. "You know confidence is everything!"

Right next to Luke, 3-year-old Conor sat in a chair that looks like a car getting his hair cut by Lawrence.

"It's something he used to be so afraid of," Erin Montgomery said of her son Conor, who has sensory processing differences. "For him to get through it without tears, without being afraid to come in...as his mom it's a huge weight off. It makes my heart really happy."

Conor gave 'Miss Angie' a hug when she was finished.

"So we just feel the need and we have a gift to kinda take that part of the stress away of having a special needs child," Lawrence said. "This is what I believe we were born to do."