A compassionate mother is making a profound difference by providing specialist hair care for individuals who find traditional salons overwhelming. Cher McSwiggan, 34, operates a unique sensory-aware salon from the conservatory of her Smith's Wood home, dedicated to clients with additional needs, anxiety, and mental health conditions.
A Safe Haven for Overwhelmed Clients
Cher has created a private, flexible, and entirely non-judgemental environment. Her service focuses on gentle, one-to-one support, moving away from the standard salon structure. Appointments are never rushed, with extra time allocated per slot, and every session is meticulously adapted to the individual's needs.
Her clientele includes adults facing anxiety or mental health challenges, neurodivergent individuals, and parents seeking support for their children. Many have avoided salons for years due to previous negative experiences. Cher draws on her strong professional background in the SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) sector and has already worked transformative results with several clients.
Restoring Confidence, One Strand at a Time
One of Cher's most challenging cases involved a woman who developed severely matted hair after frequent hospital stays and was in significant pain. "She was adamant her hair needed shaving," Cher recalled. "But I gave her hope to at least try de-matting."
After a dedicated five-hour session, most of the matting had to be cut, but the client was left with a stylish brown bob. The impact was immediate and profound. "She said I made her feel like a new woman," Cher shared. "No more headaches, uncomfortable sleeps, or hiding away. She was looking forward to going wedding dress shopping, feeling beautiful again."
Future Dreams and Sustainable Growth
While Cher also works full-time in a restorative school, she is passionately growing her home salon. She is currently teaching herself cutting and styling techniques after completing courses in hair extensions and keratin blow-drys, with ambitions to learn barbering to help even more people.
Her long-term vision is to one day establish a chain of salons specifically designed to support people facing SEND and mental health barriers. "Right now, I'm focused on growing sustainably, continuing to develop my skills and building a strong supportive home salon," she explained.
Having only launched the service a few months ago, Cher is heartened by the immediate impact. "The fact that my work has already been noticed and is making a difference reinforces how important care, understanding and accessibility are in this space," she stated.
