Hair and beauty at home for someone who can't easily get out

A haircut at the kitchen table is a simple enough thing to arrange. Where it gets fiddly is everything the hairdresser doesn't know yet: that leaning back over a basin isn't possible any more, that there are steps up to the front door, that the hearing aids need to be in before anyone starts talking.

Stats NZ counts about one in six New Zealanders as disabled, and more than a third of people aged 65 and over (Stats NZ), so plenty of households are working this out. Most of what follows was written with a hairdresser for an elderly parent in mind, because that's what people tend to come looking for, but it holds just as well for nails, a shave or a massage, after a hip operation or with a long-term disability, and if you're booking for yourself.

This is general information, not medical advice. Where health comes into it, go by what the person's own GP, nurse or care team says.

Make your visit notes

Fill in what applies and skip the rest. You'll get a note to send to the hairdresser or other professional before they come, by text or email, and two short lists for yourself. Nothing you enter leaves this browser.

Finding a hairdresser who comes to the house

If there's a hairdresser or barber they've been going to for years, ask them first. Some salon and home-studio hairdressers will come out to a long-standing client, and a familiar face counts for a lot.

Failing that, you're looking for a mobile hairdresser, barber, nail technician or massage therapist, someone who's set up to work in people's homes. People find them by searching "mobile hairdresser" with their suburb (or "mobile hairdresser for elderly" or "for seniors"), through local Facebook groups, or by asking around: a neighbour, the practice nurse, the staff at a day programme.

The regulations that used to cover hairdressers were revoked at the end of July 2025 (Ministry for Regulation), and massage isn't regulated either (Massage Aotearoa New Zealand). So you're going on training, experience and what other clients say. Someone who has already cut hair for a client in a wheelchair, or worked around a walking frame in a small bathroom, will have their own ways of doing it.

What to ask before you book

The full price, travel included. Get it before the day. If no price was agreed, the law only asks you to pay a reasonable one (Consumer Protection), but it's a lot easier to settle at the start.

How long they'll need, setting up and packing away included, and whether it could be done in stages if sitting for long is hard.

What they bring, and what they'd like from you. It might be no more than a chair, a power point and a sink.

How they keep their tools clean. The Ministry of Health has guidance for hairdressers and barbers that covers home visits and rest homes as well as salons. It asks for clean hands before and after each client, scissors, combs and clippers cleaned between clients, capes and towels washed after each one, and a new blade for every shave (Ministry of Health). The guidance is voluntary, which is why it's worth asking.

Whether they have a criminal record check. You can't have someone police vetted yourself, because Police only vet for approved organisations (NZ Police). What a professional can do is ask the Ministry of Justice for a copy of their own record. It's free, and most requests come back within a week (Ministry of Justice). Some will already have one they're happy to show, and it's a fair thing to ask when the person will be on their own for the visit.

What happens if you have to call it off on the day. Some days just aren't good ones, and it helps to know the terms beforehand.

If the work isn't up to scratch, the Consumer Guarantees Act covers services too. A haircut has to be done with reasonable care and skill, the same as any other job (Consumer Protection).

Getting the space ready

The kitchen tends to suit: a hard floor, a sink close by and decent light. Wherever it ends up, this is roughly what helps.

• A sturdy chair with a back and no wheels. Arms make getting up and down easier but can get in the way, so ask which they'd rather have.
• Room to walk right round it. The same goes for a wheelchair. Ask whether the work can be done with the person sitting in it, and put the brakes on.
• Good light, beside a window if you can.
• A power point within reach for clippers and a dryer.
• A warm room. Some older people feel the cold more (Alzheimers NZ), and wet hair doesn't help.
• An old sheet under the chair if the floor is carpet, and a couple of clean towels if you've been asked for them.
• A clear path from the door, with rugs, cords and shoes out of the way.

Washing hair without a salon basin

This is usually the part that takes the most working out. A salon has a basin you lean back into, and a house has a kitchen sink, a bathroom basin and a shower. There are a few ways round it, and the hairdresser will have a view on which suits:

• leaning forward over the kitchen sink or bathroom basin, if bending is comfortable
• leaning back into a portable basin, if they bring one
• washing hair in the shower earlier in the day, then a cut
• a dry cut, with no wash at all

Say what the person can manage in your note and let the hairdresser suggest the rest.

Two cases need a bit more thought. Some people with dementia are frightened by water being poured over their head. Alzheimers NZ suggests keeping hair washing separate from the bath or shower, and using a basin (Alzheimers NZ).

The other is eye surgery. A London hospital's advice for the weeks after a cataract operation is no soap or shampoo in the eye and no bending down (Guy's and St Thomas'). We couldn't find a New Zealand page that spells it out, so go by what the person's own eye clinic said, and pass it on.

What to tell them

The note above covers these. Here's where the wording comes from, in case you'd like to add more.

Hearing. Health NZ's advice is to get in front of the person and have their attention before you start talking, face them at their own level, keep background noise down, and speak normally without shouting. If they wear a hearing aid, check it's in and switched on (Health NZ). Clippers and dryers are loud, so it helps to get the talking done before they come out.

Sight. Blind Low Vision NZ asks people to say hello and who they are when they come into the room, to say when they're leaving, and to explain what they're about to do before touching or guiding someone. Anything that gets moved should go back where it was (Blind Low Vision NZ).

Speech. After a stroke or a brain injury, talking can be hard work. A quiet room, short sentences, questions with a yes or no answer and a choice between two things all make it easier (Health NZ).

Dementia. Pick the time of day the person is most relaxed. Alzheimers NZ suggests introducing yourself every time, even if you've met before, and covering mirrors if the person doesn't recognise their own reflection and finds it frightening (Alzheimers NZ). That last one matters for a hairdresser, who would normally hold a mirror up at the end. A photo of how the person likes their hair helps a lot. The UK's Alzheimer's Society recommends them for exactly this (Alzheimer's Society).

Blind Low Vision NZ also asks people to speak to the person and not to whoever is with them. That's worth passing on whatever the reason for the visit, because the person in the chair is the client.

Health things to check first

These are things to mention when you book, and a few are worth running past a GP, nurse or podiatrist first. None of them should put you off booking.

Diabetes and feet

If the person has diabetes, check with their podiatrist or GP before booking a pedicure. Diabetes can damage the nerves and blood vessels in the feet, which means less feeling and slower healing. Diabetes NZ says many serious foot problems start with an accident while cutting nails, and that once feeling is reduced, nails are best cut by someone properly trained (Diabetes NZ). Health NZ adds that feet shouldn't be soaked, and that corns and hard skin are a podiatrist's job (Health NZ).

Blood thinners

Medicines like warfarin, dabigatran and rivaroxaban make bleeding and bruising more likely. Healthify's advice to people taking them is to be careful when shaving and clipping nails, and to avoid deep massage (Healthify; Healthify on rivaroxaban). A line in the note is enough for a barber to take extra care and a massage therapist to keep the pressure light.

Fragile skin

Skin gets thinner and drier with age, and tears more easily. The Health Quality & Safety Commission's guide on skin tears asks carers to keep their fingernails short, take off rings that could catch, be careful around wheelchairs and footplates, and avoid sticky tape where they can (Health Quality & Safety Commission). It was written for rest-home staff, but the same care applies to anyone working around someone's head, hands and feet. Mention fragile skin when you book, and ask whether waxing is still a good idea.

After surgery, or with a wound

Go by what the hospital or nurse said about bathing. Health NZ's general advice is to keep soap and other products off a surgical wound and to leave a dressing on unless you've been told to take it off, and a wound closed with glue should stay dry for about five days (Health NZ). So ask before a hair wash if water or shampoo would run anywhere near it. For a wound on the head, neck or face, the Ministry of Health's guidance tells hairdressers to go ahead only if they can work around it (Ministry of Health).

During and after cancer treatment

Hair and scalp can be delicate for a while. The Cancer Society's advice is to avoid perming or colouring while hair is brittle or the scalp is dry, and if you do colour, to use a mild vegetable-based one and test a strand first. It adds that some hairdressers suggest waiting six months after treatment (Cancer Society). Cancer Research UK gives the same six months for permanent and semi-permanent dyes, bleach and perms, and says to patch test first (Cancer Research UK). The treatment team will know what applies to the treatment the person had.

Massage

Massage therapists aren't regulated in New Zealand, so training varies. Massage Aotearoa New Zealand, the professional body, says to ask about a therapist's qualifications and experience, and to talk to a health care provider first if there's a medical condition and you aren't sure massage is suitable. It also says to speak up straight away if anything hurts, because most serious problems come from too much pressure (Massage Aotearoa New Zealand). Its therapist finder lists people who do gerontology and oncology massage.

Rest homes and retirement villages

In a rest home, hairdressing isn't covered by the weekly fee. The government's list of services residents pay extra for includes "clothing, dry cleaning and hairdressing", and any extra charge has to be written into the admission agreement (New Zealand Government; Health NZ).

Ask the manager whether a hairdresser already visits, what it costs, and whether you can bring in someone of your own. We couldn't find a rule either way on bringing your own, so it's up to the home. If they say yes, ask where the hairdresser can set up, and tell the front desk who's coming.

A retirement village is different. It's the person's own home, so who visits is up to them. The village office can tell you whether there's a salon or a regular hairdresser on site, and where a visitor should park.

Who pays

Almost always the person, or their family. We went looking for anything that pays for a hairdresser, and this is what turned up.

• ACC. After an injury, ACC may pay for attendant care, which is help with "personal activities such as showering and dressing". It doesn't mention hairdressing (ACC). If washing hair is the hard part after an injury, raise it with the recovery team as part of that.
• Home support through Health NZ. After a needs assessment, an older person or someone with a long-term condition may get personal care at home, "such as getting out of bed, showering, dressing". Again, there's no mention of hairdressing (Health NZ).
• Disability support funding. For people with Individualised Funding or another kind of flexible funding, there's been no list of approved purchases since 1 April 2026. What counts is whether the spending fits the purposes in the person's funding plan, so check with the host or needs assessment service before assuming either way (Disability Support Services).
• Disability Allowance. Work and Income's allowance only covers certain types of cost, and hairdressing isn't one of them (Work and Income).
• SuperGold. Some hairdressers offer seniors' discounts to SuperGold cardholders. You can search the offers at supergold.govt.nz (New Zealand Government). The ones we saw were for salon visits, so ask whether a discount carries over to a visit at home.

If a salon visit could still work

For a lot of people the trip to the salon or the barber is an outing they look forward to, and the Alzheimer's Society makes the point that someone who has always gone may want to keep going (Alzheimer's Society). If it's the getting there that's become hard, there's some help with that.

The Total Mobility scheme takes 65% off taxi fares for people who can't use public transport because of a disability, up to a fare cap that varies by region (New Zealand Government). In Auckland the cap is $72 a trip, and it covers short-term disabilities as well as long-term ones (Auckland Transport). You need an assessment from an approved agency, such as Age Concern or CCS Disability Action, and some charge a fee for it.

Then ask the salon the same sorts of things you'd ask a mobile hairdresser. Is there a step at the door? Does a wheelchair fit at the basin? Is there a quiet time of day? A hairdresser working from a home studio can be a quieter option as well, though you'd want to ask about steps and parking.

Sources

All checked on 12 October 2026.

1. Stats NZ, 1 in 6 New Zealanders are disabled (2023 Household Disability Survey, published 27 February 2025)
2. Ministry for Regulation, Hairdressing and barbering regulatory review
3. Ministry of Health, Public Health Guidance for Hairdressers and Barbers (17 July 2025)
4. Massage Aotearoa New Zealand, What is massage therapy?
5. Consumer Protection (MBIE), Consumer Guarantees Act
6. NZ Police, NZ Police Vetting Service
7. Ministry of Justice, Get your own criminal record
8. Alzheimers New Zealand, Personal care
9. Alzheimer's Society (UK), Personal grooming and dementia
10. Health NZ, Communicating with someone who cannot talk or hear well
11. Blind Low Vision NZ, Guiding others
12. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (UK), After cataract surgery (reviewed April 2026)
13. Diabetes New Zealand, Feet, and Health NZ, Diabetes and foot problems
14. Healthify, Anticoagulants and antiplatelets (reviewed 5 March 2025) and Rivaroxaban
15. Health Quality & Safety Commission, Skin tears, Frailty care guides 2023
16. Health NZ, Surgical wound care
17. Cancer Society of New Zealand, Side effects: managing hair loss (2019), linked from Hair loss and cancer
18. Cancer Research UK, Using hair dye and hair treatments after chemotherapy (reviewed 9 January 2024)
19. New Zealand Government, Services offered in residential care, and Health NZ, Residential care
20. ACC, Help at home after an injury (27 March 2026)
21. Health NZ, Home support services for older people and others
22. Disability Support Services, Flexible funding questions and answers and Flexible funding (both updated 8 October 2026)
23. Work and Income, Disability Allowance: types of costs
24. New Zealand Government, SuperGold cards
25. New Zealand Government, Total Mobility card (1 July 2026), and Auckland Transport, Total Mobility scheme (17 August 2026)