Little Boy Bursts into Tears as His Long Hair Is Cut Off - Parents Blasted for Traumatizing Him

• A five-year-old boy broke down in tears when his long hair was cut off for the first time in a viral video.
• Social media users criticized his parents for traumatizing him.
• The hairdresser who cut his hair revealed the real reason for his short haircut.

A first haircut can often be startling for little kids. Seeing a stranger looming over you with a pair of scissors for the very first time can often leave children with a wrong first impression of something most of us go through on a regular basis.

In a recent viral video, a young boy experienced his very first haircut, and the incident left him in tears. After seeing the boy's reaction to having his long locks cut off, many people took to social media to criticize the boy's parents for putting him through something that obviously traumatized him so much.

In a video shared to the professional hairdresser Jad Srour's Instagram page, the young boy, Jude, could be seen getting into the barber's chair for the very first time with waist-length locks in Eilaboun, Israel. As little Jude sat down, he looked slightly apprehensive as the barber pulled his hair into a ponytail.

Although many comments seemed to be negative, some users praised the barber for handling the situation like a professional by helping young Jude overcome his fear.

When the barber put the scissors to his hair, Jude couldn't keep the tears at bay any longer. As soon as Jude broke into tears, his mom, obviously feeling her son's fear, followed suit. The barber paused so Jude's mom could embrace him to calm him down. After the mom calmed her boy down, the barber continued tentatively.

Although Jude still wasn't entirely happy with his circumstances, the barber's friendly attitude and caring disposition helped the boy calm down considerably. As the barber whittled Jude's lengthy locks down to a manageable length, the young boy grew increasingly happier with the haircut.

How Did People React to the Video?

The video of Jude's haircut quickly went viral. Many social media users noted they couldn't tell whether Jude was a boy or a girl when they initially watched the clip. One user criticized the parents for having a boy with such long hair or giving a girl a short haircut usually associated with boys.

After the video was placed in context, many people reacted positively, praising the barber for how he handled the haircut.

Other internet users commented on the fact that Jude was upset while he had the haircut. One person commented, "But why did he have to cut his hair and he was clearly in pain about it?" One person even wondered why Jude's parents let his hair get as long as it did. They wrote, "Why let it get uncontrollably long?"

One person noted that the parents could have eased Jude into the situation rather than cutting off all his hair at once, writing, "it's not the way to lose fear, it can go slowly. it's either traumatic and it's beautiful either way. a horror the parents (sic)." One person wrote, "What a horrible thing to do to a child. Shameful."

Although many comments seemed to be negative, some users praised the barber for handling the situation like a professional by helping young Jude overcome his fear. One person wrote, "You go above and beyond, and helped this lovely boy and his family go through something that was clearly traumatic."

Some Instagram users considered that the family might be Jewish, and they chose not to cut the boy's hair for religious purposes. In a few Jewish cultures, it's traditional to wait until a boy has reached the age of three before cutting their hair for the first time. The ritual symbolizes the child growing up.

Many people wondered whether the boy wanted to cut his hair, considering how upset he seemed when the barber touched his hair. After the video went viral, the barber made a statement elaborating on why the parents allowed the boy to cut his hair.

Why Was the Boy's Hair Cut Off and How Does He Look Now?

After seeing the slew of questions piling in, the owner of the account and the man who cut the boy's hair, Jad Srour, made a statement explaining that cutting his hair was Jude's idea. He explained that it was the boy's first haircut. His parents had let him grow his hair out for five years, and he finally decided it was time to get rid of his locks:

"First of all he is a boy .. his name is jude , the day i cutted his hair was his 5th birthday also his FIRST haircut . He didn’t cutted before not because of any religious beliefs or traditions .. it was his parents personal choice … (sic)."

He continued, writing that Jude chose to cut his hair on his fifth birthday and donate the hair to other children with cancer. Jad also noted that although Jude was crying at the start of the haircut, he was smiling and happy by the time they finished. By the end of the video, Jude could be seen swinging his ponytail around happily.

After the video was placed in context, many people reacted positively, praising the barber for how he handled the haircut. They also said he did an excellent job with Jude's hair and that the boy looked great after the haircut. Many people praised Jad for being patient with the little boy and being thoughtful.

One person praised Jude's new haircut, writing, "He looks fantastic!!! Awesome!!!" Another Instagram user commented, "Well done to the hairdresser for your patience and tenderness with this child." Jad revealed they donated all Jude's hair to cancer patients and thanked everyone for their feedback on the video:

"At the end everyone was glad and happy especially jude , i hope you liked it 🙏🏾😁."

Jad also noted that he decided to record the video to mark the occasion and give Jude's parents a lasting reminder of the very first time Jude went to have a haircut. He revealed that although Jude's mother booked the appointment, the boy personally signed off on the appointment.

Want more like this? Click here to read about how Angelina Jolie was criticized for cutting her child's hair.