Matted Hair Removal in London.
I take matted, tangled and knotted hair out without cutting it off. Removal costs £100 per hour, and a free 10-minute consultation comes first.
I hold the Ofqual regulated VTCT Skills Level 3 Diploma in Women's Hairdressing, including the Level 4 Hair and Scalp unit, and I am a State Registered Graduate Hairdresser with The Hair Council. See my qualifications.
If another salon has told you the mat can only be shaved, send me one photo before you agree to it. I will tell you for free whether it can be saved. Until then, keep it dry and put nothing on it.
You can also call +44 7902 020201. Monday to Saturday, 9am to 10pm. 4.9 out of 5 on Google, from 40+ client reviews.
The gallery holds 70+ finished cases, photographed before and after.
The short answer
What Is Matted Hair Removal?
Matted hair removal, also called dematting, is taking a felted mass of hair apart strand by strand, so the mat comes out and your length stays on your head. A trained professional detangler does it by hand. What comes away is the tangle and the shed hair caught inside it.
All of the work is done by hand. I use my fingers, special tools, sprays and products, each only when the hair needs it. To tell a tangle from a mat, try the ten-second test: take a dry section and try to separate it with your fingers, without pulling. If the strands move apart, even slowly, it is tangled, and my detangling service covers it. If they get stuck, send me a photo. If the section is solid and moves as one piece, it is a mat, and removal is the work on this page.
How Much Does Matted Hair Removal Cost in London?
Matted hair removal costs £100 per hour in London. A few knots cost far less than a full head.
The free consultation puts your hair into one of five grades, and the grade sets the hours:
A £100 deposit holds your date, and I take it off the final bill. If I come to you, add a flat £200 to the hourly rate, wherever you are in London. A follow-up maintenance session is £100. You can pay in 3 at 0% interest with Klarna or Clearpay, and the deposit terms, cancellation notice and other payment methods are on the payment page.
A photograph can hide how dense a mat is underneath. If the hair turns out denser than the photo showed, I tell you as soon as I see it, and you are only charged for hours you agreed to.
How Is Matted Hair Removed Without Cutting?
I take a mat out by hand in four steps, working from the tips towards the roots, and nothing gets cut unless you ask for it. The first step is free and needs only a photo.
Free assessment
A photo on WhatsApp is enough to begin, and I usually reply within an hour. From the photo I look at the size of the mat, how dense it is, how close it sits to the scalp and your hair type.
Soften with slip
In my chair I work the dry mat with my fingers first, and slip products matched to your hair type go on only once a section has started to open. The slip softens the tangle and the strands start to move. At home the same mat stays dry: water and shop-bought product tighten it rather than loosening it.
Release section by section
I start at the edge of the mat and at the tips, and work towards the roots with my fingers, one pencil-width section at a time. My other hand holds the section above the knot, so your scalp does not take the pull. When a strand resists, I leave it and work its neighbour. A full head sometimes needs two sessions, a few days apart.
Finish and restore
When the last section opens, I condition the whole head and finish it. Before you leave, I run a brush through it in front of you. I show you the aftercare routine for your texture, and you keep follow-up support.
Which Hair Types Can Be Dematted, and Where in London?
Every hair type can be dematted, from fine 1A straight hair to tightly coiled 4C and afro hair. I work in my Catford studio or wherever you are in London.
Tightly coiled hair takes several times more product once a section has started to open, and the full method is in my guide to detangling matted afro and 4C hair. Extensions matted at the root are the most common referral I get from other salons; here is how matted hair extensions come out.
My studio is in Catford, about 5 minutes from Catford Bridge station, with a private parking bay. For a head that is matted all over, see my guide on how to detangle severely matted hair.
For around 42% of my clients, the mat formed during depression, illness and hospital stays, when brushing stopped. I work with one client at a time.
How Do I Book Removal for a Client, Patient or Resident?
Send me a photo of the hair and a short note about the person. I will tell you whether the hair can be saved before a shave goes on the care plan.
- My training is on public record: check the certificates before you put my name forward.
- Tell me anything I should know about the person's mobility, dementia, sensory sensitivity or anxiety. My guide to matted hair in elderly people and dementia covers what to do before I arrive.
- I come to them in any London borough, including wards and care homes. The home-visit charge is added to the hourly rate.
- The assessment is free, and the budget holder knows the hours and the price range before the visit.
The quickest route is a photo on WhatsApp to +44 7902 020201. For a quote, an invoice or anything else in writing, email hello@matted.co.uk.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does matted hair removal cost in London?
Matted hair removal costs £100 per hour, and the hours depend on how matted the hair is. Tangles usually take 1 to 2 hours, £100 to £200; full fusion takes 14 hours or more, from £1,400. Knots and partial matting fall in between, and your grade is set at the free consultation.
Can matted hair be removed without cutting it off?
Yes. Of more than 1,000 clients since 2020, 99% were saved without cutting. Where cutting happened, the client asked for it, to finish faster. The loose hair that comes out during the work had already shed and was held inside the mat, and your attached length stays on your head.
How long does matted hair removal take?
A small mat may take about an hour. A full head of severe matting can take 14 hours or more. The free consultation gives you the range of hours before you book, and that is the range I work to.
Do you remove matted hair at home in London?
Yes. I travel to homes, hospital wards and care homes in every London borough, for a flat £200 on top of the hourly rate, and I arrive unmarked. A home visit often suits children, anyone with limited mobility and people who find leaving the house hard. Everyone else can come to the Catford studio.
Will removing the mat damage my hair?
No. I work from the tips towards the roots, and when a strand will not give, I stop and come back to it later rather than force it. The loose hair that collects during the session had already shed and was held inside the mat, so it is shed hair, not breakage.
Should I put detangler on the mat before the appointment?
No. Keep the mat dry and put nothing on it: no conditioner, no oil, no detangling spray, nothing overnight. Water tightens the knots and stretches the strands. In my work, product goes on only once a section has started to open. My guide to the best products for severely matted hair covers what helps after the mat is out.
What if another salon said the mat has to be shaved off?
Get a second opinion before anyone shaves it. I have saved mats that other salons said could only be shaved, and the photo assessment costs you nothing. WhatsApp one picture to +44 7902 020201. If I think the hair genuinely cannot be saved I tell you that instead of taking the booking.
Can I arrange matted hair removal for somebody else?
Yes. Relatives, carers, support workers, district nurses and care home managers often book for the person they look after. A photo of the hair and a few lines about the person's needs are enough to start. Where an organisation pays instead of the individual, I email a written quote and an invoice addressed to that organisation.
Is there a minimum age for matted hair removal?
Yes, three years old. Below that age a child cannot reasonably sit through the work and the scalp is too delicate for the tension involved. For children a home visit usually works far better than the studio, because a familiar room and their own things make a long session much easier to sit through.
Who actually does the removal?
I do, personally: Vitalii Prisacari, founder of Matted Hair London. Matted hair has been the only thing I work on since 2020. My credentials, published in full, run to 27 qualifications, with the VTCT Skills Level 3 Diploma in Women's Hairdressing at the top. Nobody else touches the hair.
There are 313 numbered questions on the full FAQ page. If your question about removal is missing, WhatsApp it to me and I will answer it myself.
Book Matted Hair Removal in London
Take one photo of the mat in daylight and send it to me on WhatsApp. The consultation is free, takes 10 minutes by phone, WhatsApp or video call, and ends with a straight answer on whether the hair can be saved without cutting.
Monday to Saturday, 9am to 10pm. My studio is at Adenmore Road, Catford, London SE6 4BT. You can also book the free consultation online.