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If you’re making your way as a budding beautician or a startup salon owner, you might have heard about “patch testing”. Patch tests typically precede a treatment such as hair colouring, but despite what the name might imply, they aren’t used to try out a brand new look before a client fully commits. In fact, they’re really a key precautionary measure taken to protect the health and safety of a customer. So, what actually is a patch test, and why are they so important?
What is patch testing?
Patch testing is a safety measure in which a small amount of a given treatment is applied to a customer’s skin before the full procedure to determine their body’s reaction. These tests are typically carried out on an area where the patch is unlikely to be rubbed off, such as behind the ear or inside the elbow. The most common procedures that require a patch test are hair colouring, eyebrow and eyelash tinting, and spray tanning, performed at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled treatment.
The test chemical should be applied to clean, dry skin for an accurate result, and ideally shouldn’t be washed off until 48 hours have passed. Tests are usually administered in a salon, but it’s not uncommon nowadays for a technician to post their client a DIY patch test kit to carry out at home.
Why is it so important?
So we know what a patch test is, but why is it so vital that you include them as part of your salon’s pre-treatment regime?
1. Avoids potentially life-threatening allergic reactions
Patch testing helps identify patients that may be unsuitable for a particular treatment because of an allergy to one of the chemicals involved. A number of common salon procedures make use of allergenic active ingredients, such as para-phenylenediamine in hair dyes, and can cause reactions ranging from mild to severe.
The NHS explains that a reaction can “trigger symptoms throughout your body, such as itching, a nettle rash and generally feeling ill”, but can develop into a severe reaction resulting in “swelling of the mouth, throat or tongue, which can cause breathing and swallowing difficulties”. In these cases, there is a risk of life-altering injury or even death, so it’s vital to take the necessary precaution of a patch test.
2. Keeps your insurance policy valid
Technicians that fail to patch test put not only their clients’ health at risk, but their own business and livelihood, too. Unforeseen reactions to standard salon treatments like lash lifts can result in personal injury claims that cost businesses tens of thousands of pounds.
To address this, almost all salon owners get specialised insurance, which, as insurance provider Salon Gold explains, provides “cover for a wide range of treatments in the hairdressing industry”. This can safeguard a business in the event that a treatment “causes injury, damage or illness. For example, a reaction to a hair colour treatment”.
However, these policies can only be upheld if a therapist can prove that they did not act negligently. As a result, patch testing may be a requirement to keep your policy valid and avoid costly legal fees.
3. Protects your salon reputation
One impact of patch testing not to be overlooked is the role it plays in a salon’s reputation. Word of mouth remains one of the most powerful tools to market a beauty business, but nowadays, this goes beyond just local chit-chat and the odd recommendation from a friend. Instead, many businesses rely on a positive reputation through the internet — 34% of Brits are influenced to choose their salon based on online ratings and reviews.
So, if your salon fails to patch test, and a client walks away with a bad reaction, word could travel fast. By providing stringent patch testing to any and all customers that receive treatment, you can reduce the likelihood of a reaction, and maintain a professional reputation — helping your existing customers to feel safe and encouraging new ones through the door.
In summary, if you’re providing any kind of new treatment or product to a client, you should be performing a patch test beforehand. This quick precaution is a vital tool in any beautician’s arsenal to help maintain professional standards — protecting client safety and safeguarding the future of their salon.
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