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You may think that patch testing may solely be a safety procedure for skin products. However, for any salon, whether it be hair, nails, make up or skin, it is important to put in safety procedures to ensure that your company is safe from any future lawsuits. Many salons do not complete patch tests before moving on to treatment, but your salon does not need to be like this. Here are some important reasons why you should invest in patch testing before taking on any clients.
What is Patch Testing?
Now, you may be asking yourself what is Patch Testing? Sensitive skin can make it prone to becoming inflamed if it comes into contact with specific chemicals. Placing a small patch upon the skin, if the skin becomes red then the tester has shown that the chemical is causing a reaction. That way specialists can know which chemicals to avoid when applying beauty treatments.
The Cost of Forgetting the Patch
If you are not insured by an insurance firm, like Salon Gold, then you could be in for a nasty surprise if a beauty treatment goes wrong and you fail to comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, and you are met with a lawsuit. Quittance Legal Services have calculated that some of these claims can be between £7,000 to £23,000, which could put have dire consequences in for funding and the upkeep of your business. Not only that but the compensation your client receives should cover financial, emotional and psychological damages, and even the cost of travel to the appointment, meaning that you may owe even more than you realise.
Emotional Damage
One bad treatment can mean that someone’s life could be potentially ruined. Whilst this may sound dramatic, there are cases where skin inflammation can cause blindness, swelling and scarring. For instance, take this student who asked for an eyelash tint from her salon. Although the student reacted to the patch test, the salon’s negligence still continued with the eyelash tint, causing her eyes to swell.
The patch only takes a few minutes and can be taken early to ensure that the treatment is completed. Thus, no salon should fail to undergo it. As not only will your clients be faced with consequences, but they will certainly not come back to your business.
Quick-Paced Business
Sometimes you may encounter clients that may have a busy schedule and may insist on not wanting a patch test, instead to just have the treatment and go. However, despite the pressure that the client may bring to the appointment, you will have to remain calm and either insist on a patch test, or to ask if a client has had any allergic reactions before. You can even consider having the customer sign a disclaimer. However, to avoid this, it is best to insist on the test or not conduct the treatment at all. Remain courteous at all times and try not to let any angry clients get you down.