There is no doubt we live in a technicolor world with rainbows of colour everywhere we look. Make-up is fluorescent, interiors are bright, and clothes are vivid, with reds, greens, blues, and oranges jumping out at you from magazine pages and from the catwalks.
And while there is a colour revolution going on in fashion, those in the hairdressing business are giving clients whatever colour they desire. Blondes, coppers, browns, brunettes, or reds - in highlights, lowlights, slashes or splashes of colour, or all over - clients are spoilt for choice.
Consumers are now more demanding and sophisticated than ever before and are usually in a hurry. They decide when they get up in the morning that they want a colour in their hair and expect it. However it is not as simple as that.
It is extremely important that clients get skin tests completed on a regular basis if they are having colour applied to their scalp and hair. For first-time clients to a new salon, the client needs a skin test completed prior to their appointment. For clients frequenting the same salon regularly, the simple test can be completed on a regular basis at no inconvenience and results should be documented. It is also very important for clients to be skin tested if their regular salon changes their colour brand as the ingredients in all colour brands vary.
All new clients should call in to the salon for a skin test prior to their appointment. They are given the skin test to ensure that they have no allergy to either the para-dyes or the perfume contained in the colouring products. The test takes three minutes to complete; the client goes home and then waits for a period of 24-48 hours depending on the manufacturer’s instructions. If there is no reaction it is safe to colour the hair. If there is a reaction it is unsafe to have colour.
It is also very important for the client to tell their hairdresser if they have had a temporary tattoo applied abroad in the past few months. This fact may be very relevant to the outcome of the test and to the safety of the client.
When people colour their own hair it is very important that they also read the manufacturers instructions on the product carefully. This will most likely also advise them to do a skin test 48 hours before they apply any colour to their hair.
Care of your skin, scalp and hair should be foremost in your mind.
MOHH Hair Couture @ Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone. Tel (090 ) 6493664.
