Why won’t you just colour my hair?
What are allergy tests and why are they so important?
Trust us, when we come into the salon every morning, we don’t spend the first twenty minutes thinking how can we make it difficult for our customers to come into the salon. Being a stylist isn’t something that you can “drift’ through. You choose that role because you love creating something new every hour. We get to make people feel good about themselves, which is why so many in the industry really do believe that it is the best job in the world. We only use quality products from Redken, L’Oreal and Kevin Murphy.
So, why do we seem to put so many barriers in the way to just letting you get your hair done?
It’s like most things in life, there are always choices and here at team Bespoke, we will put safety, wellbeing and hair strength at the forefront of everything that we do. An allergy alert test and a strand test.
What is an (AAT) allergy alert test?
An allergy alert test is a way of checking that a client is not allergic to the products that we are about to use. We will use a small amount of the product that we would use to do a test on your skin. We apply a small amount of this product on you by applying it to a cotton bud and placing it on your skin in the selected area (usually behind the ear). We then ask you to read and sign the questions below on our tablet in reception. This takes about five minutes, and you don’t need to book an appointment. You must have this done at least 48 hours prior to your colour service and can cover you for up to six months. Our existing clients are generally covered as they visit regularly within a six-month period, and we review their records as part of their ongoing consultation period.
Any new client, new service or previous client that has not had a colour service with us before or within the last six months must have an allergy alert test. We review our regular clients during their appointments on an ongoing basis because manufacturers ingredients can change all the time so it’s good practice to check.
Below is an example of quick questions to complete on our tablet in the salon, whilst having your Allergy Alert Test.
What happens if I don’t have one, I have had colour before and never had a problem?
Ok, so excuse the yukky pictures!
It could just be an itchy reaction or some localised swelling, but in severe cases this could happen:
- Your eyes swell so badly that you can’t see
- Your breathing could be affected
- A severe skin reaction that could lead to permanent scarring
Yes, we know that many of you have had colours before and not had a reaction. One of the things that can affect your sensitivity can be viral infections, so after the last two years especially, everyone should think about updating their allergy testing. Some clients experienced hyper scalp sensitivity after a virus or vaccination, so it’s always worth thinking ahead
What is a strand test?
A strand test is incredibly important.
We do them in salon, by cutting off a small piece of hair from an area that is most hidden by your current style. We take your contact details so that we can let you know how the strand reacts to the testing process. Then we carry out a mini colouring or bleaching process on the hair. We do this for the following reasons:
- To test how hair that has previously been coloured will react to the chemical process
- To test the colour result
- To ensure that the hair will respond properly to the planned process
- To see if damage is likely to be caused by the planned process
- Where a technician cannot be sure of what prior processes have been carried out on the hair
From this test we can evaluate the following:
- If your hair is suitable for the planned process
- Estimate processing times
- Evaluate the anticipated result
- Consider any pre-process treatments
It should always be considered when planning a dramatic colour change process.
Your hair is amazing!
Remember that your hair is incredible in how it can reflect things within your body that you are not even aware of. Hair follicles are used in other tests like paternity or drugs. It’s amazing to think what that tiny strand can tell us. It can be affected by things like prescription medicines and hormone imbalances. We can ask you questions that you may not know the answer to – but a test on your hair will tell us.
We want you to love your hair
& that’s why we always test at team Bespoke xxx
