A contraindication is defined as a medical/health condition or incompatibility that may prevent or restrict a service being carried out. As part of our professional consultation before a service, we will check your scalp and ask questions to try and determine if any medical condition or incompatibility may affect your salon service. It is important that clients are honest with us to prevent any problems.

Contagious or Infectious conditions that could be passed on to your Stylist or other clients. If you are experiencing any of these conditions, we can not carry out your service and you must only re-enter the salon when you are well, or the condition has been resolved.

This is rarely found on the face or scalp. However, it is found on the hands, wrists, armpits, buttocks, and genital regions.

It is usually caused by an animal infestation and mite parasites burrow under the skin to lay its eggs.

Main Symptoms are an intense itch which causes scabs to form. It can be spread by close physical contact or contact with infected clothing or towels.

This is cause by a fungal infection which spreads by direct physical contact with infected persons or animals. 

This is EXTREMELY contagious.

It starts as a small red patch of blisters and as the patches spread, hair becomes lifeless, brittle and breaks off leaving stumps. It can be found on the scalp or the body and mainly in children.

This is a bacterial skin infection and commonly occurs around the nose and mouth.

Blisters that may burst ooze fluid and develop a honey coloured crust. It is spread through direct contact with infected skin.

A human parasite that is extremely easy to contract. Clients with head lice will be turned away and refused treatment until the problem is resolved.

This is because even if all possible precautions are taken, it is still not unfeasible to prevent contamination or transmission to Stylists or other clients.

Treatments against head lice that can be done at home are readily available in chemists or through a GP.

A condition caused by infections or allergies. It usually resolves itself within a couple of weeks but could be highly contagious and easily transmitted to your Stylist or other clients. Especially since the eye(s) may become very itchy, resulting in you touching them more often.

Most hairdressing services involve skin-to-skin contact around the face which could initiate the spread of the infection. Even if your service does not involve the face, you should delay your appointment until the eye is healed, as viruses and bacteria spread easily, even in sterile environments.

Any kind of infection poses a risk to your Stylist and other Clients in the salon. Many viruses and bacteria are airborne, meaning that they can be transferred via air. This could result in your Stylist contracting the infection, or it being passed onto other, healthy clients, or worse; elderly or vulnerable clients who may suffer severe illness.

If you are suffering from a cold, flu, diarrhoea, high temperature or are generally unwell, you should not be visiting the salon, and instead rearrange your appointment for when you are feeling well again.

Fungi particles could also be transported via equipment onto surfaces within the salon resulting in further spread of the infection.

As a professional salon, we always make sure that our working space and equipment is sterile.

As an extra precaution and to minimise the risk of any kind of infection spreading, we may refuse to carry out services on clients suffering from an infection.

Medical or health conditions which cannot be transmitted to your Stylist or other clients. Although these conditions can not be transmitted, they may cause additional problems such as an itchy, damaged, inflamed, or sore scalp. In which case, a service can is not carried out until your scalp has healed.

There are two forms of dandruff:

These are white scales with an itchy scalp, loosely attached and scattered. These are caused by an under active sebaceous gland so not enough natural oil (Sebum) is produced to lubricate the scalp.

This is scales of skin mixed with Sebum. The scales stick to the hair.

Large fatty, yellow waxy coloured patches or scales form on the scalp. Underneath the sticky crusts the scalp may be red and inflamed. In young babies, this condition is called "cradle cap". It is cause by an overactive sebaceous gland making the scalp look greasy.

Dandruff alone may not prevent a service from being carried out, but if your scalp is dry, itchy, red, inflamed, or sore, we will not carry out your service.

Areas of the skin are inflamed and can be on any area of the body. This is caused by contact with chemicals and prolonged periods in water with not drying hands correctly/thoroughly.

The skin appears red and scales develop which are silvery in colour. Scales can become thick, crust, yellow and quite hard.

Scales can be attached firmly to the scalp. The cause is unknown however it may be caused by stress or hereditary factors.

This is an inflammatory skin condition and has a rash like appearance with a watery discharge and scales, crusts may develop. An itchy sensation is present. The causes can be inherited or caused by an allergic reaction.

 

If you have any level of sunburn on your scalp, neck, ears or face, we will not carry out any service. Sunburn falls into the category or “itchy, inflamed, red or damaged”, and any hairdressing service poses the risk of causing further skin damage and irritation. Please refrain from sitting too long in the sun or using a tanning bed prior to your hair appointment.

 

As part of our Stylist training, we study the above medical/health conditions so we are able to recognise the signs and symptoms and make an informed choice whether it is safe, and in the clients best interests to carry out Hairdressing services.

It is vital to remember that STYLISTS ARE NOT DOCTORS. We can not diagnose a medical condition or advise on treatment. This means that even if we are certain what kind of medical condition we have before us, we can not name it, or tell you how to treat it.

Our training on these conditions is extensive, but nothing compared to a medical professional. We could be unsure, or just get it wrong. Our qualifications only extend to recognising a potential medical/heath condition, informing a client whether we can carry out a service or not, and referring a client to their GP or a Trichologist.

As part of our professional duty of care; if we notice a potential medical/health condition during a consultation, we will recommend you make an appointment with your GP to have it checked out. If we suspect you may have an infectious/contagious condition, we will inform you that we are unable to carry out your service and refer you to your GP.

 

Additional noncontagious/infectious conditions and limitations which may limit or otherwise effect the services we are able to carry out.

Pigmented moles come in many shapes and sizes. They can be harmful and harmless.

A mole may present a problem during a service where hair is difficult to section or an area is inaccessible.

If your stylist becomes aware of unusual markings or moles, they may advise you to seek medical advice.

There are many reasons that determines why hair loss occurs:

Abnormal hair loss is often referred to as Alopecia. Some styles or colouring services may not be advisable depending on the severity of the hair loss.

There are 3 forms of alopecia

Some styles or colouring services may not be advisable depending on the severity of the hair loss.

If your Stylist notices any lumps or swelling of the face or neck, they should enquire about them. If you are unaware of the cause of the issue, you should visit your GP before receiving any services.

Swelling or lumps could be, and usually are, harmless. However, sometimes they could be a symptom of a serious condition and providing any service could worsen the condition.

Clients suffering from cancer are likely to be undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which has a severe impact on a person's body, including your immune system.

Cancer patients could be at risk of contracting an infection and might not be strong enough to fight it off, so it is important for them to avoid public spaces such as hair salons when they are most at risk.

Scarring that is less than 6 months old could prevent hairdressing services or limit them by avoiding the affected area. Fresh scarring should not be put under any undue stress that can occur as a result of some services.

Broken skin should be given time to heal as disturbing the affected area could worsen the condition. Old scars should also be inspected and if any redness is seen, we will refrain from treating the area.

We will not carry out services on clients we suspect are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

Drugs and alcohol impact blood pressure and heart rate significantly. A person under the influence of both illegal and legal substances can also be acting out of character and potentially pose danger to those around them. They are also unable to provide consent for services, so any Hairdressing services should be avoided.

Care must be taken in performing any services which involve stimulation of the blood system, such as a head massage, unless the client is undergoing treatment for the high or low blood pressure.

There is also a possible "collapse" or fall risk when you are changed from a lowered position to an elevated one, or lowering your head at the backbar. This can cause a drop or a raise in blood pressure and you may feel dizzy or faint.

Some prescription drugs can affect Hairdressing services. For example, some acne medication can make the skin on the face very sensitive, making a fringe trim or on-scalp colour application uncomfortable and/or unsuitable.

Anaesthetic drugs can cause a huge range of problems days or weeks after an operation that few people ever link back to the anaesthetic – if only because people naturally focus on the operation rather than the drugs.

In the sixties women and their Stylists were the first to identify changes in hair consistency caused by the use of oral contraceptives: it was discovered that oral contraceptives caused women’s hair to thin – both during use and after.

But it is not just The Pill – a lot of commonly used drugs cause hair side effects including blood pressure medications, cholesterol drugs, and antidepressants.

Some of the most used drugs in Britain have thinning effects on hair. But it is not just hair thinning – drugs can really cause problems with the way hair services like colours develop or ‘take’.

Medication which can change the colour or texture of your hair is often used in dermatology to treat skin problems such as psoriasis and acne, caused by retinoid and acitretin. These components can play a part in hair colour change and tend to make it go darker. They can also cause hair to thicken.

Other medication can cause hair to fall out. This is the case for epilepsy treatments (which can also make hair go curly), antidepressants such as Prozac (but hair stops falling out at the end of the treatment), progesterone-based contraceptive pills or even ibuprofen (though this side effect is quite rare).

Specific Medication Types Thought to Cause Hair Loss and/or problems with colour development:
• Acne medications containing vitamin A (retinoids)
• Antibiotics and antifungal drugs
• Antidepressants
• Birth control pills
• Anticlotting drugs
• Cholesterol-lowering drugs
• Drugs that suppress the immune system
• Drugs that treat breast cancer
• Epilepsy drugs (anticonvulsant)
• High blood pressure medications (anti-hypertensives), such as beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and diuretics
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Mood stabilizers
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Parkinson's disease drugs
• Steroids
• Thyroid medications
• Weight loss drugs

The following Chemotherapy Medications tend to cause hair loss: 
• adriamycin
• cyclophosphamide
• cactinomycin
• docetaxel
• doxorubicin
• etoposide
• ifosfamide
• irinotecan
• paclitaxel
• topotecan
• vinorelbine

For some clients having a back condition will mean they will not be able to sit for long treatments such as colour corrections and fashion colours or lean back at the backbar.

Care must be taken whenever you have been lying back and return to an upright position. This is because with vertigo conditions or other inner ear problems, the potential risk of dizzy spells when standing is extremely high and you could suffer a fall when getting up off the backbar or styling chair.

There is no conclusive scientific evidence to suggest that colouring your hair during pregnancy is dangerous for you or the fetus.

Hair colouring is topical, sits on top of your scalp and does not enter your bloodstream (there’s a slight increase of this happening if you have cuts or abrasions on your scalp, but we wouldn’t colour your hair if this was the case anyway).

The concentration of the “harmful” chemicals in the hair colour is incredibly low, and the colour does not stay on your scalp long enough to cause harm.

Some articles recommend waiting until after the first trimester before colouring your hair since this is the period when the fetus's organs are being formed. If you want to be ultra-conservative, for any situation, any medication exposure, waiting until after the first trimester is something you can do, but there is really no reason from expert consensus to do that.

Hair colouring might not cause issues for your pregnancy, but your pregnancy may cause issues for your hair colouring. As with any big changes to your body chemistry and hormones, pregnancy can increase your risk of developing allergies – including an allergy to hair colour.

Allergic reactions to hair colour can vary from a slight rash to you becoming hospitalised with anaphylactic shock. It is nothing to scoff at even when you’re not pregnant, but a reaction while pregnant could cause some serious damage.

For this reason, we will not carry out a colouring service on a pregnant client without a patch test (skin test) performed EXACTLY 48 hours prior to EVERY colouring service, with the EXACT formula we will be using, throughout the pregnancy and for 6 months after giving birth.

Additionally, all those hormonal changes can play havoc on how your colour develops, especially on lightened blondes, where the colour might not lift as well, causing yellow banding. In this situation, rather than spending hours in the chair receiving colour corrections, we would recommend temporarily changing your colour to something that won’t be affected or adding multi-dimensional colour such as highlights to mask the banding.

Our belief that hair colouring while pregnant is safe comes from scientific evidence and opinions of medical professionals. If you concerned, please speak with your Stylist.

A condition or disadvantage that may restrict services available. It is not just illnesses and infections which can restrict a salon service. The limitations below are some of the major influencing factors your Stylist will consider when carrying out your professional consultation.

Previous colour and/or texturizing services may restrict future services. For example, if a fashion colour has stained the hair, or box dye overlap results in the hair being unable to lift. Too many chemical services, especially home colour, will leave the hair too porous to accept colour.

If you have not received a patch test 48 hours prior to your colouring service or have gone over 6 weeks between regular visits without a patch test, we will be unable to carry out your colouring service.

If you are allergic to, or have had previous reactions to hair colour, tattoos or permanent make-up, we will not be able to carry out your hairdressing service.

The chemicals contained in henna and other progressive colours are incompatible with the chemicals present in modern colouring products. Applying a modern salon colour over hair which has previously been coloured with a progressive colour will result in a chemical reaction. This reaction can range from your hair becoming very dry and brittle, turning green, or completely disintegrating. We will carry out an incompatibility test prior to any colouring service if we suspect a progressive colour is present.

The condition of your hair will greatly affect our ability to carry out, and the longevity of future services. Hair that has been damaged by previous chemical services, heat styling, or incorrect homecare will not accept or maintain future colours, may break if any further colours or tension is applied, or certain cut and styles may not be achievable on hair which already suffers from extensive breakage.

Some styles or colours may not be advised or achievable on different length, density or texture hair. For example, a full head of foil highlights would not be advised or achievable for a client with very short cropped hair, nor would regular lightening services on a client with tightly curled, very fine hair.

Some styles or colours may not be advised or achievable for certain client lifestyles. For example, a high maintenance colour may not be suitable for someone who works away and cannot maintain regular salon visits, or a short hair cut may not work for someone who needs to tie their hair up for work.

The after care and home care of a colour and style is just as important as the salon service. Using the correct home care is the difference between a colour lasting 1 week, or 6 weeks, a client being able to manage their new cut or not, or a colour correction being successful or not. Your Stylist will advise you on the correct aftercare for your hair, colour and/or style, we stress that this advice is part of your salon service and not just an attempt to sell you something.

All chemical processes have a limit of what is achievable and what the products are capable of. Sometimes the desired colour is unachievable due to previous chemical applications (especially box dyes), natural colour level or red pigments, hair condition, or the clients ability to maintain and care for the colour.

We will always try to inform a client how a colour or cut will look and how it needs to be maintained. However, sometimes these expectations need to be managed. For example, a high maintenance fashion colour will not last 6 weeks without correct aftercare, box dyed dark hair will not be blonde, or in good condition for a long time, growing hair from a short crop to a long bob takes longer than 12 weeks, and a poker straight bob is only poker straight if a client styles it that way.

All colours and styles require various degrees of time and maintenance, some a lot more than others. Whether a client has the time to visit the salon for maintenance appointments, or style and care for their hair at home, and whether the client can afford the maintenance appointments and aftercare are important considerations when deciding on a colour and/or style.

All our services are bespoke and tailored to the individual client. We love it when clients bring in photos of the style and colour they want, but it is especially important to adjust the service to the client. Most of the time, when people don’t like a style or colour they’ve had in the past, it isn’t because there was something “wrong” with the cut or colour, the Stylist might have executed it perfectly, but it may not have suited them. Not everyone suits a platinum blonde, some people might not want to hear that they will suit a vibrant copper red instead of a violet red, and a fringe must be measured and sectioned to consider the clients face shape.

A client’s homecare, styling regime and salon visit frequency are important considerations when deciding on a style and/or colour. Most styles require styling, with the correct tools and products to achieve the “salon” result, and all colours require various treatment plans to ensure the colour is maintained and the hair healthy. If a client is unable to style their own hair at home, or keep up with a treatment plan needed for a colour, it is recommended they choose something closer to their natural hair.