Article date: 12/01/2010
Free Colourstart with new Insurance Policy
Willis Introduces New Insurance Product to Help Protect Hairdressers from Colour Treatment Risk
Free Colourstart pack for salons using new insurance product from Willis
London, UK, January 11 , 2010
Willis Underwriting, a division of Willis Group Holdings (NYSE: WSH), the global insurance broker, has devised an exclusive insurance policy for UK hairdressers that includes a free pack of the hair dye sensitivity screening product, Colourstart.
Colourstart is used by hairdressers to help identify those clients at risk of severe sensitivity to permanent hair colour.
All Professional Liability insurance policies for salons have treatment cover, however, most require salons to provide their clients with a skin allergy test 48 hours before a colour treatment, a procedure that involves placing a small amount of hair dye directly on the client’s arm or neck that cannot be washed off for two days. The bespoke insurance solution offered by Willis includes a box of 50 free Colourstart patch tests (allergy indicators in the form of temporary transfers) that can be posted to clients to apply at home 48 hours before coming in for their appointment.
“Clients prefer the clean, simple to use Colourstart product to the messy, impractical traditional alternative of manufacturers’ tests,” says Nick Plunkett, commercial director of Trichocare.
“Colourstart is used when clients don’t have time to visit the salon 48 hours before every colour treatment for a standard test. Even if they have time for the visit, they dislike being asked not to wash for 48 hours. It’s archaic and unnecessary. With this new insurance product from Willis, backed by the Colourstart patch test, salons can improve the service they offer their clients while protecting themselves and their clients from damage caused by allergic skin reactions.”
Jo Locke, Product Development Manager, Willis UK & Ireland, said, “Salons that are not patch testing run the risk of not being covered by their insurance if something goes wrong. Colourstart gives hairdressers peace of mind and, in combination with the Willis Underwriting salon product, business protection.”
With endorsement from leading colour expert Tracy Hayes of global education site myhairdressers.com, all salons that sign up to the policy also receive a complimentary three month subscription to myhairdressers.com, reiterating the importance of education to policy holders.
A short Colourstart information video is available online at www.willis.com/Client_Solutions/Services/BusinessCare/
Every policy bought includes:
· Exclusive wording from Willis Underwriting
· 50 free Colourstart tests (worth £43)
· Three months free subscription to myhairdresser.com
About Willis
Willis Group Holdings Limited is a leading global insurance broker, developing and delivering professional insurance, reinsurance, risk management, financial and human resource consulting
and actuarial services to corporations, public entities and institutions around the world. Willis has more than 400 offices in nearly 120 countries, with a global team of approximately 20,000
Associates serving clients in some 190 countries.
Additional information on Willis may be found at
www.willis.com.
About Trichocare Diagnostics
Trichocare Diagnostics Ltd developed and now manufactures and supplies Colourstart.
Trichocare also delivers specialist educational courses in science and safety designed to improve the training and skills of today’s hairdressers. The managing Director of Trichocare (Brian Plunkett
MIT) is a Consultant Trichologist with practices in London and Bedfordshire and specializes in hair
science and safety within hairdressing. www.trichocare.co.uk
About Colourstart.
Colourstart is an award winning hair dye sensitivity test. The product is used by 3,500 salons through the UK, including Mark Leeson (current Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s UK
Ambassador), Lisa Shepherd, (former British Hairdresser of the Year and is three time British Colourist of the Year amongst her 19 prestigious awards) and Nicky Clarke. www.colourstart.com