Inside News Issue 3
Article date: 22/03/2007
Tuesday: A day of uncertainty
So, drivers should be careful on the A59 between Skipton and Harrogate
- it’s the riskiest road in Britain!
Now you know the increased risk, you can
take extra care if you’re on that road…
Hairdressers should be extra careful on Tuesday - it’s the riskiest day of
the week to colour hair in Britain – but most hairdressers just don’t
know it.
Knowing a risk helps us manage it.
Why are Tuesday colours so uncertain?
Picture 2003… No allergy warnings on the outer packaging of hair dye, no mention of
patch testing in the small print of insurance documents and clients with little or no idea
that hair dye has a darker side.
Now, four years on, it’s taken the British Medical Journal
reporting on an increase in allergy to hair dye (www.trichocare.co.uk/colourstart/press/)
for risks to really be heard. This marks a turning point for our industry.
In February 2007, the BMJ reported an increase in allergy to hair dye. As Britain’s most
respected scientific publication, this led to a flood of newspaper reports and television
interviews (GMTV, The Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph, to name just a few). Now
our industry is in the spotlight like never before.
How have things changed? Now, unlike 2003, customers know the risk, so they expect
to be patch tested.
But without tests that can be sent in the post or taken home, nothing can be done with
clients booking a Tuesday colour treatment - they’ve chosen to have a treatment on the
“A59 of hairdressing”. Their patch test can’t happen if your salon is closed on Sundays
(e.g. using L’Oreal’s 48 hour test using actual product).
Give clients Colourstart if you’re closed or they’re too busy.
If you’re colouring on Tuesday and shut on Sunday, you’re not testing. As risk of allergy
goes up, you’re not insured when you need it most.