With Welsh salons already open, Scotland set to open on April 5th and England on April 12th, there is more anticipation this time round than ever before for pre appointment procedures and client visits.

Skin Testing

The first opening after the first lockdown, no one knew what to expect, the second opening, we opened whilst rectifying any issues from the first opening and this time the anticipation is building around open common factor – skin testing.

More Serious Than Ever

With a small portion of clients around the UK experiencing a reaction to a skin test following a positive covid result, whether they were aware they had it or not, it has shown us that we must take this as serious as ever, ensuring every client is skin tested before visiting the salon for any colour service – no matter how little it is. Regulations state that clients who have had a skin test in 6 months or less will not be required to take another, however due to the anxiety around this subject, we have decided to hold skin testing days in order to skin test each and every colour client before they visit for an appointment.

4 Dedicated Days

We have selected 4 days over a seven day period, all equally spaced out, where by we offer skin testing to any clients who are booked in for a colour service. The reason we are doing so is to ensure no one is at risk and to prepare for the influx of clients which will descend upon us when we open our doors. Our clients safety and that of our team is extremely important to us.

Covid Safety Measures In Place

– A non contact patch testing facility
– Full protection screen to avoid any contamination
– Social distancing measures outside of the salon
– Full hand sanitising and covid cleaning products readily available

Tips For Salon Owners 

– Put together a proper plan.
When we first discussed holding a skin testing day, we looked at the pros and cons, how we could comply with all regulations and looked in detail as to how this would work. We evaluated every aspect.

– Discuss with your local authority
We were pre approved by our council, with them stating that we had the best procedures in place that they have seen. Make sure you stick to the guidelines and if in doubt, speak with your local authority.

– Discuss with your team
Make sure your team are on board with this too. You will need a couple of team members to help out on each of the days so ensure they are all briefed on what will happen and what will be expected of them.

For more info on the brand, visit F&M Hairdressing here.