Ways To Handle an Allergic Reaction in the Salon

It’s a day like any other. You’re performing a treatment on a client, following the same steps you always do. A few minutes into the treatment, you realize something is wrong. Your client’s skin is starting to turn red and swell where you applied a product; what’s going on?

Allergic reactions to beauty products aren’t uncommon. If a client’s skin or behavior changes during a treatment, they could be suffering from an adverse reaction. When this happens, it can be scary for you and your client. Knowing how to handle an allergic reaction in your salon will allow you to stay calm and handle the situation with compassion and grace.

Remove the Product

If your client shows signs of an allergic reaction, remove the product from their skin immediately and wash the area thoroughly with a gentle cleanser.

Assess the Situation

How is your client reacting to the allergen? If swelling and redness are localized, and your client is behaving normally, then their reaction is likely minor. After cleaning the product off their skin, they should begin to recover.

If the affected area is swelling dramatically, you see a rash spreading rapidly across the skin, or your client is having trouble breathing, they are having a severe reaction that requires immediate medical attention. If you observe these concerning symptoms, call for emergency medical services right away!

Provide Relief

Try to provide your client relief from the unpleasantness of their allergic reaction. An ice pack can relieve redness, swelling, and itching.

Document the Situation

Taking notes on the situation can help medical professionals when they provide care to your client. The notes can also help you defend yourself if legal matters arise because of the situation. Lastly, you can review this documentation to determine why the allergic reaction happened and if there was anything you could have done to prevent it. If you should have taken preventative measures, you can review and adjust your safety practices to prevent future incidents.

Prevent Future Reactions

The easiest way to handle allergic reactions in your salon is to prevent them in the first place. Patch testing before proceeding with a treatment is one way to reduce the likelihood of a negative reaction. Patch tests are easy to do; apply a small amount of product to a discrete area of the client’s body where it won’t rub off easily; the inner elbow, inner wrist, and back of the ear are ideal locations.

Then, wait. If your client is allergic to the product, signs of a reaction should appear within minutes. These signs include but aren’t limited to, redness, swelling, itching, and hives. If your client responds poorly to a patch test, do it again with another product or refuse to do the treatment for the client’s safety.

Using gentle products can reduce the risk of allergic reactions. At Elleebana Store USA, we offer some of Elleebana’s best products. The eyelash lift kit contains adhesives with lift and neutralizer lotions that are safe for sensitive skin. With fast processing times and non-irritating ingredients, you can safely lift and curl your client’s lashes.