A lady called into my salon last week. She had just flown in for her niece's wedding the following day and desperately needed her roots touching up. Fantastic.
We had a space and could fit her in straight away, but, it is a legal requirement for salons to carry out a skin test 48 hours before a colour
A little irritated at this the lady went on to explain that she had been colouring her hair for years and she had never had a problem - offering to sign a disclaimer as she was so desperate to rid herself of those greys!
But, you know, whether you're the colourist or the consumer it can be really frustrating having to wait for that 48 hours all clear.
Stylists and clients be warned. Most people who have their hair coloured have no problem.
But a few people can be allergic to some of the ingredients in permanent hair dye.
You can use the same brand for 20 years and have no reaction, but allergies develop over time and one day it could be fatal.
One of the biggest problems we, as stylists, face is that clients can see it as unimportant, a nuisance or a waste of time.
But bad reactions are on the increase and allergy alert testing is something responsible, professionally-run salons must do.
They have a duty to protect the safety of their clients.