The Lash Tint Photo on Facebook
Three days after a lash and brow tint, a client sends a photograph of a swollen, red upper eyelid and messages that her eye is 'streaming and itchy'. She had a patch test six months ago, which was negative and is recorded on her card, and this was her fourth tint at the salon. On this visit the therapist opened a new box of tint from a different brand because the usual one was out of stock; the batch number was not written on the client's record. The client is demanding a full refund, asking you to pay for a doctor's visit, and says she will post the photo on a local Facebook group and tag the salon. She is otherwise well, wears contact lenses, and has no known allergies.
1. How do you respond to the client today - what do you say and what must you avoid saying?
Read the worked answer
Do:
- Reply the same day, by phone if possible, in a calm, concerned tone. Open with empathy: 'I'm sorry this has happened, thank you for telling me - let's get it looked at.'
- Direct her to medical advice: GP, pharmacist, or same-day eye casualty if there is any change in vision, spreading swelling, discharge or pain. She should remove her contact lenses and not wear them until the eye has settled.
- Ask her to stop all eye products and not to have another tint anywhere until it has been assessed.
- Tell her you are opening an incident investigation and when she will hear back (give a specific day).
Do not:
- Do not diagnose - do not say it is 'definitely an allergy' or 'definitely the tint'.
- Do not admit liability, offer compensation or refund on the spot, or promise to pay medical costs before the facts are established. Say you will look into it fully and respond formally.
- Do not discuss her treatment, her photograph or her case in any public forum, and do not name her. Confidentiality applies even when she has posted first.
- Do not delete or argue with the post.
2. What records and investigation steps must follow, and why does the missing batch number matter?
Read the worked answer
Records:
- Pull the treatment card: patch test date, product used in the test, result, and who performed it.
- Record the actual product used on the treatment day - brand, shade, batch number, expiry date, date opened. The fact that this was not recorded is itself a finding against the salon and must be logged honestly.
- Write a factual incident report the same day: times, what was applied, what the client has reported, when symptoms began, exactly what you said and when. Keep the messages and the photograph as attachments.
- Retain the product and box - do not dispose of them.
Investigation:
- Was the patch test performed correctly (typically 24–48 hours before, on the intended site, with the same product)? A test with the old brand does not validate a new brand.
- A previous negative test does not guarantee safety: sensitisation can develop at any exposure, including a fourth tint.
- Check whether product entered the eye, whether the eye area was properly protected, and whether the therapist was trained on the new brand.
- Notify your insurer per policy, and report the adverse reaction to the manufacturer (and to the regulatory authority if your jurisdiction requires it), quoting the batch.
- Respond to the client in writing with your findings and what you will change - without admitting fault while the cause is unproven.
3. What policy changes should come out of this, and how is the social media threat handled?
Read the worked answer
Policy:
- Patch test before every tint, or at the interval your insurer and manufacturer specify (commonly every 6 months at most) - and always with the product that will actually be used.
- Any new brand means a new patch test 24–48 hours beforehand, with the client rebooked rather than treated that day.
- Mandatory batch/expiry/opened-date recording on every tint record; a treatment without a batch number is an incomplete record.
- Refresh training on new products; keep manufacturer safety data sheets accessible; re-brief staff on protecting the eye area.
- Review the consent form and the incident reporting route so staff know what to do on day one, not day three.
- Audit a sample of recent tint records to see how widespread the missing batch entries are.
Social media:
- One private, non-clinical public reply at most: acknowledge the message, apologise that she is unhappy, invite her to contact the salon directly. Nothing about tint, allergy, products or her treatment.
- Never post clinical detail or a reply that identifies her - GDPR/confidentiality applies regardless of what she has made public.
- Do not delete the post or respond defensively; keep screenshots for the insurer and note timelines.
- Handle the complaint through your formal complaints procedure with agreed response times, and keep the insurer informed at each stage.