Client Consultation, Communication and Professional Ethics
Client Consultation, Communication and Professional Ethics tests whether you can gather valid information, obtain informed consent, protect confidentiality and recognise when to stop or refer.
Consultation and consent
Use open questions first, then closed questions to confirm. Explain purpose, risks, alternatives and aftercare in plain language, and record the client's decision. Consent is ongoing and can be withdrawn. Check allergies, medications, recent chemical services, pregnancy, skin conditions and previous reactions. Refer suspicious lesions, undiagnosed rashes, severe reactions or medical contraindications rather than diagnosing.
Records and ethics
Store consultation cards securely, retain only as long as needed and share only on a need-to-know basis. Maintain professional boundaries: no treatment while impaired, no undisclosed dual relationships and no promising cures. Price and product claims must be honest.
Worked example
A client asks for a scalp bleach despite an inflamed, broken scalp and a recent reaction to colour. Reasoning: broken skin and a previous reaction are contraindications to chemical service; consent does not remove the duty to avoid harm. Decline the bleach, explain why, offer a patch test and referral to a pharmacist or GP if needed, and record the advice and refusal.
Traps
Leading questions, jargon, assuming silence means consent, discussing clients in public, and treating a signed form as proof of informed consent. Do not use confidentiality to hide a serious safety incident.