Client Consultation
Purpose
Consultation turns a client's request into a safe, agreed service plan and a written record. The exam tests structure, questioning technique, contraindication screening, patch testing and consent.
Structure
- Greet the client, confirm the booking, and pull the client record card.
- Ask open questions: what do you dislike about your hair or skin, what have you used, how much time do you spend styling it?
- Inspect: scalp, hair condition, skin type, nail condition. Note allergies, medication, pregnancy, recent chemical services.
- Screen contraindications and patch test: colour or bleach needs a patch test 48 hours before a first application; check for a history of reaction.
- Explain options, cost, time and aftercare, then confirm consent and record it.
Communication rules
Use plain language, never diagnose a medical condition, and refer to a doctor when you see something outside your scope: persistent redness, broken skin, suspicious moles, fungal nails. Repeat the plan back to the client and check understanding.
Worked example
A client asks for an immediate bleach to platinum. The record shows a henna application six weeks ago, and the hair snaps when wet. Reasoning: henna and metallic salts can react violently with peroxide, and the elasticity test shows damage. The correct answer is not a stronger bleach. Decline the service today, explain the risk, offer a strand test on a cutting, and plan a conditioning and test-strand programme.
Traps that cost marks
- Asking closed questions and missing an allergy.
- Recording "client happy" instead of the agreed formula and timings.
- Promising a result the hair cannot safely reach in one session.