Client Consultation, Communication and Service Safety
The consultation
A consultation is a structured conversation plus a written record: client contact information, service history, product use at home, medications, allergies, occupation, and any medical conditions relevant to the service. Ask open questions, listen, confirm what the client wants, and record what you actually did, including products and lot numbers when relevant.
Before you begin
- Screen for contraindications: open or broken skin, signs of infection, recent surgery, allergic reaction to nail products, uncontrolled diabetes, or a physician's restriction.
- Patch test new adhesive or color products 24 to 48 hours before the service when the client reports sensitivity or when the manufacturer directs it.
- Obtain informed consent for the service and for anything unusual.
- Explain realistic outcomes and limitations - this prevents most complaints.
Communication and safety
Keep your tone professional, use plain language, avoid diagnosing, and honor confidentiality. If a service is unsafe, refuse politely and offer alternatives: "I'm not able to provide that today because of what I see on the skin; here is a referral." Document the refusal without judgmental language.
Traps
- A signed form is not a substitute for a conversation, and a conversation is not a substitute for a record.
- "The client asked for it" is never a defense for an unsafe or out-of-scope service.
- Sharing a client's health information, even casually, is a confidentiality breach.
Rule of thumb
If it is not written on the record card, it did not happen.