Hairdressers should not give in to clients’ requests to sell professional hair dye for them to apply at home since there could be serious health consequences if used incorrectly, according to the Hair and Beauty Federation.
Hair and beauty salons closed their doors on March 23 when the health authorities ordered the closure of non-essential services to control the spread of coronavirus.
“We’ve had members tell us their clients are pressuring them to hand over professional hair dye. These products can only be handled by trained professions since they contain certain ingredients that can only be applied according to specific ratios and can even be carcinogenic,” said Ramon Vella, a spokesman for the federation.
He appealed to the public not to pressure hairdressers or beauticians to do home visits as this breached the health authorities’ recommendations.
Meanwhile, he said, hairdressers and beauticians could help educate their clients on using alternatives.
Many were also delivering certain products.
I’ve had clients come to my salon with blisters in their head and orange roots
Hairdresser Daphne Abela knows of cases where clients experimented with dye or bleach and ended up with serious health issues.
“Bleach is one of the most dangerous chemicals to use at home,” she said.
“I’ve had clients come to my salon with blisters in their head and orange roots.”
Abela said that, nowadays, most store-bought hair dyes are safe but it is important to use them correctly and patch test before use.
“Dyes can cause severe allergic reactions,” she said.
“Patch testing is very important. It is the most reliable way to predict any possible chance of reaction. It’s ideal to do the test 48 hours prior to application for the best results. If any abnormal reactions – like unbearable itchiness, swelling, redness – are seen, don’t apply the colour,” Abela warned.
Herbal dyes are the safest option as these semi-permanent colours do not contain harmful chemicals. The coverage is not as good as permanent dye, but it will do the job temporarily.
Waiting until hairdressers can go back to business is the best option from a health and results-driven point of view.
“Box dyes don’t achieve what we achieve in the salon. Professional products do, and these aren’t found off a shelf,” she said.
“Through our experience, we’ve seen major disasters and trying to repair that damage will take weeks if not months, plus it will cost a lot of time and money,” she noted.