Your questions answered...What are AIT’s patch testing guidelines?
The AIT team are always on hand to answer members’ questions about your membership and insurance policy.
Patch testing for tinting and perming services is a strict requirement of your AIT policy and follows industry best practice.
Carrying out a patch test safeguards clients, supports professional standards and ensures that you remain covered under your AIT insurance policy.
Patch testing prior to tinting or perming helps to identify any potential allergic reactions or sensitivities before the full treatment is applied, thereby minimising risk. When conducting the patch test, it is important to follow both the training you have received and the manufacturer's specific instructions for the products you are using.
You must always record details of patch testing on your client's consultation card as evidence of compliance with this requirement. This includes the date of the patch test, details of the consultation process and the patch test itself plus after care advice given. This record must be kept for at least seven years. As a reminder, it is a requirement of your AIT policy to adequately record every treatment given to each of your clients.
It is also important to note that the AIT insurance policy does not accept the use of disclaimers as a substitute for patch testing. Disclaimers, such as client-signed waivers or consent forms that attempt to relinquish the need for patch tests, do not provide coverage or legal protection under the policy.
Therefore, to be fully compliant and insured, you must carry out patch tests routinely for tinting and perming treatments in line with your policy wording.
