You’ve now got a firm grasp on the anatomy of the skin and face, the science behind the cosmetics and colour theory. Well done! While this level of knowledge is a prerequisite for your progression within this course, it is worth mentioning that (unfortunately!) many MUAs will lack this critical knowledge due to sub-standard training courses and programs, and so you are likely already better educated than many of your soon-to-be competitors.
The final important component of your foundational biological knowledge is to gain an appreciation for the more common adverse conditions, irritations and reactions associated with the face.
If you have ever received a beauty or cosmetic treatment, or visited the website of a responsible provider of these, you may have heard or seen the words contraindications and contra-actions before. But what do these actually mean? We’re glad you asked!
The term contraindication originated in the medical field. When broken down into its components, it is defined as:
When combined, the term contraindication is thus defined as a condition or factor that serves as a reason to refuse treatment due to the potential harm that treatment may cause to you or your client.
Key phrase | Contraindication: a condition or factor that serves as a reason to refuse treatment due to the potential harm that treatment may cause to you or your client.
While the term contraindication originated in medicine, it is now widely used across many facets of beauty, health, and personal services industries. In simple terms, it is any condition under which you should either refuse treatment to someone altogether or only proceed with treatment after additional safety measures are carried out.
The best way to get your head around contraindications is to learn what they are, and why they prevent treatment. Common contraindications that you will encounter as an MUA include, but are not limited to:
As you can see, there is a vast range of contraindications to be aware of, and there are many more that we haven’t covered! To read more about each contraindication, download the resource provided:
You are not expected to know and remember all of them, nor are it your role to diagnose any conditions. Most contraindications will be identified by the client during the client consultation, and for some, you will be able to identify them upon visual inspection. If you are ever unsure, always consider the potential risks. If proceeding with the service could harm your client, then refuse service. It is too big of a risk for your business to proceed if contraindications are present, and not only will you harm your client, but it will also harm your reputation.
Further to this, you need to stress the importance and consequence of not stating contraindications to your clients. This is generally discussed with your client during the consultation process but must also be documented. A good tip to remember is ‘ if it isn’t written down, it never happened’. If for any reason legal action was taken as a consequence of a reaction to a service you have provided, you will want to ensure that you have documented evidence that a client did not indicate any contraindications and that they were fully aware of any contra-actions.
A contra-action is an undesirable reaction that can occur during or after a makeup service.
Key phrase | Contra-action: an undesirable reaction that can occur during or after a makeup service.
The best way to remember the difference between contraindications and contra-actions is to think about contraindications being the ‘indicator’ of a potential issue and contra-actions being a reaction. 99.9% of the time, clients will have no reaction to makeup products, but on rare occasions, clients will show some type of reaction that can range in severity. This is something that is out of your control, and despite your best efforts to prevent contra-actions, they may occur from time to time and symptoms to look out for will include, but will not be limited to:
If any of the above occur during the treatment, stop immediately and assess the situation. Depending on the severity, you may need to rinse off all products. For serious reactions, such as a client’s being in severe pain or having a serious allergic reaction, seek emergency medical attention straight away. Continuing the makeup application where contra-actions are present may cause serious damage, so it is recommended that you stop the service and see if the symptoms persist.
If you would like to learn more about allergic reactions and sensitivities caused by makeup, read the following articles:
If a client develops any sort of severe reaction in the days following the treatment, ensure that you do not offer any medical advice and suggest that they visit their doctor (GP). If a person has had an allergic reaction previously but is wanting to try a makeup application again, unfortunately, refusal of future appointments is the most appropriate option. Usually, allergic reactions will worsen in severity rather than getting better, so it is not worth the risk! Alternatively, you can do a patch test if your client persists in wanting to try again with different products.
If, in the unfortunate event, a product like a shadow, mascara, eyeliner or lash glue enters a client’s eyes, the client might experience sensitivity or a burning sensation. All products will usually have a safety data sheet (SDS) which will outline the actions to be taken in such circumstances. We will cover SDS in more detail in a later module, but if in doubt, seek emergency medical attention – it is better to be safe than sorry! To prevent any reactions, it is so important to take notice of the product quality and ensure you know as much as possible about your products, including how they are made and where the ingredients are sourced (if possible). Always have SDS to prove any supplier claims and to have on hand in the event of an emergency.
One of the best ways to pre-empt and prevent contra-actions related to allergies is to conduct a patch test. You may decide to conduct patch tests on all clients prior to applications, but you must definitely do so if a client advises you they have sensitive skin or are prone to allergies. The purpose of the patch test is to test products to ensure there are no reactions to any of the ingredients.
Even natural ingredients can cause sensitivity, so patch testing is a way of ensuring a client won’t have issues with your recommended products. To perform a patch test, follow these steps:
It will also help for your own peace of mind if you document your patch tests in your client files or on your client consultation cards. You should always ensure that you record the date the client was tested, which products were used and where you conducted the patch test/s. Always ensure you include the date and a client signature on this paperwork to ensure you are covered.