The Importance of the Salon Compass Contraindications App

Contraindication is a specific situation in which the treatment should not be carried out due to harm and danger to a person’s health.

This app is created by a passionate Skin Therapist for Skin Therapists, Massage Practitioners or anyone dealing with holistic and/or cosmetic procedures.

With the bombardment of information from various sources, it is easy to get lost and confused on the topics of skin-related diseases, disorders and conditions that may or may not affect or prevent a treatment. To be a therapist usually means working in solitude, taking risks and sometimes making important decisions all by yourself.

Most of the time, there is no-one to ask for a second opinion. How many times have each of us ended up putting on a brave face of a person who knows what to do, whilst “biting our lip” and hoping for the best.

Another scenario is hearing a complex medical condition the client suffers from, that we have never heard of. We often pretend we know what they talking about… Likewise, there are situations when we know that something does not look right when looking at the client’s skin/nails etc. The “yellow light” is shining, but we don’t know what exactly it is and therefore we act on the principle to “keep calm and carry on” with the treatment.

Lets face it, we all have dealt with such cases.

If you are a Therapist who takes pride in what you do – wanting to learn more and keep growing – whilst taking care of your clients’ safety, then the Salon Compass App is for you.

Safety First

Training in Beauty Therapy/Massage does not often cover a significant amount of contraindications and conditions that can significantly affect the service. I, personally was surprised when studying at how little information was given in my training manuals.

Time is limited, and nowadays one can take a two-day crash course to become a Therapist. The result is there are many Therapists out there who are not competent, leading to client’s dissatisfaction, low standards and an increased risk for both the Therapist and client.

Over the years I had so many questions (at times urgent) that I didn’t have an answer to… I could read up about the concern in a book or on the Internet, however I needed a solution then and there. That made me paralysed and frustrated at the same time.

When treating a client, you don’t have access to these things. That’s when the idea of the App came to life. I decided to fill this gap and created a handy, easy-to-use App.

What makes Salon Compass even more special is that it can be used online as well as offline. Even if your treatment room is in the basement, we have made it simple to find answers wherever you are, regardless.

The content of the App is a concise summary of relevant points with an addition of what, where and how things can be tackled. Needless to say, a solid knowledge of a client’s condition is the key to a professional growth and success.

In this App, you will find a simple yet complete overview of treatment contraindications and preventions or restrictions, if any.

Learning theory is a very different thing to what we get as Therapists in practice.

Our college studies and certificates only open doors to a huge field of practice. We learn as we go along, and it is an endless, but an exciting process.

It takes months of study and practice in training salons to start absorbing the knowledge of treatments and some of the dangers to the clients if they are contraindicated against them.

It then takes years to familiarise yourself with countless “unique” situations that arise while treating customers.

There are cases when a client is not even aware of his/her condition, and you may be their saviour if you explain correctly what your concern is. I have heard stories from my colleagues when they had detected suspicious moles/marks that the client didn’t know existed, and after going to a doctor, client has been thankful to their therapist for being honest, direct and considerate about those things, whilst preventing from a potentially life-threatening condition.

There are other cases, when a client knows about the condition but prefers not to share it with a therapist. There are also cases when the client tells about the condition but you have no idea what he/she is talking about. In either case, if you’re unsure, do not restrain from asking more questions. Do your research and Salon Compass is always there to the rescue.

Beauty and body treatments can hide a minefield of potentially damaging problems to the unsuspecting client, and at the end of the day it’s the Therapist’s responsibility to protect the client by ensuring the treatment booked is suitable for them.

It is in both in the Therapist’s and the client’s best interest to make sure that the medical questionnaire is answered honestly and is kept up-to-date. Be constructive and informative, professional and compassionate. Clients will appreciate your decision. After all, you are the professional and the expert. Explain that its for their own safety.

There are two types of contraindication

Total – a treatment cannot be performed

Relative – a treatment cannot be performed on affected area only

Important! Whatever you do, do not compromise on safety and precaution, unless a letter from a doctor has been provided.

Map to Salon Compass Contraindications

We have created a pedestrian light (RED, YELLOW and GREEN)

We also provided more information about every condition: names, signs, symptoms and a simple description.

I am sure you will find Salon Compass to be a great help and companion to various conditions that may come up during consultation, as well as the treatment itself.

And now its time to put theory in practice. Enjoy the app and have every success on your way, my fellow colleague!

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