When does a client need a patch test?
For hair colour, the National Hair and Beauty Federation says to do the test at least 48 hours before the service, because a reaction can take up to 48 hours to show. Test again if the brand or product changes, and check whether it has been more than six months since the client’s last test. For lash and brow tints, lifts and laminations, follow your product’s instructions and your insurer’s rules. Write down the date, the product, where you put it, the result and whether the treatment can go ahead, and have the client sign it.
We make Covered Beauty, which has a ready-made patch test record, so we’ve said where it fits. Nothing here is legal or medical advice. Your insurer’s rules and your product’s instructions come first.
How far ahead should you test?
The National Hair and Beauty Federation’s allergy alert test FAQs say a test should be done at least 48 hours before the service. A delayed reaction can take up to 48 hours to develop. They add that the longest time allowed between a test and the service varies with the product maker’s instructions, which you must follow.
Those FAQs are about hair colour. We haven’t found the same words for lash and brow tints, lash lifts and brow lamination, so for those use your kit’s instructions. The lash lift guide and the brow lamination guide say what the national occupational standard and BABTAC ask for.
Every visit, or every six months?
It depends whose rule you follow, and the two can differ. The federation says it may not be necessary to test every time a returning client has the same service with the same product or shade, as long as the questionnaire approach has been followed. Its questionnaire asks two things that matter here:
- Have you changed brand or product since the last test?
- Has it been more than six months since the client’s last test?
Then the other side. The federation also says the instructions for many hair dyes ask for a test before every use, and that its six-month approach is for where that’s safe. If you aren’t sure whether you need a test, it says to do one. And with several brands in one service, each brand gets its own test. When the manufacturer and the federation say different things, follow the manufacturer, and check your insurance wording.
What should you write down?
The federation’s list is whether a test is needed, the date of the test, the result and whether the service can go ahead, with you and the client both signing or initialling the record. Our patch test record is a short form for exactly that. Every ready-made form in Covered Beauty starts with the client’s full name, date of birth and home address, then this one asks:
- Date of your patch test (a date)
- Which treatment is this test for? (written answer)
- Which products were tested? (written answer)
- Where on your skin was the test done? (written answer)
- Have you ever reacted to hair dye, tint, lash glue or another beauty product? (yes or no)
- Any irritation, broken skin or a skin condition around the area today? (yes or no)
- If you answered yes to either question, please give details. (written answer)
- I understand I must tell you about any reaction before my treatment goes ahead. (a tick to agree)
- I confirm the information I’ve given above is accurate, and I consent to this treatment. (a tick to agree)
Its note to the client says to keep the area dry and leave it alone until the treatment, and to wash the product off and tell you if there’s any redness, itching, swelling or burning. The date question is asked fresh every time, never carried over from last visit.
What if there’s a reaction?
The federation lists reddening, itching, swelling or a burning feeling on and around the spot. Check the area when the client comes back. If you or they think there has been a reaction, don’t use the product, and tell them to see a GP or a dermatologist. Let the manufacturer know too. And stay watchful during the service, because a client can react even after a clear test.
How do you book the test in Covered Beauty?
- A short treatment of its own. The starter menus for lashes and brows and for spray tanning include a free 10-minute patch test. Edit the length or the price to suit you.
- Asked again every visit. When a returning client confirms nothing has changed, everything else carries over, but any patch test question is asked fresh. Their signed form says so.
- Signed before they arrive. Link the form to the treatment and it goes out with the confirmation, with a reminder 48 hours before if it isn’t done.
One thing we don’t do: Covered Beauty doesn’t stop a client booking a treatment until a test is done. Your minimum notice setting covers the whole salon, not one treatment, so make the test its own booking and say so on the treatment’s description. See how online consultation forms work. Try it free for a week, with no card needed. Forms are on every plan, from £9 a month.
Download the free blank form
It’s an A4 PDF with every question our form asks (listed above), boxes to tick yes or no, a line for your business name, and lines for the client’s signature and yours with the date. The extra questions we suggest aren’t on it, so write in the ones you need. It ends with a patch test record for you to fill in. The foot of each page says it’s a free template from Covered Beauty. Print it, keep a few on a clipboard, and check the wording with your insurer first.
Paper still means the client fills it in once they’re in your room. Send this form before they arrive, free for a week, with no card needed.
Questions about patch tests
How long before a treatment should the patch test be done?
The National Hair and Beauty Federation’s guidance for hair colour is at least 48 hours before the service, because a reaction can take up to 48 hours to develop. For lash and brow products, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your kit.
How long is a patch test valid?
For hair colour, the federation’s salon questionnaire asks whether it has been more than six months since the client’s last test. The longest gap allowed between a test and the service varies by manufacturer, so follow the instructions and protocols of the product you use.
Do I need a patch test before every lash lift?
That depends on your kit’s instructions and your insurer. The federation’s FAQs say the instructions for many hair dyes ask for a test before every use, and that its six-month approach applies only where it is safe. If you aren’t sure a test is needed, do one. Our patch test questions are asked again at every visit, even when a returning client confirms nothing has changed.
What if a client refuses a patch test?
If your product or your insurer needs a test, the treatment shouldn’t go ahead without one, so offer to book the test and the treatment for another day. Write down that they declined. Check what your insurer expects before you decide to skip it.
What should a patch test record include?
The federation’s guidance says to record whether a test is needed, the date of the test, the result and whether the service can go ahead, signed or initialled by you and the client. Our record also asks which treatment and products it was for, where on the skin it was done and any past reactions.
Will my insurer ask for it?
Many insurers do, and the federation says to check your policy wording for any specific requirements. Keep the record with the client’s file. Covered Beauty keeps signed forms for 7 years from the appointment while your account is open, and you can download them.
Sources
Each page was read on 12 November 2026. Our own form questions are printed as Covered Beauty’s ready-made form asks them today.
Other consultation form guides
Every free blank form, sorted by treatment, is on free salon consultation form templates. Or read what to put in a consultation form for:
What else should you read?
Booking app for lash and brow artists in the UK
Patch tests, a consent form for each treatment, deposits on full sets and clients back for their infills.
Read the guideBooking app for hair extension specialists in the UK
Consultations before fittings, deposits for hair you order in, colour matches on record and clients back for maintenance.
Read the guideConsent forms and GDPR: a guide for UK beauty salons
What counts as health data, the consent you need, how long to keep forms and what to do when a client asks you to delete them.
Read the guideOnline consultation forms
Send a private link or hand over your tablet, with or without a booking. Signed forms land on the client’s record.
See how it works
