To think the 'patch test', is just a load of unnecessary faff

This is nonsense. I've always had to have patch tests before colouring my hair at a hairdressers for decades before anyone had heard of covid and even home hairdye kits have always asked you to do a patch test - not that most people do.

It's more likely that people are more likely to sue/are afraid of being sued these days. Unless you honestly believe that the world's hairdressers are all in on a huge covid conspiracy cover-up?

Stupid that you are happy to risk an allergic reaction on your eyes because you like to do things quickly. Guess that’s why they have to make it an enforceable rule, to protect people like you from
themselves.

It checks to make sure you haven't developed an allergy.
Which can happen at any time.

If you think its a waste of time to make sure, and you won't complain if you do have a reaction then thats your choice. Buy online and take your chances

You can become allergic to things at any time in your life including things like antibiotics even if you've had them many times before. I have vivid memories of a patient popping back to the surgery as her mouth was a bit tingly after amoxicillin which she had frequently for her chest. Now that was fun watching an anaphylactic reaction unfold Infront of me. Adrenaline is magic stuff thankfully. Think I'd go with the patch tests.

YABU

@likelysuspect different rules abroad to here isn’t new for many things - the UK is really advanced when it comes to allergy testing + labelling and control compared to lots of countries.

The ones you buy online will tell you in the instructions to patch test I think - anything I’ve ever bought that isn’t a strip lash (so removable within about a second rather than with a remover solution) has always said to carry out a patch test.

Idiotic behaviour.

I'd been colouring my dark hair for years, both at hairdressers and at home. A few years ago I used the usual home colour and a couple of days later my whole face swelled up. After that I was very wary of colouring my hair but last year was going to a wedding and went to the hairdressers for a colour. They insisted on doing a patch test behind my ear and I'm so glad they did as I've never known discomfort like it and it lasted for weeks. I'm so thankful that I didn't just have the colour done all over my head or I would have been in agony. I do find it strange that I only became allergic to hair dye since covid/vaccinations and is it a coincidence that it's only since covid that hairdressers have insisted on patch tests. Before that, they may have been advised to do them but the ones I've been to never did, yet since covid they absolutely insist on one?

I nearly died as a teen dying my hair without doing a patch test.

I now do them whenever required without complaint.

Well messing around with eyes is fine! Can’t see any potential risks there.

So you’d rather you had an allergic reaction to eyelash glue than wait 48 hours to be sure it’s safe? It’s your eyes - don’t mess with them!

I don’t know where you’re going for a walk up appointment but most hairdressers I know couldn’t fit you in on the day anyway 🤷‍♀️ It’s almost certainly a condition of their insurance that they have to do patch tests on clients.

I’m guessing you’ve never had a reaction then? Product formulations can change, a decent practitioner will do an initial patch test and another if the formulation changes. Apart from potentially saving someone’s life it also protects the practitioner (to some degree) from legal action

Believe me, I speak from experience. Having developed a sudden allergy after I’d been colouring my hair for years, and ending up with massive, intensely itchy weeping scabs all over my head that became infected and losing half my hair, I can assure you that a patch test is a minor inconvenience.

My mum died her hair for years, same hairdresser, same product. As with any allergy it can develop at any point even if you have been fine - thankfully she had the patch test so didn’t cover her head in the allergen!