The two main massage techniques used for conditioning hair are effl eurage and petrissage.

Effl eurageThis is a smoothing, stroking movement, which starts and fi nishes the massage routine. It uses the complete palms of the hands to apply adequate pressure evenly across the whole head.

Start at the centre, front hairline and slowly work over the crown area towards the nape. Cover the whole head several times to ensure the client is used to your hands and the product is evenly distributed. It is important not to break contact with the scalp once the massage has started, so always keep one hand in contact with the scalp at all times. This is to ensure your client relaxes while you take the weight of his or her head in your hands – if you break contact with the head, the client may jolt his or her head back, which isn’t pleasant or relaxing.

PetrissagePetrissage is a deeper kneading movement, which stimulates the scalp. If carried out correctly, it stimulates: the sebaceous glands – to secrete sebum

(the hair’s natural moisture) the blood supply – to improve the healthy

growth of the hair (it will not make hair grow faster, just keep it in better condition).

It also loosens a tight scalp by removing tension from the muscles, improves muscle tone, and ultimately relaxes the client thereby promoting a feeling of wellbeing.

When carrying out petrissage, you must use the pads of your fi ngers and keep your elbows out at a 90-degree angle from your body in order to produce an even amount of pressure over the whole head. Use a very slow, circular movement to pick up and knead the scalp (you will know whether you are doing this correctly if the client’s scalp is moving). Start at the front hairline, knead towards the crown area and then gradually work towards the nape area. Continue massaging from the nape around the side hairlines to the temple areas and then through the centre spaces, over the occipital bone. Make sure the whole head is covered and repeat very slowly for ten minutes.

Do not massage the scalp if: the client feels unwell, has a temperature, or is feeling tender headed since

massaging could become uncomfortable. the hair is greasy since massaging will only stimulate more sebum and make

the problem worse. there are any cuts or abrasions on the scalp. there are any contraindications such as head lice or ringworm.

Unit GH8 Shampoo, condition and treat the hair and scalp

Massage techniques for conditioning

26

Shampoo, condition and treat the hair and scalp

Unit GH8

Restructurant conditioning treatments help to rebuild the cortex region of the hair shaft, which gives hair its internal strength. This treatment is frequently carried out in salons either: • as a course of treatments to

improve the hair’s condition, or• to prepare the hair and achieve

optimum condition before chemical processing, or

• to improve hair shine and manageability, or

• to restore moisture and elasticity, which can be lost during chemical processes such as perming, colouring, relaxing and bleaching.

Top tips

Petrissage

Effl eurage

Perm and neutralise hair Unit GH14

27

Perm

and

neu

tral

ise

hair

Unit

GH4

I once did the most disastrous perm and gave a poor client a head full of cotton wool like hair! This was due to my inexperience of consultation and analysing the client’s hair. Although I realised the client had coloured hair because I could clearly see artifi cial colour I did not bother to do any elasticity, porosity or pre-perm test curls – if I had I would not have ended up with such a devastated client. The reason the perm turned out so badly was because the client had a full head of bleached hair but had recently put a darker colour on top. I chose a perm for coloured hair which was too strong for the bleached hair & it over processed really quickly. When I was removing

the perm rods a� er neutralising I knew the hair was damaged & my heart

sank. The poor client cried when I tried to blow dry her head full of fuzz! I cut as much as I could off and gave her

complementary conditioning treatments but nothing could

repair such bad damage. If only I had asked more in-depth questions during

the consultation and carried out the hair tests I could

have avoided such an awful situation.

Salon life getting started with perming!

Shelley’s story

Q How will I know what size perm rods to choose for my client?

A You should begin your consultation by analysing and assessing the hair for condition, length and texture. You also need to discuss the size of the curl your client requires as well as giving advice and suggestions.

Generally the longer the hair is, larger the rod. However, this is not a strict rule, only a guide as your client needs are the most important factor to take into consideration.

ASK THE EXPERT

• Try having perm rods wound into your hair so you can feel what your client is experiencing during a perm.

• Time yourself when perm winding – get a timer and set it fi ve minutes faster than the previous time it took to complete a whole head perm wind. FACT: The longer you give yourself to complete a task, the longer it will take you!

• Always read your manufacturer’s instructions as not all perm and neutralising instructions are the same for each product!

• Always carryout a thorough consultation and repeat back to the client so you are both clear about the required results of the perm.

• Always give clear and accurate aftercare advice to enable your client to care for their freshly permed at home. This will help prolong and maintain the life of the curl.colouring, relaxing and bleaching.

Top tips

28

Recording incidentsIt is good practice for employers to provide first aiders with a book in which to record incidents that require their attendance. If there are several first aid persons in one establishment, then a central book will be acceptable. If you have to deal with an incident, you should record the following information:

date, time and place of incident

name and job of injured/sick person, and contact details

details of the injury/illness and what first aid was given

what action was taken immediately afterwards, for example, did the person go

home, go to hospital? Was he or she taken in an ambulance?

name and signature of the first aider or person dealing with the incident.

This record book is not the same as the statutory accident book, although the two might be combined. The informa-tion kept can help the employer identify accident trends or patterns and improve on safety risks. It can also be used to judge first

aid needs assessments. It may also prove useful for insurance and investigative purposes.

Rectifying health and safety risks

ACCIDENT REPORT FORM

SECTION 1 PERSONAL DETAILS

Full name of first aider/staff member:

Position held in salon:

Date: Accident (injury) Incident (illness)

Time and date of accident/incident:

Full name of injured/ill person:

Staff member Client Other

Address:

Tel. no:

SECTION 2 ACCIDENT/INCIDENT DETAILS

Describe what happened. In the case of an accident, state clearly what the injured per-

son was doing.

Name and address/tel. no. of witness(es), if any:

Action taken

Ambulance called Taken to hospital Sent to hospital First aid given

Taken home Sent home Returned to work

SECTION 3 PREVENTATIVE ACTION

Preventative action implemented

Describe action taken:

Date implemented:

Signature of first aider/staff member:

Signature salon manager/owner:

Date:

Unit G20 Ensure your own actions reduce risks to health and safety

A copy of this accident report form

is provided on the CD, for you

to complete within your training

establishment and use as evidence in

your portfolio.

Task 3

Salon accident/incident reportThis form should be filled in by the first aider/staff member responsible for dealing with the accident/incident. It should be completed as soon as possible after the accident/incident.

L2 NVQ Hairdressing sample1a_revised.indd 28 4/9/08 13:19:00