The ChapelSkin Safety Protocol

Your safety is our number one priority. If you are having Colour, we must carry out an Allergy Alert Test to keep you safe and to adhere to The Chapel’s Skin Test Protocol, as set out by the Hair and Barber Council, and Sentio Salons, our insurers.

We use Colourstart to test for any potential allergy to colour. It's a convenient, clean, pharmaceutical test that just requires a one-off physical patch test with digital rescreening. Colourstart replaces the old traditional blob test that will become obsolete due to changes in manufacturers’ stipulations that have made the process and frequency impossible. All new colour Guests are now required to use Colourstart and from April 2026, all existing guests will also be required to use it.

What Is Allergy Alert Testing?

Allergy Alert Testing is an essential part of providing safe and professional colour services. Approximately 1% of the population is allergic to paraphenylenediamine (PPD) and associated compounds. A mild reaction may involve dermatitis (an inflammatory skin reaction) at the point of contact. In more severe cases, there may be marked reddening, swelling of the scalp, face, or closure of the eyelids, and on very rare occasions and extreme cases it may cause life-threatening anaphylaxis. A reaction may take up to 48 hours to manifest.

What Is Colourstart?

Colourstart is a medical grade patch test that is licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. It is backed by over 20 years of scientific research by Chemists and Trichologists.

Colourstart is the most convenient, clean, medical grade test that is used globally, and it is fully portable to any salon using it. It permits you to use any colour product, in any shade, from any manufacturer.

The patch test costs £15 from Colourstart, and it can be purchased from our salons or online.

How Colourstart Works

  1. When you’re next in the salon, we’ll send you a Colourstart invite (email or WhatsApp) and link your bookings with your own digital Colourstart Passport with some simple medical screening questions.
  2. We’ll help you set up the one-off patch test — it’s a clean, pharmaceutical test that is applied like a plaster to the arm and worn for 48 hours.
  3. You’ll be prompted by Colourstart to log your results and complete your Passport setup.
  4. Before each subsequent Colour appointment, a set of simple digital re-screening questions will be sent directly to you by Colourstart.
  5. If you have any questions or changes to health, you’ll be supported by the Colourstart Support Team.