Respond to a skin reaction after a waxing service

What is going on

A client who had a full leg wax on Thursday 3 September has telephoned the clinic on Friday morning to say her shins are red, bumpy and hot to the touch. The Clinic Manager wants the matter handled today and documented properly. The client card shows the wax product used, the consultation notes and whether medications, recent sun exposure or exfoliating products were discussed. The clinic follows a written reaction pathway and every reaction must be reported on the Incident and Hazard Report Form and entered in the register. The Clinic Manager also wants to know whether the consultation missed anything and what the clinic will change.

Your brief

Call the client, give correct aftercare advice within your scope, document the reaction on the form and in the register, review the client card and consultation, and write a short summary for the Clinic Manager with a recommendation.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the reaction steps in the Patch Test and Skin Sensitivity Procedure and the aftercare section of the Client Consultation and Consent Policy before you call the client.
• Review the client's record in Client Records and note the wax product, temperature check, consultation answers about medications, sun exposure and exfoliants, and whether aftercare was recorded as provided.
• Prepare and document a call script that gathers the symptoms, timing and any products the client has applied since, gives safe aftercare advice and explains when she must see a doctor.
• Complete the Incident and Hazard Report Form for the reaction, using facts only, and create the matching entry in the WHS and Infection Control Incident Register with status Under investigation.
• Flag the client card with the reaction and set the patch test result to Pending so that no further wax or tint service proceeds without a test.
• Identify any gap in the consultation, for example a retinoid or recent sun exposure not asked about, and propose one change to the consent form or the consultation script.
• Write a one-page summary for the Clinic Manager covering what happened, what was done, what the client was told and what the clinic will change.

What someone in this role would produce

• Completed Incident and Hazard Report Form
• Incident register entry and updated client card
• Documented client call script and outcome
• One-page summary with recommendation