Treatment category: Facials
Enzyme Peel
Also known as: fruit enzyme peel, papain peel, bromelain peel
Gentle chemical exfoliation using fruit-derived enzymes — suitable for sensitive skin.
In short
Across the 330 conditions we cover so far, Enzyme Peel is marked safe for 15, caution for 8 and avoid for 33. 244 are still waiting on a source we trust and 30 are waiting for medical review, and the pregnancy and breastfeeding stages are set out stage by stage below.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding
The answer changes stage by stage, so each one is listed separately. Open a stage for the full picture, including every other treatment at that point.
- Trying to conceive — See everything for this stageNot yet reviewed
- First trimester — See everything for this stageSafe
- Second trimester — See everything for this stageSafe
- Third trimester — See everything for this stageSafe
- Breastfeeding — See everything for this stageSafe
Enzyme Peel — During pregnancy and breastfeeding
Every condition we have checked
Every condition name opens its own page
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
6 conditions · 4 safe · 2 not yet reviewed
| What we found | Condition |
|---|---|
| Not yet reviewed | After birth, not breastfeeding We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Safe | Breastfeeding Enzyme peels are the one peel the guidance places squarely in the safe column during pregnancy and while you are breastfeeding. If you want some resurfacing in your facial, this is the one to ask for. Sources: American Academy of DermatologyMDPI (peer-reviewed)NHS Wales |
| Safe | First trimester (weeks 1–12) Enzyme peels are the one peel the guidance places squarely in the safe column during pregnancy and while you are breastfeeding. If you want some resurfacing in your facial, this is the one to ask for. Sources: American Academy of DermatologyMDPI (peer-reviewed)NHS Wales |
| Safe | Second trimester (weeks 13–27) Enzyme peels are the one peel the guidance places squarely in the safe column during pregnancy and while you are breastfeeding. If you want some resurfacing in your facial, this is the one to ask for. Sources: American Academy of DermatologyMDPI (peer-reviewed)NHS Wales |
| Safe | Third trimester (week 28 to birth) Enzyme peels are the one peel the guidance places squarely in the safe column during pregnancy and while you are breastfeeding. If you want some resurfacing in your facial, this is the one to ask for. Sources: American Academy of DermatologyMDPI (peer-reviewed)NHS Wales |
| Not yet reviewed | Trying to conceive We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Heart & circulation
34 conditions · 1 caution · 5 to avoid · 4 under review · 24 not yet reviewed
| What we found | Condition |
|---|---|
| Not yet reviewed | Anaemia (mild) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Anaemia (severe) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Angina (stable) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | Angina (unstable) This is an acute medical emergency, or a very recent one, and while you are in that phase your circulation is unstable. No elective beauty treatment is appropriate: the risk of setting off a second event — a clot moving, a re-bleed, a blood-pressure spike — outweighs any benefit a treatment could give you. There is a published case of a fatal pulmonary embolism after a leg massage in an undiagnosed deep vein thrombosis. The right place for you while this is acute is under active medical care, not in a salon. Sources: BMC Pregnancy and ChildbirthBritish Heart Foundation |
| Not yet reviewed | Angioedema (active swelling) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Angioedema (history of) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | Blood clot in the leg (active DVT) This is an acute medical emergency, or a very recent one, and while you are in that phase your circulation is unstable. No elective beauty treatment is appropriate: the risk of setting off a second event — a clot moving, a re-bleed, a blood-pressure spike — outweighs any benefit a treatment could give you. There is a published case of a fatal pulmonary embolism after a leg massage in an undiagnosed deep vein thrombosis. The right place for you while this is acute is under active medical care, not in a salon. Sources: BMC Pregnancy and ChildbirthBritish Heart Foundation |
| Not yet reviewed | Blood clot in the leg (past DVT, cleared) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Blood thinners (anticoagulants) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | Brain haemorrhage (acute) This is an acute medical emergency, or a very recent one, and while you are in that phase your circulation is unstable. No elective beauty treatment is appropriate: the risk of setting off a second event — a clot moving, a re-bleed, a blood-pressure spike — outweighs any benefit a treatment could give you. There is a published case of a fatal pulmonary embolism after a leg massage in an undiagnosed deep vein thrombosis. The right place for you while this is acute is under active medical care, not in a salon. Sources: BMC Pregnancy and ChildbirthBritish Heart Foundation |
| Not yet reviewed | Brain haemorrhage (recovered) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Under review | Broken capillaries (telangiectasia) We have a draft answer for this, but we are still checking it against a source we trust. We would rather show you nothing than something we cannot stand behind. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Cholesterol deposits in the skin (xanthoma) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Congenital heart disease We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Caution | Dizziness on standing (postural hypotension) With postural hypotension your blood pressure drops when you stand up. After an hour lying flat for a facial or a massage, sitting up quickly is exactly the moment you might faint. Ask to be sat up gradually at the end, take a glass of water, and do not rush to get off the couch. It is common if you are older or on blood-pressure medication, and it is manageable rather than a reason to skip the appointment. Sources: British Heart FoundationNHS |
| Avoid | Heart attack (first six weeks) This is an acute medical emergency, or a very recent one, and while you are in that phase your circulation is unstable. No elective beauty treatment is appropriate: the risk of setting off a second event — a clot moving, a re-bleed, a blood-pressure spike — outweighs any benefit a treatment could give you. There is a published case of a fatal pulmonary embolism after a leg massage in an undiagnosed deep vein thrombosis. The right place for you while this is acute is under active medical care, not in a salon. Sources: BMC Pregnancy and ChildbirthBritish Heart Foundation |
| Not yet reviewed | Heart attack (recovery, after six weeks) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Heart failure We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | High blood pressure (controlled) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | High blood pressure (uncontrolled) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | High cholesterol (hyperlipidaemia) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Implantable defibrillator (ICD) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Under review | Inflamed vein (phlebitis) We have a draft answer for this, but we are still checking it against a source we trust. We would rather show you nothing than something we cannot stand behind. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Lymphoedema (long-term swelling) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Narrowed arteries (atherosclerosis) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Pacemaker We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Raynaud's (fingers that go white in the cold) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Splinter haemorrhage (red-brown lines under the nail) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | Stroke (first six months) This is an acute medical emergency, or a very recent one, and while you are in that phase your circulation is unstable. No elective beauty treatment is appropriate: the risk of setting off a second event — a clot moving, a re-bleed, a blood-pressure spike — outweighs any benefit a treatment could give you. There is a published case of a fatal pulmonary embolism after a leg massage in an undiagnosed deep vein thrombosis. The right place for you while this is acute is under active medical care, not in a salon. Sources: BMC Pregnancy and ChildbirthBritish Heart Foundation |
| Not yet reviewed | Stroke (stable, after six months) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Swelling from fluid (oedema) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Under review | Varicose veins We have a draft answer for this, but we are still checking it against a source we trust. We would rather show you nothing than something we cannot stand behind. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Under review | Venous lake (soft blue spot on the lip) We have a draft answer for this, but we are still checking it against a source we trust. We would rather show you nothing than something we cannot stand behind. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Skin conditions
56 conditions · 1 safe · 6 to avoid · 1 under review · 48 not yet reviewed
| What we found | Condition |
|---|---|
| See a doctor first | A mole that is changing Avoid over the affected area — other areas are fine. If a mole or a pigmented patch is asymmetrical, has an uneven border, more than one colour, or has changed in any way, it needs a doctor's eyes on it before anything cosmetic happens over it. See your GP: there is an urgent referral pathway in the UK for a suspected melanoma, and you should be seen within about a fortnight of that referral. The treatment can wait. This is also the moment to say that beauty professionals are often the first to spot a change, and being told to get something checked is not an overreaction. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsNHSNational Institute for Health and Care Excellence |
| Avoid | A new tattoo Avoid over the affected area — other areas are fine. Skin that has not finished healing needs to be left alone. Treating over a new tattoo, a wound that has not closed, or an area that has just had laser or a peel risks infection, patchy pigment and scarring — and, with a new tattoo, pulling the ink about before it has settled. Away from the affected area, treatments carry on as normal. How long you wait depends on what happened and how deep it went, so ask the person who did it. Sources: American Academy of Dermatology |
| Not yet reviewed | Acne We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Acne We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Acne scars We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | An open wound or broken skin Avoid over the affected area — other areas are fine. Skin that has not finished healing needs to be left alone. Treating over a new tattoo, a wound that has not closed, or an area that has just had laser or a peel risks infection, patchy pigment and scarring — and, with a new tattoo, pulling the ink about before it has settled. Away from the affected area, treatments carry on as normal. How long you wait depends on what happened and how deep it went, so ask the person who did it. Sources: American Academy of Dermatology |
| Not yet reviewed | Cherry angiomas We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Cold sore Avoid over the affected area — other areas are fine. A cold sore is herpes simplex, and it is contagious while it is active — for you, for the person treating you, and for the rest of your own face. Treatments that break the skin, such as needling, peels and dermaplaning, can spread the virus widely across the skin, which sometimes needs antiviral treatment to settle. Wait until the cold sore has fully crusted and healed. If you get them often, ask your GP about taking an antiviral in advance of a peel or a laser appointment. Nobody at the salon will think twice about a rebooking. Sources: American Academy of DermatologyBritish Association of DermatologistsNHS |
| Not yet reviewed | Combination skin We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Contact dermatitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Cystic acne We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Dark marks left by spots or injury We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Dehydrated skin We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Drug rash We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Dry skin We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Eczema We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Eczema We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Excessive sweating We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Folliculitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Haemangioma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Heat rash We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Hidradenitis suppurativa We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Hives We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Hormonal acne We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Keloid scars We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Keloid-prone skin We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Light-sensitive skin We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Mature skin We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Melasma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Milia We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Moles We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Oily skin We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Perioral dermatitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Port wine stain We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Psoriasis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Raised scars We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | Recent chemical peel Avoid over the affected area — other areas are fine. Skin that has not finished healing needs to be left alone. Treating over a new tattoo, a wound that has not closed, or an area that has just had laser or a peel risks infection, patchy pigment and scarring — and, with a new tattoo, pulling the ink about before it has settled. Away from the affected area, treatments carry on as normal. How long you wait depends on what happened and how deep it went, so ask the person who did it. Sources: American Academy of Dermatology |
| Avoid | Recent laser treatment Avoid over the affected area — other areas are fine. Skin that has not finished healing needs to be left alone. Treating over a new tattoo, a wound that has not closed, or an area that has just had laser or a peel risks infection, patchy pigment and scarring — and, with a new tattoo, pulling the ink about before it has settled. Away from the affected area, treatments carry on as normal. How long you wait depends on what happened and how deep it went, so ask the person who did it. Sources: American Academy of Dermatology |
| Not yet reviewed | Rhinophyma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Rosacea We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Rosacea We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Sebaceous hyperplasia We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Seborrhoeic dermatitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Seborrhoeic keratoses We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Safe | Sensitive skin Sensitive skin does not rule out treatment — it points you at the gentle end of the menu. LED light therapy, enzyme peels, oxygen facials and lymphatic drainage all work without acid strength or abrasion, which is exactly what makes them suit reactive skin. Sources: American Academy of Dermatology |
| Not yet reviewed | Skin tags We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Skin writing We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Spider naevi We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Stretch marks We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Stretch marks We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Sun allergy rash We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Sun spots We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Sun-damage patches We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Sunburn We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Under review | Taking isotretinoin We have a draft answer for this, but we are still checking it against a source we trust. We would rather show you nothing than something we cannot stand behind. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. Sources: American Academy of DermatologyBritish Association of DermatologistsJAMA DermatologyPeer-reviewed dermatology (PMC) |
| Not yet reviewed | Vitiligo We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Cancer & cancer treatment
30 conditions · all 30 not yet reviewed
| What we found | Condition |
|---|---|
Awaiting medical review | Acral melanoma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Basal cell carcinoma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Bowen's disease We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Brain tumour We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Breast cancer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Breast cancer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Breast cancer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Breast cancer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Breast cancer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Cancer survivor We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Cancer-related fatigue We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Chemotherapy We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Chemotherapy We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Dark stripe under a nail We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Hormone therapy after breast cancer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Immunotherapy We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Kaposi's sarcoma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Keratoacanthoma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Lentigo maligna We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Leukaemia We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Lung cancer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Lymphoma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Melanoma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Melanoma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Mycosis fungoides We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Radiotherapy We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Skin cancer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Skin cancer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Skin cancer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Awaiting medical review | Squamous cell carcinoma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Infections & contagious conditions
54 conditions · 4 safe · 15 to avoid · 35 not yet reviewed
| What we found | Condition |
|---|---|
| Not yet reviewed | Athlete's foot We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Beard ringworm Avoid over the affected area — other areas are fine. Ringworm, athlete's foot and jock itch are all the same family of fungus, and they spread through contact with infected skin, tools, towels, surfaces and floors. A pedicure on a foot with athlete's foot can put the fungus into the foot bath, the files and the towels, which is how it reaches the next person. Treatments away from the affected patch are fine. Sort the infection out first: a pharmacist can sell you clotrimazole or terbinafine cream over the counter without a prescription, and once the skin has been clear for a week or two you are back to normal. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsNHSNHSNICEPrimary Care Dermatology Society |
| Not yet reviewed | Bed bug bites We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Body lice We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Boils This is a bacterial infection, and it needs antibiotics from a GP rather than anything a salon can do. Treating over or around it spreads the bacteria across your own skin and onto towels and tools, makes the infection worse, and — with anything that breaks the skin, such as microneedling or electrolysis — risks pushing the infection deeper, which is how a skin infection turns into a serious one. That is why the answer covers the rest of you too, not just the infected patch. Book back in once you have finished the course and the skin has healed. Nobody will think anything of it. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsNHSNHSNHSNHSNICEUKHSA |
| Not yet reviewed | Bronchitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | COVID-19 You are unwell and you are infectious, and a treatment room is a small space with someone leaning over you for an hour. Going in while you have symptoms passes it to your therapist and to whoever is booked in after you. It is also a miserable way to spend an appointment you have paid for: you cannot lie still through a facial with a cough, or face down on a massage couch feeling sick. Move the booking to once you have been free of symptoms for a couple of days. A good salon would far rather rebook you than have you turn up poorly. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Cellulitis This is a bacterial infection, and it needs antibiotics from a GP rather than anything a salon can do. Treating over or around it spreads the bacteria across your own skin and onto towels and tools, makes the infection worse, and — with anything that breaks the skin, such as microneedling or electrolysis — risks pushing the infection deeper, which is how a skin infection turns into a serious one. That is why the answer covers the rest of you too, not just the infected patch. Book back in once you have finished the course and the skin has healed. Nobody will think anything of it. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsNHSNHSNHSNHSNICEUKHSA |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Chickenpox Chickenpox is about as contagious as an infection gets: it travels through the air as well as by touching the spots, so one person with it in a salon can expose everyone who comes through afterwards. That matters most for anyone pregnant in the first half of their pregnancy, for whom exposure carries a risk to the baby. Stay home until every spot has crusted over, then book back in. Sources: NHSRoyal College of Obstetricians and GynaecologistsUKHSA |
| Not yet reviewed | Chlamydia We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Common cold You are unwell and you are infectious, and a treatment room is a small space with someone leaning over you for an hour. Going in while you have symptoms passes it to your therapist and to whoever is booked in after you. It is also a miserable way to spend an appointment you have paid for: you cannot lie still through a facial with a cough, or face down on a massage couch feeling sick. Move the booking to once you have been free of symptoms for a couple of days. A good salon would far rather rebook you than have you turn up poorly. |
| Not yet reviewed | Conjunctivitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Conjunctivitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Conjunctivitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Demodex mites We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Erysipelas This is a bacterial infection, and it needs antibiotics from a GP rather than anything a salon can do. Treating over or around it spreads the bacteria across your own skin and onto towels and tools, makes the infection worse, and — with anything that breaks the skin, such as microneedling or electrolysis — risks pushing the infection deeper, which is how a skin infection turns into a serious one. That is why the answer covers the rest of you too, not just the infected patch. Book back in once you have finished the course and the skin has healed. Nobody will think anything of it. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsNHSNHSNHSNHSNICEUKHSA |
| Not yet reviewed | Eye herpes We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Facial ringworm Avoid over the affected area — other areas are fine. Ringworm, athlete's foot and jock itch are all the same family of fungus, and they spread through contact with infected skin, tools, towels, surfaces and floors. A pedicure on a foot with athlete's foot can put the fungus into the foot bath, the files and the towels, which is how it reaches the next person. Treatments away from the affected patch are fine. Sort the infection out first: a pharmacist can sell you clotrimazole or terbinafine cream over the counter without a prescription, and once the skin has been clear for a week or two you are back to normal. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsNHSNHSNICEPrimary Care Dermatology Society |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Flu You are unwell and you are infectious, and a treatment room is a small space with someone leaning over you for an hour. Going in while you have symptoms passes it to your therapist and to whoever is booked in after you. It is also a miserable way to spend an appointment you have paid for: you cannot lie still through a facial with a cough, or face down on a massage couch feeling sick. Move the booking to once you have been free of symptoms for a couple of days. A good salon would far rather rebook you than have you turn up poorly. |
| Not yet reviewed | Genital warts We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Gonorrhoea We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Green nail We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Safe | HIV Every treatment is open to you, done exactly the way it is done for anybody else. That is the whole point of universal precautions, the principle salons have worked to since 1985: every person's blood is handled as though it could carry an infection, so nobody's safety depends on what anyone has disclosed. With single-use needles, proper sterilisation and gloves, the risk of passing anything on is essentially zero. In the UK the Equality Act 2010 makes HIV a protected disability from the day you are diagnosed, so refusing you a service because of your status is against the law. Modern treatment brings HIV to an undetectable viral load, which means untransmittable, and hepatitis B and C are treatable and often curable. Telling your technician is entirely your choice — it helps only with practical things, such as local anaesthetic and appointment timing around your medication. Sources: CDCNHSNational AIDS TrustStatPearls / NCBIUK Parliament |
| Not yet reviewed | Head lice We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Safe | Hepatitis B Every treatment is open to you, done exactly the way it is done for anybody else. That is the whole point of universal precautions, the principle salons have worked to since 1985: every person's blood is handled as though it could carry an infection, so nobody's safety depends on what anyone has disclosed. With single-use needles, proper sterilisation and gloves, the risk of passing anything on is essentially zero. In the UK the Equality Act 2010 makes HIV a protected disability from the day you are diagnosed, so refusing you a service because of your status is against the law. Modern treatment brings HIV to an undetectable viral load, which means untransmittable, and hepatitis B and C are treatable and often curable. Telling your technician is entirely your choice — it helps only with practical things, such as local anaesthetic and appointment timing around your medication. Sources: CDCNHSNational AIDS TrustStatPearls / NCBIUK Parliament |
| Safe | Hepatitis C Every treatment is open to you, done exactly the way it is done for anybody else. That is the whole point of universal precautions, the principle salons have worked to since 1985: every person's blood is handled as though it could carry an infection, so nobody's safety depends on what anyone has disclosed. With single-use needles, proper sterilisation and gloves, the risk of passing anything on is essentially zero. In the UK the Equality Act 2010 makes HIV a protected disability from the day you are diagnosed, so refusing you a service because of your status is against the law. Modern treatment brings HIV to an undetectable viral load, which means untransmittable, and hepatitis B and C are treatable and often curable. Telling your technician is entirely your choice — it helps only with practical things, such as local anaesthetic and appointment timing around your medication. Sources: CDCNHSNational AIDS TrustStatPearls / NCBIUK Parliament |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Impetigo This is a bacterial infection, and it needs antibiotics from a GP rather than anything a salon can do. Treating over or around it spreads the bacteria across your own skin and onto towels and tools, makes the infection worse, and — with anything that breaks the skin, such as microneedling or electrolysis — risks pushing the infection deeper, which is how a skin infection turns into a serious one. That is why the answer covers the rest of you too, not just the infected patch. Book back in once you have finished the course and the skin has healed. Nobody will think anything of it. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsNHSNHSNHSNHSNICEUKHSA |
| Not yet reviewed | Infected nail fold We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Jock itch We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | MRSA This is a bacterial infection, and it needs antibiotics from a GP rather than anything a salon can do. Treating over or around it spreads the bacteria across your own skin and onto towels and tools, makes the infection worse, and — with anything that breaks the skin, such as microneedling or electrolysis — risks pushing the infection deeper, which is how a skin infection turns into a serious one. That is why the answer covers the rest of you too, not just the infected patch. Book back in once you have finished the course and the skin has healed. Nobody will think anything of it. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsNHSNHSNHSNHSNICEUKHSA |
| Not yet reviewed | Measles We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Meningitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Molluscum We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Mpox We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Mumps We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Nail fungus We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Pityriasis versicolor We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Pneumonia We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Pubic lice We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Ringworm We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Rubella We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Scabies We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Scalp ringworm We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Shingles Shingles is the chickenpox virus waking up again, and while the blisters are open the fluid in them can give chickenpox to anyone who has never had it or been vaccinated — including the person treating you and everyone in the room. The rash itself is painful and fragile, and shingles on the face can involve the eye, which is an urgent matter for a doctor rather than a salon. Everything waits until every blister has crusted over and healed. Rest is genuinely the treatment here. |
| Not yet reviewed | Skin thrush We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Strep throat We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Stye We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Syphilis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Safe | Tuberculosis (TB) |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Tuberculosis (TB) Active TB in the lungs spreads through the air, which makes an hour in a treatment room exactly the wrong place to be. If you have active TB you should be under a specialist team, and the first stretch of treatment is about getting you to the point where you are no longer infectious. Beauty treatments wait until your TB team confirms you are not. Once you have completed your course, everything is open to you again. |
| Not yet reviewed | Tuberculosis (TB) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Tummy bug You are unwell and you are infectious, and a treatment room is a small space with someone leaning over you for an hour. Going in while you have symptoms passes it to your therapist and to whoever is booked in after you. It is also a miserable way to spend an appointment you have paid for: you cannot lie still through a facial with a cough, or face down on a massage couch feeling sick. Move the booking to once you have been free of symptoms for a couple of days. A good salon would far rather rebook you than have you turn up poorly. |
| Not yet reviewed | Verrucas We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| A responsible salon will decline this | Warts Avoid over the affected area — other areas are fine. Warts and verrucas are caused by HPV, which usually needs broken skin to pass on — so this is a local restriction, not a reason to cancel. Nothing should work directly over the wart: no files, no blades, no wax, nothing that could nick it and spread the virus across your own skin or onto the tools. A good technician will work around it, or file it last with a disposable file that goes straight in the bin. Away from the wart, treatments carry on as normal. Most warts clear up on their own within a year or two, and salicylic acid from the pharmacy is the standard way to speed that along. Sources: NHS Scotland (Scottish Dermatology Society)NICEPrimary Care Dermatology Society |
Autoimmune & inflammatory conditions
30 conditions · 1 safe · 3 to avoid · 26 not yet reviewed
| What we found | Condition |
|---|---|
| Not yet reviewed | Addison's disease We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Alopecia areata We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Ankylosing spondylitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Safe | Autoimmune disease in remission, off medication An autoimmune diagnosis on its own is not a reason to go without beauty treatments. When your condition is in remission and you are on no medication or on hydroxychloroquine alone, the ordinary things — facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing and other hair removal, massage, lash and brow treatments — are as safe for you as for anyone else. What restricts treatments is active disease and immune-suppressing medication, not the label on your notes. A great many people with controlled rheumatoid arthritis, mild lupus or inflammatory bowel disease in remission have been told the opposite, and have gone years avoiding things they could have enjoyed. If your condition flares, reassess. If you have lupus, the light and laser guidance still applies to you even in remission. Otherwise: book it. Sources: EULAR (European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology)Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology |
| Not yet reviewed | Behçet's disease We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Broken capillaries from steroid use We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | Bullous pemphigoid Autoimmune blistering diseases make the skin extraordinarily fragile — in pemphigus, gentle sideways pressure on normal-looking skin is enough to lift it and start a new blister. Beauty treatments in that situation can set off a flare, cause painful blistering, let infection in and make the disease itself worse, and that is true of gentle treatments as much as strong ones. These conditions are looked after by dermatology and immunology teams, and most people are on high-dose steroids and other immune-suppressing medicines at the same time, which adds infection risk on top. Treatments wait until the disease is in stable remission and your dermatologist has said yes. Nothing about this is contagious — it is about protecting your skin, not anyone else's. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsInternational Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Foundation |
| Not yet reviewed | Crohn's disease We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | Dermatitis herpetiformis Autoimmune blistering diseases make the skin extraordinarily fragile — in pemphigus, gentle sideways pressure on normal-looking skin is enough to lift it and start a new blister. Beauty treatments in that situation can set off a flare, cause painful blistering, let infection in and make the disease itself worse, and that is true of gentle treatments as much as strong ones. These conditions are looked after by dermatology and immunology teams, and most people are on high-dose steroids and other immune-suppressing medicines at the same time, which adds infection risk on top. Treatments wait until the disease is in stable remission and your dermatologist has said yes. Nothing about this is contagious — it is about protecting your skin, not anyone else's. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsInternational Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Foundation |
| Not yet reviewed | Dermatomyositis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Discoid lupus We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Granuloma annulare We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Graves' disease We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Guillain-Barré syndrome We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Juvenile arthritis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Lichen planopilaris We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Lupus We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Lupus We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Multiple sclerosis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Myasthenia gravis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | Pemphigus Autoimmune blistering diseases make the skin extraordinarily fragile — in pemphigus, gentle sideways pressure on normal-looking skin is enough to lift it and start a new blister. Beauty treatments in that situation can set off a flare, cause painful blistering, let infection in and make the disease itself worse, and that is true of gentle treatments as much as strong ones. These conditions are looked after by dermatology and immunology teams, and most people are on high-dose steroids and other immune-suppressing medicines at the same time, which adds infection risk on top. Treatments wait until the disease is in stable remission and your dermatologist has said yes. Nothing about this is contagious — it is about protecting your skin, not anyone else's. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsInternational Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Foundation |
| Not yet reviewed | Psoriatic arthritis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Rheumatoid arthritis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Sarcoidosis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Scleroderma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Sjögren's syndrome We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Subacute cutaneous lupus We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Type 1 diabetes We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Ulcerative colitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Vasculitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Eye conditions
22 conditions · all 22 not yet reviewed
| What we found | Condition |
|---|---|
| Not yet reviewed | Blepharitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Blepharitis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Blocked eyelid oil glands We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Contact lens wearer We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Droopy eyelid We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Dry eye We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Dry eye We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Eye allergy We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Eyelash pulling We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Eyelid cyst We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Glaucoma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Ingrown eyelashes We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Lash and brow loss after chemotherapy (madarosis), 6+ months on We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Lash glue allergy We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Raised eye pressure We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Recent cataract surgery We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Recent eyelid surgery We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Recent laser eye surgery We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Recent retinal surgery We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Severe short-sightedness We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Turned-out or turned-in eyelid We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Watery eye We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
Nail conditions
28 conditions · all 28 not yet reviewed
| What we found | Condition |
|---|---|
| Not yet reviewed | Beau's lines (deep grooves across the nail) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Brittle nails We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Bruised nail (subungual haematoma) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Chronic hangnails We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Clubbed fingers (digital clubbing) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Dark stripe down the nail (longitudinal melanonychia) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Grooves across the nail (transverse grooves) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Habit-tic nail dents (median nail dystrophy) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Half-and-half nails (Lindsay's nails) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Healthy nails We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Ingrown toenail We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Lengthwise ridges (longitudinal grooves) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Nail biting (onychophagy) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Nail biting (onychophagy) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Nail lifting off the nail bed (onycholysis) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Nail pitting (small dents in the nail) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Nail shedding (onychomadesis) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Paired white bands (Muehrcke's lines) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Pincer nails (nails that curl inwards) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Racquet nails (short, wide thumbnails) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Ridged nails (onychorrhexis) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Skin growing into the nail (nail pterygium) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Splitting, peeling nails (onychoschizia) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Spoon nails (koilonychia) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Terry's nails (white nails with a dark band at the tip) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | White bands across the nails (Mees' lines) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | White spots on the nails (leukonychia) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Yellow nail syndrome We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
General health conditions
47 conditions · 2 safe · 7 caution · 3 to avoid · 1 under review · 34 not yet reviewed
| What we found | Condition |
|---|---|
| A responsible salon will decline this | A high temperature (fever) A high temperature means the appointment gets rescheduled, for two reasons. The first is other people: a fever usually means an infection, and an infection you can pass on does not belong in a room where someone leans over your face for an hour and then treats the next person. The second is you — your body is busy, you will tolerate the treatment badly, and lying still while you feel awful is nobody's idea of a treat. Phone ahead rather than turning up: most salons will move you without a cancellation fee if you tell them why, and the ones worth going to would far rather you did. Sources: General Medical Council (UK)UK legislation |
| Not yet reviewed | ADHD and autism We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Acid reflux (GERD) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | Alcohol intoxication If you have been drinking, the appointment should be rescheduled, and a salon that says so is protecting you rather than judging you. Consent has to be informed to count, and alcohol takes that away — which matters most for the treatments you cannot undo: nobody should wake up to permanent makeup or filler they agreed to after a couple of drinks. There is a physical reason too. Alcohol thins the blood and dilates your vessels, so you bruise and bleed more, and anything involving a needle marks worse. Come back another day, sober, and you will get a better result and a decision you still agree with next week. Sources: General Medical Council (UK)UK legislation |
| Not yet reviewed | Anxiety We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Asthma We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Bipolar disorder We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | COPD (long-term lung disease) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Chronic kidney disease (CKD) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Chronic kidney disease (CKD) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Coeliac disease We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Cushing's syndrome (steroid excess) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Dementia and Alzheimer's disease We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Depression We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Dialysis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Eating disorders We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Eating disorders We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Epilepsy We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Fibromyalgia We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Caution · patch-test-48h | Food allergies If you already react to things, the answer here is almost always the same one: patch test, 48 hours before, every time you meet a product for the first time. Reactions to salon products run from a bit of redness to anaphylaxis, and the ingredients that cause most of them are predictable — PPD in hair and brow dyes, the preservatives in creams, the cyanoacrylate in lash glue, latex in gloves, nickel in tools, fragrance in almost everything, and formaldehyde releasers in some nail products. Two things people get wrong. A patch test is not a formality to be waived because you are in a hurry, and having had something before does not make you safe: sensitisation builds with exposure, which is why lash adhesive should be retested every six to twelve months and why people react to a dye they have used for years. Tell your therapist exactly what you react to, and take an allergy history seriously enough to say it out loud before, not after. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsBritish Contact Dermatitis SocietyUK legislation |
| Caution · patch-test-48h | Fragrance allergy If you already react to things, the answer here is almost always the same one: patch test, 48 hours before, every time you meet a product for the first time. Reactions to salon products run from a bit of redness to anaphylaxis, and the ingredients that cause most of them are predictable — PPD in hair and brow dyes, the preservatives in creams, the cyanoacrylate in lash glue, latex in gloves, nickel in tools, fragrance in almost everything, and formaldehyde releasers in some nail products. Two things people get wrong. A patch test is not a formality to be waived because you are in a hurry, and having had something before does not make you safe: sensitisation builds with exposure, which is why lash adhesive should be retested every six to twelve months and why people react to a dye they have used for years. Tell your therapist exactly what you react to, and take an allergy history seriously enough to say it out loud before, not after. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsBritish Contact Dermatitis SocietyUK legislation |
| Under review | Hashimoto's thyroiditis We have a draft answer for this, but we are still checking it against a source we trust. We would rather show you nothing than something we cannot stand behind. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. Sources: British Thyroid FoundationNHSNICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries |
| Caution · patch-test-48h | Hay fever and seasonal allergies If you already react to things, the answer here is almost always the same one: patch test, 48 hours before, every time you meet a product for the first time. Reactions to salon products run from a bit of redness to anaphylaxis, and the ingredients that cause most of them are predictable — PPD in hair and brow dyes, the preservatives in creams, the cyanoacrylate in lash glue, latex in gloves, nickel in tools, fragrance in almost everything, and formaldehyde releasers in some nail products. Two things people get wrong. A patch test is not a formality to be waived because you are in a hurry, and having had something before does not make you safe: sensitisation builds with exposure, which is why lash adhesive should be retested every six to twelve months and why people react to a dye they have used for years. Tell your therapist exactly what you react to, and take an allergy history seriously enough to say it out loud before, not after. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsBritish Contact Dermatitis SocietyUK legislation |
| Not yet reviewed | Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Caution · patch-test-48h | Latex allergy If you already react to things, the answer here is almost always the same one: patch test, 48 hours before, every time you meet a product for the first time. Reactions to salon products run from a bit of redness to anaphylaxis, and the ingredients that cause most of them are predictable — PPD in hair and brow dyes, the preservatives in creams, the cyanoacrylate in lash glue, latex in gloves, nickel in tools, fragrance in almost everything, and formaldehyde releasers in some nail products. Two things people get wrong. A patch test is not a formality to be waived because you are in a hurry, and having had something before does not make you safe: sensitisation builds with exposure, which is why lash adhesive should be retested every six to twelve months and why people react to a dye they have used for years. Tell your therapist exactly what you react to, and take an allergy history seriously enough to say it out loud before, not after. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsBritish Contact Dermatitis SocietyUK legislation |
| Not yet reviewed | Liver cirrhosis (advanced liver scarring) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Long-term (chronic) pain We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Long-term back pain We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Safe | Menopause and perimenopause Menopause restricts nothing. It is not an illness and it is not a contraindication — the average age in the UK is 51, perimenopause can start in your late thirties, and every treatment on this site stays open to you. What changes is the skin, the hair and the nails you bring to the appointment: drier, thinner, less collagen, more shedding, and sometimes the first pigmentation you have ever had. So the useful adjustments are small ones. Shorter, cooler facials if hot flushes are part of your day. Gentler exfoliation on skin that has thinned. Extra moisture, everywhere. And if you have started on HRT, say so — it changes two small things worth knowing about. Sources: British Menopause SocietyNHSNICEThe Menopause Charity |
| Not yet reviewed | Metabolic syndrome We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Caution | Migraine A salon is a room full of migraine triggers, which is why this sits at caution rather than at yes. Around one in seven adults in the UK has migraine, and the usual suspects are all here: strong fragrance, bright treatment lights, an hour with your head tipped back at an angle it does not like, and hands working across your scalp and temples. None of that makes the treatment dangerous — it makes an attack more likely, sometimes hours later, which is a miserable price for a facial. So book at a time when you are not already fragile, ask for unscented products and dimmed lights, ask for a pillow or a support that keeps your neck neutral, and say at the start that you get migraines so that stopping early is already an option rather than an awkward request. Sources: NICENational Migraine CentreThe Migraine Trust |
| Caution · patch-test-48h | Nickel and metal allergy If you already react to things, the answer here is almost always the same one: patch test, 48 hours before, every time you meet a product for the first time. Reactions to salon products run from a bit of redness to anaphylaxis, and the ingredients that cause most of them are predictable — PPD in hair and brow dyes, the preservatives in creams, the cyanoacrylate in lash glue, latex in gloves, nickel in tools, fragrance in almost everything, and formaldehyde releasers in some nail products. Two things people get wrong. A patch test is not a formality to be waived because you are in a hurry, and having had something before does not make you safe: sensitisation builds with exposure, which is why lash adhesive should be retested every six to twelve months and why people react to a dye they have used for years. Tell your therapist exactly what you react to, and take an allergy history seriously enough to say it out loud before, not after. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsBritish Contact Dermatitis SocietyUK legislation |
| Not yet reviewed | OCD and body dysmorphia (BDD) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Osteoporosis (thinning bones) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | PTSD and trauma history We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Parkinson's disease We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Photosensitive epilepsy We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Caution · patch-test-48h | Preservative allergy If you already react to things, the answer here is almost always the same one: patch test, 48 hours before, every time you meet a product for the first time. Reactions to salon products run from a bit of redness to anaphylaxis, and the ingredients that cause most of them are predictable — PPD in hair and brow dyes, the preservatives in creams, the cyanoacrylate in lash glue, latex in gloves, nickel in tools, fragrance in almost everything, and formaldehyde releasers in some nail products. Two things people get wrong. A patch test is not a formality to be waived because you are in a hurry, and having had something before does not make you safe: sensitisation builds with exposure, which is why lash adhesive should be retested every six to twelve months and why people react to a dye they have used for years. Tell your therapist exactly what you react to, and take an allergy history seriously enough to say it out loud before, not after. Sources: British Association of DermatologistsBritish Contact Dermatitis SocietyUK legislation |
| Avoid | Severe dehydration Badly dehydrated is not the state to have a treatment in, and it is worth rescheduling rather than pushing through. Dehydration drops your blood pressure, which makes fainting much more likely when you have been lying still and then sit up quickly, or when a treatment involves heat, pain or the sight of a needle. Your skin also heals less well when there is not enough fluid in it, so anything that relies on recovery gives a worse result. Drink, eat, rest, and rebook for a day when you feel like yourself. Sources: General Medical Council (UK)UK legislation |
| Not yet reviewed | Sleep apnoea We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Type 2 diabetes We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Type 2 diabetes We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Safe · gentle-nail-care, extra-moisturisation | Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) An underactive thyroid is not a barrier to any beauty treatment. What it does is change the material your therapist is working with: skin is drier, nails are more brittle and split more easily, hair sheds more and grows back slowly, and you feel the cold and tire faster than other people in the room. So ask for the gentle version of everything — no aggressive filing, no harsh removal, plenty of moisturiser, and a shorter appointment if sitting still for two hours is a lot at the moment. One thing worth knowing: if your hair has started shedding all over and your nails have turned brittle and you have not had your thyroid checked, ask your GP for a blood test. Beauty professionals notice this pattern long before anyone else does. Sources: British Thyroid FoundationNHSNICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries |
Rare conditions & special situations
23 conditions · 3 safe · 1 to avoid · 19 not yet reviewed
| What we found | Condition |
|---|---|
| Not yet reviewed | After weight-loss surgery (loose skin) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Beauty treatments at 16 to 18 We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Beauty treatments at 75+, living with frailty We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Beauty treatments at 75+, mobile and independent We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Cosmetic procedures under 18 We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | End-of-life and palliative care We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Hereditary angioedema (HAE) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusions We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Mastocytosis We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Safe · equipment-fit-check | Plus-size clients and equipment that fits There is no medical reason body size changes what treatments are open to you. What it changes is whether the salon is set up for you, and that is worth checking before you arrive rather than discovering on the day: treatment couches carry a weight rating, gowns and robes come in a range of sizes, and headrests and armrests fit some bodies better than others. A good salon answers that question straightforwardly and has the answer ready. How you are spoken to while they answer it tells you the rest. Sources: NHSUK Obesity Federation |
| Not yet reviewed | Porphyria (the light-sensitive types) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Recent blood donation We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Recent cosmetic or plastic surgery We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Recent dental surgery We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Recent joint replacement We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Not yet reviewed | Recent steroid (cortisone) injection We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Avoid | Recent surgery (any operation) Avoid over the affected area — other areas are fine. Nothing goes over or near the surgical site while it is still healing — no wax, no heat, no needles, no products worked into the skin there. Away from the site the picture is different, and plenty of treatments are reasonable once you are past the first week or two of recovery. Because we cannot know where you were operated on, treat this as a restriction on the area itself rather than on the treatment everywhere, and get your surgeon to confirm when the site is closed and settled. Sources: British Association of Aesthetic Plastic SurgeonsNHSRoyal College of Surgeons of England |
| Not yet reviewed | Recent vaccination We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
| Safe · reasonable-adjustments | Sight loss, deafness and hearing loss Being disabled is not a contraindication. The treatment itself is usually exactly the same treatment; what has to change is the room, the communication and the equipment — a step-free entrance, an adjustable couch, help transferring, a description of what is about to happen if you cannot see it, writing or BSL if you cannot hear it, plain language and a longer consultation if that is what works for you. Making those adjustments is a legal duty on the salon under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 in England, Scotland and Wales, and under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 as amended in Northern Ireland. It is not a favour, and you do not have to ask for it as one. Sources: Equality and Human Rights CommissionMencapRNIBRNIDScopeUK ParliamentUK Parliament (legislation.gov.uk) |
| Safe · reasonable-adjustments | Wheelchair use and limited mobility Being disabled is not a contraindication. The treatment itself is usually exactly the same treatment; what has to change is the room, the communication and the equipment — a step-free entrance, an adjustable couch, help transferring, a description of what is about to happen if you cannot see it, writing or BSL if you cannot hear it, plain language and a longer consultation if that is what works for you. Making those adjustments is a legal duty on the salon under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 in England, Scotland and Wales, and under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 as amended in Northern Ireland. It is not a favour, and you do not have to ask for it as one. Sources: Equality and Human Rights CommissionMencapRNIBRNIDScopeUK ParliamentUK Parliament (legislation.gov.uk) |
| Not yet reviewed | Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) We have not found a source we trust for this combination yet. Rather than guess, we leave it blank. Ask your practitioner and your own doctor before you book. |
How to read the lights
- Actively helps
- Recommended for this condition, not merely allowed.
- Safe
- No known reason to avoid this.
- Caution
- Possible with changes — read the reason before you book.
- Avoid
- Not recommended for you right now.
- Not applicable
- This pairing does not arise.
- Not yet reviewed
- We have no sourced answer yet, so we are not giving one.
- Under review
- We have a draft answer, but it is not signed off yet.
- A responsible salon will decline this
- Avoid, because it could pass to other people.
- See a doctor first
- Avoid, and get this looked at medically first.
- Illegal in England (UK law, 2021)
- Prohibited by law, whatever the salon says.
Afterwards
What to expect afterwards, and what is worth a phone call.
Editorial write-up in preparation
The verdicts, reasons and sources below are complete and sourced. Anna's longer write-up for this treatment has not been published yet, so this page is not listed in search results until it is.
Sources
- American Academy of DermatologyPregnancy and skin care
- MDPI (peer-reviewed)The Risk of Using Cosmetics and Cosmetic Procedures During Pregnancy
- NHS WalesAromatherapy and skincare in maternity care
- BMC Pregnancy and ChildbirthFatal pulmonary embolism following leg massage in undiagnosed deep vein thrombosis (case report)
- British Heart FoundationHeart Matters — patient information, massage and complementary therapy guidance
- NHSPostural (orthostatic) hypotension
- British Association of DermatologistsSkin cancer recognition guidance
- NHSMoles and the ABCDE checks for melanoma
- National Institute for Health and Care ExcellenceNG12 — Suspected cancer: recognition and referral
- American Academy of DermatologyPost-procedure healing guidance
- American Academy of DermatologyCosmetic procedure guidelines
- British Association of DermatologistsHerpes simplex management guidance
- NHSCold sores (herpes simplex) patient information
- American Academy of DermatologySensitive skin — care guidance
- American Academy of DermatologyIsotretinoin and cosmetic procedures — patient guidance
- British Association of DermatologistsIsotretinoin: patient information and prescribing guidance
- JAMA DermatologyASDS Guidelines Task Force: consensus recommendations regarding the safety of lasers, dermabrasion, chemical peels, energy devices and skin surgery during and after isotretinoin use (Waldman et al.)
- Peer-reviewed dermatology (PMC)Standard guidelines of care: procedures in patients on isotretinoin
- British Association of DermatologistsTinea (dermatophyte infection) management
- NHSRingworm and other fungal infections
- NHSAthlete's foot
- NICEClinical Knowledge Summary: fungal skin infection
- Primary Care Dermatology SocietyFungal skin infections
- British Association of DermatologistsBacterial skin infection management
- NHSImpetigo
- NHSCellulitis and erysipelas
- NHSMRSA
- NHSBoils and carbuncles
- NICEClinical Knowledge Summary: impetigo
- UKHSAUK Standards for Microbiology Investigations
- NHSCOVID-19
- NHSCommon cold
- NHSFlu (influenza)
- NHSDiarrhoea and vomiting (gastroenteritis)
- UKHSALiving safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19
- NHSChickenpox
- Royal College of Obstetricians and GynaecologistsChickenpox in pregnancy
- UKHSAChickenpox (varicella): guidance
- CDCUniversal precautions for prevention of transmission of bloodborne infections
- NHSHIV and AIDS — how HIV is transmitted
- National AIDS TrustHIV guidance for hairdressers and beauty professionals
- StatPearls / NCBIUniversal precautions (Kopitnik & Kahwaji)
- UK ParliamentEquality Act 2010, Schedule 1
- British Association of DermatologistsHerpes zoster management
- NHSShingles
- UKHSAImmunisation against infectious disease (the Green Book), chapter 28a — Shingles (herpes zoster)
- NHSTuberculosis (TB)
- NICENG33 Tuberculosis
- UKHSANotifiable diseases and causative organisms: how to report
- UKHSATuberculosis: guidance, data and analysis
- NHS Scotland (Scottish Dermatology Society)Viral warts pathway
- NICEClinical Knowledge Summary: warts and verrucae
- Primary Care Dermatology SocietyWarts and verrucae — patient information leaflet
- EULAR (European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology)EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (Smolen et al.)
- Journal of the American Academy of DermatologyCosmetic treatment in patients with autoimmune connective tissue diseases: best practices for patients with lupus erythematosus (Bonnet et al.)
- British Association of DermatologistsGuidelines for the management of bullous pemphigoid
- International Pemphigus and Pemphigoid FoundationLiving with pemphigus and pemphigoid
- General Medical Council (UK)Good Medical Practice
- UK legislationMental Capacity Act 2005
- British Association of DermatologistsPatch testing — patient information
- British Contact Dermatitis SocietyContact allergy guidance
- UK legislationThe Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013
- British Thyroid FoundationThyroid disorders — patient information
- NHSUnderactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- NICE Clinical Knowledge SummariesHypothyroidism
- British Menopause SocietyMenopause — clinical guidance for patients
- NHSMenopause and perimenopause
- NICEMenopause: identification and management (NG23)
- The Menopause CharityMenopause symptoms and skin changes
- NICEHeadaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management (CG150)
- National Migraine CentreBotulinum toxin for chronic migraine — patient information
- The Migraine TrustMigraine triggers
- NHSBody image and self-esteem
- UK Obesity FederationDignity, equipment and access in service settings
- British Association of Aesthetic Plastic SurgeonsPost-operative recovery timelines
- NHSRecovering from an operation
- Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandRecovering from surgery — patient information
- Equality and Human Rights CommissionReasonable adjustments for disabled people — guidance for service providers
- MencapCommunicating with people with a learning disability
- RNIBServing customers with sight loss
- RNIDCommunication tips for serving deaf customers
- ScopeMaking services accessible to disabled customers
- UK Parliament (legislation.gov.uk)Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (as amended, Northern Ireland)
Written by Anna · London-trained cosmetologist
Last updated