The POPI Act again

Salon International recently hosted a webinar on the POPI Act with two experts, Karl Markwald of ESP and Sam Lockhart of My Spa Consutants

Registration

All businesses need to register regardless of size, from one person owner/operator to thousands of employees, all must register. https://www.justice.gov.za/ inforeg/portal.html is the web address to do this. At this time the link is switched off due to technical problems. Take a screen shot of your visit to the website as proof that you have tried to register.

You can download a pdf version although the site does not say where you send the completed form. At least you can be prepared for completing the online version when it is back up and running.

Please note:

There are only 6 compliance officers in the country which is impossibly small to focus on enforcement - registering as info officer is the most important requirement.

In addition, no one but these 6 can certify compliance so don’t pay for this as there is no certificate that can be obtained.

If anyone requests information on your data protection practices, you may inform them of a time frame in which you will respond in eg 30 days. This will give you time to prepare a response.

An information officer

Every business needs to appoint an information officer and this should be an owner or director of the business. This is viewed very seriously and a senior person must take responsibility.

A compliance manual

manual that shows your data protection policies. What you have in place for data storage, when and how you communicate with clients etc.

Storage of data

Your data must always be stored in a secure place. Treat it like you would money, don’t leave it lying around.

Digital data must be kept in a secure location. If it is cloud based, make sure the cloud storage is encrypted. If it is on your laptop, ensure that the laptop is password protected and that the program, MS Excel or other is password protected.

If you use salon software of some kind, your provider should be able to advise you on safety of data.

Back-ups must also be stored securely.

If you use record cards or other physical card/paper method, they must be kept locked away at all times and only accessed when the client turns up for an appointment.

Covid 19 protocols, visitor record form

The same goes for Covid 19 protocol forms completed by a client on arrival at the business premises.

Do not leave the form on a table for someone to be able to photograph or steal. This must be kept safely in your reception and only handed to a visitor purely for them to complete and must be handed back afterwards. The forms must be locked away securely at the end of each working day.

Access to data

Only those who need access data should be allowed to. Cleaning staff or others who do not have a need to view data should be unable to do so.

Staff who leave your employment

Our thanks to Karl Markwald regarding the situation regarding Staff

If a staff member leaves your business will be breaking the law if they subsequently contact clients of yours. Whether directly by phone or email or through social media. You perhaps need to amend your contract of employment to point out that they would be breaking the law in this instance.

The significance of this is the prevention of a staff member taking your clients if they leave your employment, a definite win for a salon owner.

Social media

You are not allowed to contact people via social media with the intent on promoting your business to them.

Cold calling

Cold calling is also prohibited. This means that you cannot randomly call someone to try to offer them treatments if they are not known to you. The same with email.

Permission based marketing

You need to have permission of your clients to send them promotional material and special offers.

A simple piece of text at the bottom of their client record such as:

By ticking this box I agree that the company may send me promotional information and special offers from time to time. (add the tick box)

If you did not have this previously and wish to send out such material, you should contact all your clients and ask them to opt out of any marketing list you may have.

Just to be clear, opt out is a must in all communication you may send as in an unsubscribe button on email or “Stop” reply on sms.

If you have clients on your data who have not been in contact with you in some way within the last 18 months, you should delete them from your lists.

If you have personal information about a client, perhaps their birthday, or daughter’s wedding that was discussed in conversation, that should not in any way be shared to a third party, even again, just in conversation. All your staff should be made aware of this.

According to Markwald, if your salon or spa has a security camera in reception, you need to get the client’s consent, when she walks into your salon, to video her. Lockhart suggested having a highly visible sign at reception that details policies and procedures (including that you have a security camera).

If you know your clients birthday, you should only send them birthday wishes if they have agreed to such communication as in the opt out clause above.

It may be a good idea to run through your mind the ‘journey’ a client makes when coming into your business, what information you record, where you store it and what you intend to do with that information. If there is an intention to contact the clients, you need there permission. If there is a possibility of someone stealing the information, or you losing it, you need to improve your storage systems and security.

Contacts and Links

Karl Markwald

CEO ESP karl@esponline.co.za

Samantha Lockhart

My Spa Consultants lockhartinnovations1@gmail.com

Links: Registration portal: https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/ portal.html

Link to Samantha Lockhart’s article: https://issuu.com/ professionalbeautysa/docs/pb_ july_2021/12?fr=sMGI4NzM5NTE3OTk

Facebook recording of webinar: https://fb.watch/v/4PuVAT_O-/

THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT

Your clients may have noticed hair thinning What can clients do about or hair loss following the pandemic. restore their roots during lockdown? their confidence by using extensions to help them. If your client’s roots are getting them down during lockdown, make a fun suggestion. “Reach for the glitter, mix it with gel and paint it onto the roots. It will add a bit of sparkle to dreary days,” says John Vial, Revlon Professional global influencer. The health and wellbeing of many clients has suffered during the pandemic. According to a study from The Lancet, 22% of Coronavirus patients suffered with hair loss within six months of being infected. The stress of the pandemic itself has led to stress-induced hair loss, explains Nioxin trichologist, Mark Blake. “The stress of lockdown has had a massive impact on hair. Stress causes elevated cortisol levels, a stress hormone that prioritises what the body needs to survive,” he says. “Hair is non-essential tissue that needs lots of energy to grow, but it has to take a back seat when the body is under stress and needs to survive. This means that the hair follicles may simply be shut down by the body when it is in its survival mode.” It’s no surprise that a recent report by Research and Markets found the hair extension market is booming post-pandemic. A combination of rising disposable income and changing lifestyles are taking hair extensions to new lengths. Read on to discover how you can use hair extensions to support clients with their hair loss as well as the solutions you can add to your service offering.

Perfect the consultation “You need to find out what your client wants and what can realistically be achieved based on the client’s hair condition,” says Rapture educator, Jason O’Sullivan. “The stylist will also need to establish the health of the client’s own hair and will need to complete hair tests such as porosity, elasticity, pull tests and pulse tests to determine what growth stage the hair is in and if the client is suitable for extensions,” he says. “A stylist should find out what the client wants, whether the client wants to extend the length, add thickness or a flash of colour. Based on this, the stylist can move onto discussing suitable lengths and provide a colour match.”

Assess the client’s lifestyle It’s crucial to get the right information from clients when recommending extensions, explains Simon Tuckwell, Balmain Hair UK ambassador and creative influencer. “Let your clients do the talking. Asking the correct open questions will allow you to advise the correct system, maintenance and aftercare,” he says. “Ask questions about their lifestyle, such as whether they attend any sporting activities or yoga, how often they spend on their hair each day and whether they have time to maintain and look after their extensions correctly,” he says. “You should ask if they’ve had extensions before and if they have any questions. This will make sure your clients get the best

HELEN RICHARDSON FOR REMI CACHET

longevity from their extensions.”

on an individual,” advises Robert Eaton, creative director at Russell Get to the root cause Eaton salons and a Great Lengths There’s no ‘one-size fits all’ to applying stylist. “If extensions can be used hair extensions, says Taylor Ferguson, as a way of thickening hair and the Gold Fever ambassador. “It’s a scalp condition can take it, I believe bespoke service and particularly so it should be considered if it will help when dealing with a client who has someone to feel more confident,” experienced hair loss,” she says. “We he says. However, you should only need to ascertain proceed if you the background to know the hair can the hair loss – is WHAT IF A CLIENT ISN’T SUITABLE tolerate extensions. it permanent or FOR EXTENSIONS? “It’s important to temporary? What’s “Complete a full consultation carrying understand what the cause? Is it age- out all the hair tests and get the their hair can take related thinning answers to the questions you’re asking, because you don’t that we’re dealing if there is something you are unsure want to cause with – or is there a medical reason? All these questions must be addressed before determining a client’s suitability,” says Taylor. “No about go into depth,” says Rapture educator, Jason O’Sullivan. “If the client is unsuitable and does not pass the consultation, you could ask them to return in three months’ time or advise them to speak to a trichologist to try and find the root cause.” further damage,” he warns. “Clients can lose their hair for multiple reasons and it is important to recognise when and how extensions extensionist would can help to rebuild want to add to a confidence and client’s issues. Hair extensions are offer a solution,” adds Louise Jenkins, very individual – and as such each creative and education manager for client must be handled based on their Great Lengths UK & Ireland. needs,” she adds. “Mini bonds are a fairly recent invention in the world of What about men? hair extensions and offer a big benefit, “A man’s hair structure and hair loss particularly for clients with hair loss or pattern is different to a female’s, thinning hair, as they help mitigate any therefore traditional extensions can pressure on existing hair.” work only to a limited extent,” explains Louise Bailey, Hairdreams partner The psychology of hair loss extensionist. “With Hairdreams’ “Extensions are seen as something patented MicroLine and hair that might cause further damage to replacement systems, hair can be clients with fine hair, but you also added on the upper part of the head, have to consider the psychological and some male clients see it as a great impact that having fine hair can have semi-permanent solution to add more

@NATALIEANNEHAIR FOR SHOWPONY

hair and integrate their own hair into the system,” she says.

When in doubt, consult an expert “It’s crucial to determine what type of hair loss we’re talking about and I would always recommend anyone experiencing hair loss to see their GP or trichologist,” points out Helen Richardson, Remi Cachet ambassador and owner of The Salon in Louth. “There are many different types of hair loss so it’s important to determine the cause and type of hair loss first. Once given the okay to proceed with extensions, when there is no longer any hair falling, we can look at options with low tension.”

The right installation method For fragile lengths, choosing the appropriate installation technique is key. “The best method for hair loss is tape extensions,” says Lee Belcher, Showpony UK educator. “It is important to consider how much weight and tension is placed on the natural hair by the hair extensions. For fine or thin hair, you should look for the lightest density of hair extensions,” he says. “It may seem that strand by strand application would be the lightest weight, but you must consider the potential damage caused by bonding individual pieces of hair to thin hair,” he adds. “With tape-in hair extensions, the extensions are lightweight and require no glue, tools or fusion type of bond. With the single method application, the extension is bonded with a piece of tape rather than sandwiching two extensions together. By doing so, the weight is reduced by half which is best for causing the least amount of strain and possible damage.”

Consider wigs Wigs can help clients who are suffering from hair loss or thinning when extensions would not be appropriate. “I make bespoke hand knotted wigs so my clients can wear a piece discreetly and comfortably, removing it at night to allow the scalp to breathe,” says Emma Holt at BCreative, Taunton. “I believe wigs are set to become mainstream, not just for hair loss but as a quick and easy way to mix up colours and styles.” she says.

WHAT ABOUT THINNING HAIR? “In some instances, clients turn to hair extensions for thickness rather than length,” says Zen Hair ambassador Bozena Sarek, co-founder and creative director at Bozena Sarek Hairdressing. “We would recommend one pack of Zen Hair Tape Extensions in either the Perfect Secrets handmade invisible tapes or the unique 14” Ultimate Series which offers smaller and more discreet tracking,” she says. Clip-ins are another suitable alternative. “These will provide the client with comfort and confidence when the condition of their natural hair is improving,” adds Bozena.