The Dangers of Being a Makeup Artist

Having had a lesson with Sue I was aware of the precautions that needed to be taken before working on any individual in order to avoid them being in harms way. From there I thought that it would be helpful to look into the danger that we as artist put ourselves in, in order to work with people. Before working with new clients it important to know what they're allergic to but also if they have any conditions that may prevent you from being able to work on them. If you don't ask, they are very unlikely to volunteer to tell you if they know that they have something that might prevent you from carrying out the design you planned with them. An easy way of finding out this information before the model being on set is by sending them a consultation form and asking them to fill it out and return it you. Consultation forms often cover a large range of questions that allow you to know you client well enough to work with them safely and comfortably. An average consultation form looks something like the one below:

There are various diseases and conditions that can be caught from skin on skin contact and various that aren't contagious at all. Knowing the difference is important as it could prevent you from being at risk and also from putting other clients of yours at risk in the future. In addition to this having this knowledge cold prevent you from losing clients due to confusion as to what you can a cannot catch from someone. 

One of the most common contagious diseases that comes from makeup artistry is conjunctivitis. 

Conjunctivitis is a common condition that causes redness and inflammation of the thin layer of tissue that covers the front of the eye (the conjunctiva) hence the name. Another name for conjunctivitis is red eye not to be mistaken for pink eye. Symptoms of conjunctivitis include itchiness and watering of the eyes, and a sticky residue on the eyelashes which can stick the lashes together temporarily. It can often affect one eye at first, but usually affects both eyes after a few hours.Its usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection and sometimes can be the result of an allergic reaction. Also it could just be the result of the eye coming in contact with chlorine, shampoo or a loose eyelash rubbing against the surface of the eye. 

Ringworm (Tinea) is a common skin disorder which is highly contagious.Its thought to be the most commonly occurring type of fungal skin infection and can affect adults, as well as adolescents.Break outs of tine are often found on oily parts of the body, like chest or back or face. It causes many small, flat spots on the skin which can be flaky or itchy and these small spots can also blend together into larger patches.

Impetigo is found mostly in children however can effect adults, this highly contagious skin condition often happens after a recent upper respiratory infection. Impetigo begins as itchy, red sores that blister, produce fluid, and eventually become covered with a tight crust.