Lawyers Suing For Hair Styling Injuries

There are over 35,000 hairdressing salons in the UK, and despite the industry turning over billions of pounds every year, hairdressing remains a completely unregulated profession. Anyone can offer hairdressing services to the public, even if they lack training, qualifications and experience. A recent survey by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) in 2009 found that the vast majority of hair salons were negligently failing in their duty of care to many customers. This situation causes thousands of painful and distressing injuries every year.

Allergic Reactions, Burns & Hair Loss

Hair styling accidents are most often caused by chemicals contained in hair products reacting badly with the skin or hair. During hair colouring for example chemicals and toxins contained in hair dye products may cause an allergic reaction, or may cause the hair to dry up and fall out if they are left in the hair for too long. Potentially dangerous chemicals are also used in other common hair styling procedures, including perming, bleaching, tinting and adding extensions.

Case Study: Burns From Hairdresser's Failure To Apply Base Cream

A negative reaction to ingredients in hair care product may cause temporary or permanent baldness, and result in scarring to the scalp caused by chemical burns. Apart from physical pain, injured persons are likely to suffer mental trauma from being partially disfigured. This often leads to chronic loss of self confidence and the cancellation of previously made plans such as special events and holidays. All these factors are taken into account when determining the size of a compensation award. Ths principle factor which will determine the level of compensation award is how long hair takes to regrow.

What You Should Do If Your Hairdresser Has Ruined Your Hair

Typical Hair Styling Accidents

Allergic reaction to chemicals in hair styling products
Burns and baldness caused by poorly prepared or misapplied products
Cuts and bleeding caused by hair stylist slipping with scissors.
Dermatitis and related hair loss

Case Study: Client Burnt By Hot Curling Tongs At Salon

Legal Responsibilities of Hair Stylists to Clients

Hair styling salons shoulds carry out skin patch tests on new customers to check for well-known allergies such an allergy to hair dye. A small amount of hair dye should be tested on a patch of skin, ideally 24 hours before the treatment is due to take place. Salons should also offer a hair strand test where required to ensure chemicals in styling products will not damage hair follicles.

Hair styling customers have a legal right to expect that their treatment will be carried out by a reasonably competent professional. Forseeable injuries are regularly caused by inexperienced junior stylists who mix hair solutions to the wrong strength, or fail to remove chemical products from their clients hair at the right moment. In the case of perming this leads to a condition known as 'over-processed' hair which may subsequently begin to fall out.

Hair styling salons are subject to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), which regulates the storage, use and disposal of chemical solutions such as perming lotion. Certain chemicals contained in hair dye are also illegal under separate legislation. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 also requires that electrical appliances used for hair styling are regularly safety tested.

How To Complain About A Hairdresser

Cuts & Bleeding At Hair Salons | Hair Straightening Injuries | Hair Dying Gone Wrong | Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye | Hair Loss From Bleaching | Hair Colouring Injuries | Damage From Hair Extensions | Hair Perm Injuries | Afro-Caribbean Hair Damage | Hair Transplant Surgery Injuries | Infections & Diseases | Laser Treatment Injuries | Laser Eye Surgery Gone Wrong | Laser Scar Removal Injuries | Laser Hair Removal Side Effects | Laser Skin Resurfacing Injuries