Injury lawyers look at hair dye case
Injury lawyers have revealed that a 16-year-old girl was left temporarily blinded and unrecognisable after a botched hair dyeing appointment left her with severe personal injuries.
The girl from Huddersfield, had booked a hair appointment with her local salon because she was going to a school prom.
However, after the dye was placed on, she suffered a severe allergic reaction after a trainee hairdresser applied the fashionable colour without carrying out a skin patch test.
Due to the incident her face swelled up, leaving her with blisters and she was unable to open her eyes for five days.
After a long 5 year battle, she has now been awarded with £20,000 compensation and uses her negative experience to warn others about the hazards of hair dye.
The owner of the salon responsible was told to pay her £18,000 legal bill after initially defending the case.
The victim said: “I took the legal action because I wanted them to realise how much it's affected my life. Hairdressers have a responsibility to their clients.
“It could happen to anyone – they don't know how sensitive people are so a skin test is a must. My advice to everyone is be careful. I hope this makes people realise what can happen,” she said.
Denise Kitchener, chief executive of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), said: “While there are many reputable salons out there, others have a careless attitude towards the safety of their customers.”
Hair today gone tomorrow
The claimant revealed the agonising pain she went through – at a time when every 16-year-old girl is looking forward to one of the best nights of her life – a prom.
Whilst at the hairdressers, the assistant put on a purple/brown hair dye shade. However, the dye made her face erupt in blisters and swellings developed which left her unable to see. She stated: “As a young girl you care about how you look – I felt embarrassed – but the worst thing was the pain.”
She was a pupil at Colne Valley High School in Huddersfield, West Yorks, when she decided to have her hair coloured before her school prom in April 2004. Within seconds she began to react to the chemicals.
“I went to my prom but I was in tears all night as my head hurt. I woke up and the right side of my face was swollen and liquid was coming from my head,” she said.
A hairy situation
The APIL has expressed fears that too many hairdressers are going into business without appropriate preparation as a result of lax regulation. Therefore, many customers are being unnecessarily exposed to hazards and life changing injuries.
A spokeswoman from the body said: “Anyone can pick up a pair of scissors and call themselves a hairdresser, with or without training and qualifications.”
Presently, standards in the sector are monitored by the Hairdressing Council, but its jurisdiction is limited by the fact that registration as a qualified professional in this industry is not mandatory.Updated on 14/12/2009