Hairdressing Compensation Claims

Hair is incredibly strong and elastic, but it can only withstand so much ‘stress’ before it is permanently damaged. Hair could be damaged, eg by the use of a substandard product, harsh chemicals or excess heat. If this happens and you suffer more than minor damage you might be able to make a hair damage claim against the hairdresser.

The most common causes of avoidable hair damage that can lead to hairdressing compensation claims are:

Hair dyes and other types of hair product often contain chemicals to increase their effectiveness, although in a more environmentally friendly age – there is increasing effort to make hair treatments more organic. But the fact is, chemical burns can be caused if insufficient care is taken by a hairdresser.

The hair dye itself might contain too high a concentration of chemicals. In other cases it may cause a painful allergic reaction; or it is left too long on the client’s hair causing serious hair damage, brittle hair or hair loss.

Cutting hair is precision work with the use of sharp scissors. A distracted barber or a careless hairdresser is highly likely to cut or graze a client’s skin or scalp if they are not concentrating or working at speed.

The use of excessive heat can burn the skin. For example, a slip of a straightening iron or curling tong could result in direct contact with your skin. A burn is almost inevitable and you the injured person could then start the hairdresser injury claims process.

If hair extensions are attached carelessly, perhaps because of insufficient training, it can cause discomfort and potential scalp damage and damage to the hair follicles – particularly if the wrong bonding agent is used. Keratin glue is usually considered the safest for minimising the risk of damage.

If substantial amounts of hair are left unswept on the floor, anyone walking over it can easily slip over and injure themselves. And if any spilt hair products or water is left on the floor, it creates a further potential slipping hazard.

If you’ve suffered harm because of substandard service at a hairdressers or barbers, you should seek legal advice free of charge on 0800 234 6438. If you prefer, complete the online form here, leave your details and request a callback.

Several types of injury lead to successful personal injury claims. The most common types of injury caused by a sub-standard level of care at the hairdressers or barbers include:

Typical signs of hair damage include actual loss of hair, whether it is hair falling out gradually or in clumps; or your’re left with brittle hair or frizzy and dry hair – even after you’ve washed it at home. Hair damage may not physically hurt you but you could, nevertheless, make a hair damage claim.

One of the most common types of hairdressing injuries, chemical burns are particularly painful and distressing; they can be unsightly; and can even leave permanent scarring. It is also a type of injury sustained in a beauty salon

The use of chemicals, and even natural substances, in any form can cause significant allergic reactions – even if you’ve never had a reaction to it before. An allergic reaction might be mild, in the form of an itchy and sore scalp, skin irritation or a rash; or it can be more serious, causing swelling, vomiting or even anaphylactic shock.

In many cases, the symptoms of an allergy to hair dye or other hair product might not develop immediately. This means it may not be obvious that there is a link between allergic reactions and the hair treatment used by your hairdresser. If you are unsure, it’s always sensible to talk it through with a specialist legal adviser to see if you might be able to hold your hairdresser responsible by claiming compensation.

Eye injuries can be significant. Even a tiny splash of a hair product in the eye can cause a painful injury. Usually, any discomfort will quickly pass – but more serious cases can involve longer lasting pain and blurred vision, or even a permanent loss of sight.

It’s not hard to see how the careless use of scissors or razors can risk a cut to the skin or the ears. Noone should expect to go to the hairdressers or barbers and leave with such an injury. If it’s serious enough to justify seeking compensation, you may be able to start the personal injury claims process.

Anything deeper than superficial cuts or chemical burns can lead to scarring. While many scars will fade in time, serious cases of scarring may be long term or even permanent. A visible permanent scar to the face, neck or upper torso can also be psychologically difficult to cope with.

Where permanent scar damage is caused to the scalp, you are likely to be left with permanent bald patches which can be unsightly and distressing.

If you have slipped and fallen because of hair left on the floor or spilt liquids that have not been mopped up within a reasonable time, you may suffer a slip or trip injury that could have been avoided. A slip or trip might cause mild bruising or, in more serious cases, a broken bone or even a back injury. 

Other types of injury that could be caused at a salon, but are thankfully much less common, include strokes, infection from the use of dirty razors or scissors and electrocution. These incidents should never happen and are invariable the result of breaches of health and safety legislation.

If you have suffered a hairdressing injury or your hair has been damaged after a visit to the salon, you could make a hairdresser injury claim. It is crucial to get early advice from lawyers experienced in bringing successfuly hairdressing compensation claims, particularly as they will need to find out if the hairdresser or barber responsible has insurance cover in place (otherwise you’re unlikely to be able to recover compensation).

Your legal adviser will take full details from you about what led to the harm you suffered and who should be held accountable. If you are able to go ahead with your hairdressing compensation claim, your lawyer will get hold of your medical records and other evidence; and build the strongest possible case with the aim of recovering maximum compensation.

Your lawyers will be specialist solicitors experienced in taking claims on a no win no fee basis.

To sue a hair salon, hairdresser or barbers, you will want to gather as much evidence as you can to support your hairdresser compensation claim. The stronger the evidence, the more likely you’ll be able to recover compensation. You will need to be able to prove that, on balance, the hairdresser not only breached their duty of care towards you – but that the hairdresser’s negligence or breach was the direct cause of your injuries or hair damage.

Your solicitor will need the following information:

• Medical evidence – If you’ve suffered a hairdresser injury or allergic reaction, you must seek medical advice if you haven’t done already – even if you don’t think you need medical attention. The medical record of your initial visit will be important evidence. Your lawyer will request the relevant medical notes and medical records early in your personal injury claim.Where your hairdressing claim relates to an injury, you will need to have a medical examination by a suitable expert, such as a skin specialist. The expert will then write a report on your injuries and recovery; whether they consider long-term or permanent damage is likely; and whether further medical treatments – or even cosmetic treatment – is recommended.
• Who caused the injury – Your solicitor will need details of the hair stylist involved, and where your hairdressing appointment took place (and the date and time)
• Products involved – If a hair product such as hair dye was involved, you or your solicitor will need to find out what this was. Consider asking your hairdresser at the hairdressing salon for the name and manufacturer and the bottle or packaging used (if still available).
• Any witnesses – Make sure you provide your solicitor with details of any witnesses to what happened. This could be someone who was in the next chair at the hairdressing salon – or a family member who accompanied you to the salon.
• CCTV – It’s quite possible there are cameras in the salon for security reasons. Check whether the hair salon you visited has CCTV and ask to see the footage for the relevant day.
• Photographs – As soon as possible, take photographs of your hairdressing injury or hair damage. Take photographs regularly, perhaps every day, to show how your injury develops – particularly in the case of a burn or rash.
• Keep a diary – Keeping a contemporaneous diary or journal of your physical recovery and the impact of your injury on your life, and on your mental and emotional state, will be important evidence to help your personal injury claim.
• Expenses – Gather together any receipts and invoices connected with money you’ve had to fork out for because of what has happened to you. For example travel expenses, visiting another hairdresser do try to have the hair damage dealt with, and further medical or cosmetic treatment.
• Expert trichologist’s report – If your hairdressing injury claim relates to scalp or hair damage, your solicitor is likely to commission a trichologist (a hair specialist) to examine you and write a report on the damage to your hair

You won’t need to worry about the costs involved in obtaining expert evidence – your legal professionals will arrange for you to see any experts; and the costs will be covered by your no win no fee agreement.

In hairdressing compensation claims, it is important to start the process as soon as you can while events are fresh in your mind and witnesses are more easily contactable. The general principle in personal injury cases is that you have three years from the date of the incident in which to start to claim hairdresser compensation.

If a child or young person has been harmed at the hairdressers, the three-year period doesn’t start to run until they turn 18. The limitation period does not apply to an incapacitated person, such as an elderly client with severe dementia (unless they regain capacity). So, while children and those without mental capacity have a much longer period in which compensation claims can be made, it is best to start the ball rolling as early as possible while events are fresh in your mind. You can do this on their behalf by acting as their ‘litigation friend’.

Always get free legal advice as soon as you can to avoid any risk of being ‘out of time’. Call 0800 234 6438 now for no obligation advice or complete the online contact form and request a call back to discuss your hairdressing injury claim.

While it is uncommon to have your hair damaged at the hairdressers, it is not unheard of. If you’ve been unfortunate enough to have your hair ruined by a hairdresser, the law recognises that you should be able to make a claim for what you have experienced.

You have the right to a good standard of care when visiting the hairdresser. If the standard of care they provide falls below a reasonable standard and the result is a ruined head of hair, you are likely to be angry, distressed and facing the prospect of potentially having the rest of your hair cut short and waiting for it to regrow.

This is unfair and your hairdresser should be held to account. You have the legal right to make a claim for hairdresser injury compensation for what has happened to you. Importantly – even if you haven’t suffered a painful injury (such as a burn or cuts) – hair damage or hair loss as a result of negligence is classed as personal injury. There is also every chance that the damage to your hair has caused psychological trauma for which you may be able to claim compensation for.

To start your hair damage compensation claim following a hairdressing incident, call for a free consultation with a trained legal adviser on 0800 234 6438. If you prefer, you can request a call back using the contact form here.

Yes – your hairdresser, like anyone else who provides a service in return for payment, can be sued if they are negligent and cause you injuries.

In most hairdressing compensation claims, the claim will actually be against their insurance company under the hairdresser’s liability insurance policy (assuming they have one). This means that where hairdressing claims succeed, it will be the insurer and not the hairdresser or hair salon that pays out compensation.

However, hairdressers in the UK are unregulated, which means there is no legal obligation on them to carry insurance to cover the risk of personal injury claims. Even if they do have insurance in place, it may be ineffective if the insurer takes the view that the policy holder failed to comply with the terms. The outworking is that it can be immensely challenging for those needed to make hairdressing compensation claims.

The important thing is to speak to a lawyer experienced in hairdressing compensation claims as early as you can to find out where you stand. They will take full details from you and determine who your compensation claim will be made against – and find out whether the person responsible has insurance cover. They will then advise you on your next steps.

Hairdressers and barbers are either employed, or are self-employed and rent a chair at a salon. Whether the person who caused the injury is the hair salon owner or is self-employed, they are subject to strict health and safety rules and regulations.

Hairdressers must comply with the general duties set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which include requiring them to carry out regular assessments to identify the safety risks. They must take reasonable measures to minimise the risks to clients, such as placing warning signs where there is a hazard, provide appropriate training and keeping equipment, such as scissors, clippers and razors clean and safe.

Most hairdressers are diligent and will undertake a hair strand test or patch test before carrying out services, such as bleaching and dying hair or using hair glues. These tests are intended to identify where there is a risk of an allergy or reaction, so a failure to take these simple steps could amount to hair salon negligence.

• Hair strand tests involve testing a small amount of product in a small, usually hidden, section of clients’ hair or a piece of hair is cut off and tested.
• A patch test involves applying a small amount of dye or other product to a patch of skin two days or so before it is intended to be properly applied. This allows opportunity for any potential allergy or reaction to manifest itself.

In addition, hairdressers must comply with specific regulations including:

• The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) – The use of hair dyes and other chemicals amount to the use of potentially hazardous substances. COSHH requires hairdressers to minimise the risks associated with their use.
• The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002 – Hairdressers, and clients who are having chemicals used on their hair, must wear PPE to adequately protect them from the risks.
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998– All salons are legally required to regularly test their electrical appliances and maintain it. This minimises the risk of electrocution and other injuries caused by faulty or damaged electrical appliances, such as blow dryers, clippers and straighteners.

Where these duties are breached, there is a much greater risk of injury. Furthermore, the very fact that you may have suffered injury or hair damage is a clear indicator that there was a breach of duty.

It’s useful to know that as a workplace, hairdressers and barbers have a legal duty to report specific injuries and incidents to the Health and Safety Executive under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013). Most of the reporting obligations relate to employees and workers.

As far as clients are concerned, only the most serious cases would need to be reported under RIDDOR, so if your injury was serious (for example, a major eye injury) – ask the hairdresser if the incident was reported. The HSE response to their report may be important for your claim.

If you believe your hairdresser breached their legal duties and your injuries were caused by their negligence, call on 0800 234 6438 and speak with a trained legal adviser or if you prefer, you can request a call back using the contact form here.

You can sue a ‘mobile’ hairdresser in the same way as if your injury or hair damage was caused in a salon. A hairdresser who travels to clients’ homes also owes strict health and safety duties towards individuals when providing them with services in their homes.

This means a mobile hairdresser will need to be organised and prepared before visiting a client, ensuring they have adequate PPE; that the products they use are safe; and their equipment is clean and suitable for use. Arrangements should have been made ahead of the visit for any necessary patch test of initial hair tests.

The sticky issue, however, relates to insurance cover. It will need to be determined whether they have public liability insurance in place. If they don’t, they are unlikely to have the funds to pay hairdresser injury compensation for what has happened and you may have little recourse for your injuries.

If you’re able to bring a claim against your hairdresser, you can claim compensation for the injuries and for any hair damage caused. This is known as ‘general damages’. You can also claim for your financial losses, such as medical expenses and cosmetic treatment. This is known as ‘special damages’.

The purpose of general damages is to compensate you fairly for the pain and damage you have suffered. How much compensation you deserve depends on several factors, such as how serious the injury is and your expected recovery time. If you have been left with permanent scarring, for example, you can expect to receive a higher level of hairdresser injury compensation than if you suffered minor chemical burns that heal in a few weeks.

The law also recognises that hairdressing injuries can directly cause emotional or psychological harm. For instance, it is extremely distressing to be left with permanent scalp damage or visible facial scarring. It’s not hard to understand why the affected individual can lose their self-confidence and find it difficult to live their life in the way they did previously with unsightly scars or a bald patch.

On occasion, permanent damage can even affect a person’s livelihood, for examples models or others in public-facing roles where appearance is important may lose their jobs and have to find lower paid positions.

Below are examples how much compensation you could receive, depending on the nature and extent of your injuries:

• Facial scarring (less significant) – £3,950 – £13,740
• Hair damage with continued thinning and poor prospects or regrowth/total loss of hair growth in areas – up to £11,020
• Minor eye injury from being splashed in the eye with liquid – £3,950 to £8,730
• Moderate psychological harm – £5,860 – £19,070

Source: Judicial College Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases (16th edition)

In addition to general damages, you are entitled to claim back expenses and other financial losses that are directly related to the harm and injuries you suffered at the salon. You might have had clothing damaged by spilt chemicals; paid out for medical expenses; or had to pay another hairdresser to fix – or cut off – your damaged hair.

In serious cases, you may have to resort to cosmetic surgery or other private medical treatment; or pay to have a wig or hair piece made – which can be very expensive – to help you regain your confidence and live a normal life once again.

However, the items you claim back as part of your claim must be considered reasonable in light of what has happened to you. So it’s vitally important to discuss your particular circumstances with your personal injury solicitor before committing to spending out money you might not be able to claim back.

It’s also possible you have had to have time off work to recover from your injury. You should be able to claim back any loss of earnings that relate to the your injury. Your injury lawyer will discuss the process of making hairdressing compensation claims and explain how it works in practice.

If you’ve been unfortunate enough to have been injured or suffered hair damage at the hairdressers or the barbers, you may be able to claim personal injury compensation. The most important step you can take is to contact a legal adviser as soon as possible for free advice on 0800 234 6438.

You will be partnered with a personal injury solicitor experienced in hairdressing compensation claims who will be able to assess your claim and advise on your chances of making a claim. You don’t need to be concerned about the potential costs involved because if you have a good claim, your lawyer will take it on a no win no fee basis.