Samantha approached me after she had suffered terrible damage to her hair following a hair straightening treatment.
Cause:
Samantha had chosen an extremely well known hairdressing salon for a chemical hair straightening treatment called the YUKO system. She had undergone this treatment before at a different salon without any problems.
The hairdresser decided to treat Samantha’s whole head of hair despite not having carried out a strand test to assess whether or not her hair was suitable for the chemical treatment. Shortly after the treatment was applied Samantha became aware of a burning and itching sensation on her scalp which she then mentioned to the hairdresser. Unfortunately the hairdresser did not remove the product but instead decided to apply a further application of the chemical treatment. At this point Samantha’s scalp irritation became significantly worse. She again called the hairdresser to advise her of this and eventually the product was removed and Samantha left the salon.
Impact:
That evening Samantha noticed that her scalp was flaking and sore as well as the fact that her hair was breaking. She consulted with her GP and was given advice. She suffered significant hair loss and was left distraught, lacking in confidence and in a state of depression.
What we did:
Samantha approached me and I immediately arranged to have her examined by a hair specialist, who concluded that her hair damage, scalp irritation and hair loss was caused by the chemical treatment applied to her hair. The specialist also concluded that Samantha’s hair loss had a significant and adverse impact on Samantha’s psychological state and quality of life.
As Samantha’s psychological state did not improve I arranged for her to see a psychiatrist who concluded that given the severity of the damage to her hair and the role that hair plays in her appearance and self-esteem she had suffered from an adjustment disorder. Psychotherapy was recommended as well as anti-depressant medication.
I negotiated with the insurers for the hairdressing salon and to their credit they elected to enter into settlement discussions with us at an early stage. Because of this we did not need to invoke the court’s assistance and were able to negotiate a very good settlement of £30,000.00 for Samantha. Needless to say our client was extremely happy with the outcome
What is important to note about this case is the role that hair plays in many women’s lives. Often I support women who feel extremely vulnerable and lacking in self-confidence following a hair treatment which has left them with severe hair damage. The award I obtained in Samantha’s case was extraordinary. This was obtained not just because of the damage to her hair but also as a result of the psychological trauma and adjustment disorder that she was left with.