Whether you’re visiting a hairdresser to have your hair cut and blow-dried, coloured, permed or straightened, you should always feel satisfied and pleased with the outcome. Unfortunately, however, sometimes things can go wrong which could potentially cause damage to your hair, or cause you an injury. Importantly, if you have suffered a personal injury due to the negligence of your hairdresser or barber, you may be eligible to make a hairdressing compensation claim.

This guide provides an overview of the various situations that can lead to hairdressing-related injuries, explains the grounds for which you may be eligible for compensation, and the types of evidence that can be useful in supporting a  claim.

When you’ve finished reading, please don’t hesitate to call 0800 6524 881 and speak to us for free advice on your options.

Am I Eligible To Make A Hairdressing Compensation Claim?

If you have been injured by a hairdresser or in a hairdressing salon, there are some points that will need to be confirmed as being true before commencing a hairdressing compensation claim. These include:

• That, as their client, the hairdresser owed you a duty of care; and
• The hairdresser was negligent in some way; and
• That you were injured due to their negligence.

If you have suffered an injury because the hairdresser was negligent but are unsure as to whether you’re eligible to claim, please speak to our personal injury claims advisors for free advice.

Can I Make A Hairdressing Injury Claim As An Employee?

Thanks to The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 employers have a legal duty of care to protect their employees from harm by providing a safe working environment. Therefore, it may be possible to make a hairdressing injury claim against your employer if you were injured at work.

If your injury was the result of your employer’s negligence, such as using faulty equipment or not being given sufficient training, you may be entitled to compensation. For your claim to be successful, you will be required to show evidence of why your employer was negligent and demonstrate how it resulted in you becoming injured.

It’s important to seek legal advice as soon as possible after your injury. This should ensure you have the best chance of making a successful hairdressing injury claim. Please contact our claims advisors to discuss what’s happened and they’ll be happy to advise you on whether a claim is viable.

Health And Safety Legislation For Hair Salon Operators

Hairdressers and salon operators in the UK have a duty of care to protect their clients, visitors, and staff from injuries. As part of this duty of care, hairdressing businesses are required to comply with certain guidelines such as:

• Hair stylists must be properly trained in various hairstyling techniques and products, and in the use of complex equipment and sharp tools. Hairdressers who do not receive the necessary training are more likely to make mistakes and injure clients.
• Patch testing must be conducted before applying certain types of hair products such as hair dyes. These products contain very strong chemicals that can damage the hair permanently, cause hair fall, or trigger off severe allergic reactions.
• All haircare products must be disposed of correctly in compliance with The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) Act. These substances are toxic and can contaminate the environment if not disposed of properly.
• The surfaces, equipment and flooring must be cleaned and sanitised regularly to avoid contamination and other risks.
• All electrical appliances must be tested and maintained regularly to ensure that they are in good working order to minimise the risk of electrical shock and other accidents.

If your hairdresser failed to adhere to any of the above guidelines and you were injured as a result, you may have grounds to file a hairdressing compensation claim.

Common Hairdressing Compensation Claims

These are some of the more serious injuries that may warrant a hairdressing compensation claim:

• Chemical burns – Chemical burns are maybe more common than you may think. At a hairdressing salon, using hair dyes and products containing harsh chemicals or using the wrong concentrations can cause chemical burns, damaging the hair or scalp. Find out more on claiming compensation for hair dye burns here.
• Hair damage or hair fall – Using the wrong product or incorrect use of the right product can cause hair damage in the form of brittle or frizzy hair. It can also cause hair to fall out in clumps.
• Burns – Burns can result from using very hot products on your hair or accidentally touching you with hot equipment. Find advice on compensation for burn injuries in our guide here.
• Cuts/Scars – Hairdressers use a variety of sharp scissors to cut and style hair. Cuts from a hairdresser’s scissors can be particularly grievous because they usually occur around the face, scalp, and neck areas and can leave the victim with scars. Find out more on scarring injury claims here.
• Infections – All salon equipment must be cleaned and sanitised between customers. Using unclean equipment can pass infections from one customer to another. Some infections can be very serious.
• Allergic reactions – Certain chemicals in products or using unclean equipment may trigger off various allergic reactions.
• Slips, trips, and falls – There are a variety of hair products being used in the salon throughout the day. Most of these are viscous and slippery. Spillages that are not mopped up immediately are major slip and trip hazards. Putting up ‘wet floor’ signs while cleaning and keeping them there till the floor has dried up completely is just as important. More information on slip, trip and fall claims can be found here.
• Repetitive strain injuries – Repetitive strain injuries, such as tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome, can develop as a result of performing the same hairdressing techniques repeatedly over a long period of time.

All of the above injuries when caused by some form of negligence may be grounds for making a hairdressing compensation claim.

How Much Compensation For A Hairdressing Injury Could I Claim?

Hairdressing compensation could be claimed to cover financial losses, pain and suffering, and loss of amenity, when a hairdresser, barber, or hair stylist has been negligent and injured the client or damaged their hair as a result.

Hairdressing claims generally consist of two different types of damages:

• General Damages – These damages reflect the pain and suffering, both physical and/or psychological, that you have endured as a result of the hairdresser’s negligence.
• Special Damages – These take into account any expenses or financial losses you have experienced as a result of the hairdressing salon injury. These may include medical and travel expenses, care costs and loss of income.

Without knowing the full details of your specific situation it isn’t possible to provide personalised compensation estimates as every claim is unique. However, if your hairdressing claim is taken on by one of our personal injury solicitors, they will be able to advise exactly on what should be included in your claim to make sure you receive the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve.

Hairdressing Injury Compensation Calculator

Although we’re not able to give an estimate of a settlement amount at this stage, we can provide you with some idea of average hairdressing compensation payout amounts for various different personal injuries by using the injury compensation calculator below.

The calculator uses figures advised by the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) which legal professionals such as personal injury solicitors/lawyers can refer to when calculating hairdressing injury settlement amounts.

Please don’t worry if your specific injury/injuries aren’t listed. We could still start a hairdressing compensation claim if your case is strong enough and once all the details are known, provide a compensation estimate.

What Evidence Will I Need To Prove A Hairdresser Was Negligent?

If you decide to sue a hairdresser for negligence, you will need to be able to provide evidence to support your claim. The evidence should be able to show how the hairdresser was negligent and how this negligence caused your injury. Evidence should ideally be gathered as early as possible.

The types of information that could act as evidence include:

• Medical records. It’s important that you see your GP as soon as possible following an injury at a hairdressing salon to make sure it is diagnosed correctly so that you can begin treatment. You will be able to ask for a copy of your medical records at a later date when required.
• Statements from witnesses. If you have any witnesses that were present at the barber’s or hairdresser’s and can vouch for what happened, make a note of their contact details so that they may be contacted for a witness statement at a later date.
• Photographs. Take photos of your injury or hair damage to show visually your pain and suffering.
• Receipts. If you paid the hairdresser, keep the receipt as proof of purchase. This can help to demonstrate that you were a client and that they had a duty of care towards you.
• Hair product information. If the injury caused by the hairdresser was due to the use of a particular product, such as burns from a hair dye, keep the product packaging and information, as this could be useful in determining if the product was defective or dangerous.
• Diary. Make a note of everything that has happened since your hairdressing injury. This may include how you’ve felt, what costs you may have incurred, if you couldn’t work or if you’ve had to miss any family or social events as a result.

If you’d like to discuss any evidence for a hairdressing compensation claim you might already have, please contact our claims advisors today to find out whether a claim is viable.

What’s The Time Limit For Claiming Compensation?

In the UK, the time limit in which to make a hairdressing injury claim is generally 3 years and would start from either the date the injury occurred or the date on which the injury was diagnosed.

If a child has been injured by a hairdresser or barber, the 3-year time limit would not begin until they’re 18 years old. However, a litigation friend could start a hairdressing injury claim on their behalf.

Starting The Hairdressing Compensation Claims Process

Please contact our claims advisors today if you’d like to start the hairdressing compensation claims process today. An advisor on our team will first assess your case to determine if you have a viable claim in a free consultation.

If they believe there is a good chance of success, they will pass it over to one of our personal injury solicitors who may offer to pursue your hairdressing claim on your behalf on a No Win No fee basis. This way you’ll have no upfront costs to pay. If successful, a set percentage would be deducted directly from the awarded amount to cover your solicitor’s legal costs etc.

If the claim is unsuccessful, we do not ask you to pay us anything at all.

Contact us today on 0800 6524 881 or use the live chat provided if you have any questions or queries about making a hairdressing compensation claim and we’ll be happy to advise.