Laser hair removal is generally a safe cosmetic procedure. It is a treatment that is commonly performed in beauty salons to prevent hair growth. However, as you might imagine, there are risks associated with treatment using lasers. If things go wrong, you could end up with skin irritations, laser hair removal burns, and other injuries. Where your injuries were caused by negligence or if you were not warned about the risks involved, you may be eligible to make a laser hair removal claim for compensation for any injuries sustained.

In this guide to laser hair removal compensation claims, we explain when you might be eligible to claim for compensation, the process of making a claim, and we’ll also provide some compensation estimates as well.

Our team of specialist advisors can help if you do decide to take action. Firstly, they’ll review your case with you to see if it’s suitable. During your call, free legal advice about your options will be provided. Where there is a reasonable chance of winning your claim, it could be passed to one of our personal injury solicitors. To reduce your financial risk, they’ll work on a No Win No Fee basis if your laser hair removal claim is taken on. That means they won’t ask to be paid upfront and you won’t have to pay them if your claim is unsuccessful.

Would you like to talk to us about your claim right away? If so, please call us on 0800 6524 881. Otherwise, read on to find out how laser hair removal compensation claims work.

What Is Laser Hair Removal?

Laser hair removal is where lasers are used to direct light into the hair follicles. The light is then absorbed by melanin (the pigment found in hair). As a result of the heat of the laser, the hair follicle is damaged which means hair growth is delayed.

The process isn’t usually permanent and you may need several treatments to start seeing the benefits. After that, top-up treatments might be required as well.

How Can Laser Hair Removal Treatments Go Wrong?

Some of the risks associated with laser hair removal include:

• Skin irritation. This is usually temporary and will recede within a matter of hours.
• Pigment changes. It is possible that the skin in the area treated could become lighter or darker as a result of laser hair removal. This can be permanent or temporary.

Other issues that can arise from laser hair removal include burns, scars, blistering or scarring. Also, treatment can sometimes cause greying of hair or you might see excessive hair growth in areas near to where you were treated.

Problems during a laser hair removal treatment can arise due to several different reasons. It could be because the procedure was performed by an unqualified or inexperienced technician or because the procedure was performed using instruments that were not properly sanitised. The use of unclean instruments can result in an infection leading to permanent scarring.

Negligence That Could Lead To Botched Laser Hair Removal

Since 2010, laser hair surgery has been deregulated. Previously, practitioners had to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). As a result, non-healthcare professionals can now carry out laser hair removal and the onus is on them to ensure their procedures are safe (although some authorities may perform checks locally).

Even without regulation, though, any beauty salon that treats you owes you a duty of care to try and keep you safe and well during and after treatment. That means they must:

• Inform you of the risks associated with laser hair removal prior to treatment.
• Carry out your treatment using the right equipment and procedures.
• Provide treatment in a hygienic environment.
• Provide sound advice on aftercare procedures.

If they are negligent and botch the treatment by failing to carry out the steps above and you suffer as a result, you could have grounds to claim laser hair removal compensation.

Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation For Laser Hair Removal Gone Wrong?

If a personal injury solicitor is to take on your claim for laser hair removal gone wrong, they will check whether:

• The practitioner that treated you was negligent in some way; and
• You were injured as a direct result of that negligence (referred to legally as causation).

It’s important to state that both negligence and causation must be proven if you’re to be compensated. This isn’t the easiest thing to achieve and it’s one of the reasons we suggest taking on legal representation. Our team of solicitors have helped many clients make successful cosmetic surgery claims.

If you’d like to find out if your claim could be handled by one of our specialists, please get in touch today.

Evidence To Support A Laser Hair Removal Claim

If you do decide to take action following negligent laser hair removal, you will need to supply evidence. This will need to show what injuries you sustained, the negligence that caused it, and who was responsible. The types of information you could supply to help include:

• Medical evidence. It’s important to visit a doctor if you’re injured following laser hair removal. They’ll make sure your injuries are diagnosed properly and will arrange for proper treatment. At a later date, you could ask the doctor to supply a copy of your medical records to help prove what injuries were sustained.
• Witness details. Where somebody else was with you during your consultation or treatment, you should provide their contact details (with their permission) to your solicitor. They may be asked for a statement of what was said or what they observed.
• Photographs. After a negligent laser hair removal treatment, you should take photographs of any visible burns or scars. These could be used in conjunction with your medical records to help establish how you suffered.
• Complaint letters. If you lodged a complaint with the salon after you were injured, the response letter could be used as evidence. It could help to determine what went wrong and whether liability has been admitted.
• Correspondence or adverts. If you have kept any emails or text messages regarding your treatment, they could help to prove whether proper advice was given prior to treatment. Similarly, leaflets about your treatment might prove useful as well.
• A diary. Finally, it’s often a good idea to keep a diary after you’ve been injured. This can be used to record any costs you incur, when you couldn’t work or when you had to miss social or family events because of your injuries.

After you’ve collected as much evidence as possible, do get in touch. We’ll happily review it with you to see if you have a valid claim.

How Much Compensation For Laser Hair Removal Burns Could I Claim?

How severe your laser hair removal burns are, the psychological impact and the prognosis with regard to your recovery are just three elements of a compensation claim that will help with determining the amount of compensation you might receive.

Compensation is typically comprised of general damages which cover your pain and suffering and special damages that are based on any associated costs. Some of the elements you could be compensated for include:

• Your pain and suffering.
• Any psychological harm.
• The impact on your family or social life.
• Lost earnings.
• Travel expenses.
• Medical treatment costs.

To show how much might be paid as general damages, please see the section below.

Compensation Amounts For Laser Hair Removal Burns

As every laser hair removal claim is unique it is not possible without knowing the full details to provide an exact settlement amount for your claim. However, we can provide compensation amounts for laser hair removal burns and scars below.

• Very severe facial scarring causing a severe psychological reaction could see a compensation settlement of between £29,780 up to £97,330.
• Compensation for less severe facial scarring causing a significant psychological impact could payout around £17,960 up to £48,420.
• Significant facial scars where cosmetic surgery has reduced the impact might see compensation of between £9,110 up to £30,090.
• Compensation for a number of laceration scars or a single disfiguring scar to other areas of the body such as arms, legs, hands, back, chest, might see a settlement of £7,830 to £22,730.
• Less significant facial scars where the scars may be camouflaged or not so bad as to affect the claimant’s appearance markedly, £3,950 and £13,740.
• Compensation for a number of superficial scars or a single noticeable scar to arms, legs, hands, with minor cosmetic deficiency, might expect a settlement of £2,370 to £7,830.
• Compensation for trivial scars to the face from laser hair removal, £1,710 and £3,530.

The amounts listed are based on the guidelines released by the Judicial College. Their figures are used by legal professionals when calculating compensation payouts and settling claims.

To help establish how serious your injuries are, a medical assessment is usually needed. This will be conducted by an independent specialist and can usually be arranged locally for you. They’ll examine your injuries from the laser hair removal treatment and discuss how you were affected during your meeting. Once the meeting has ended, they’ll send a report to all parties linked to the claim.

Time Limits For Claiming Laser Hair Removal Compensation

You may already know that there is a time limit when making personal injury claims. Generally, for laser hair removal claims, you’ll have 3-years to take action from the date you were injured.

There is a fair bit of work to do when claiming compensation, so it’s best to begin as soon as possible. That will make it easier for you to recall what happened and give your solicitor plenty of time to collect evidence.

If liability for your injuries is resolved early enough, your claim could be settled in a matter of a few months. If there is any contest over who was to blame or the extent of your injuries, the claim could take longer while extra evidence and reports are gathered.

Starting The Laser Hair Removal Claims Process

Hopefully, this guide has shown you when you could be compensated for a negligent laser hair removal treatment. If you would like to start a claim with us, please call our advice centre on 0800 6524 881 today.

If your claim is taken on, a solicitor from our team will be appointed to it. They’ll keep you informed about how it’s progressing throughout the claims process and will do all they can to try and ensure you’re paid the maximum amount of compensation possible. Remember, all laser hair removal claims are handled on a No Win No Fee basis so you’ll only pay for your solicitors work if you’re compensated.