Beauty Salon Burns

A Philadelphia woman has filed a case against her salon after suffering serious burns and hair loss from chemicals used by salon employees. Stephanie Hendrick was a customer at Xquisite Hair Design in April of 2014. Hendrick claims that the salon incorrectly used chemicals on her hair with the purpose of washing, dying, and relaxing her hair.

Beauty salons are the scenes of many personal injury claims. Many of the products used at salons are highly toxic or are used at dangerously high temperatures. Salon workers must be properly trained to work with dangerous chemicals and electrical appliances.

Burns, both from heat and from chemicals, are one of the most common injuries at salons. Clients of a salon can be burned from equipment used to style hair, like hair straighteners, curling irons, from wax or lasers used to remove hair, or from beauty treatments applied to the skin.

Chemical burns can occur at salons when salon staff fails to spot test chemical treatments before applying them to the skin. Dangerous chemicals need to be mixed properly so they are not too strong, and dyes need to be tested on skin before being applied to the entire scalp.

Unregulated Beauty Products

The cosmetics industry is worth close to $30 billion in the United States, yet the government mostly lacks authority to regulate the products. Cosmetic companies are not required to disclose the chemical composition of the 2,000 new beauty products that reach shelves every year. When the government does want to remove a product, it must go through a lengthy legal battle.

For example, the Brazilian Blowout is a popular treatment to smooth hair, but it has dangerous side effects. The treatment uses a serum that is applied to the hair and then sealed in with a very hot (close to 450 degrees F) hair straightener. But most of the serums used in this treatment contain formaldehyde, a carcinogen that causes nose and throat cancers, leukemia, and respiratory problems.

Both clients who regularly receive these treatments and the salon works who give them are exposed to these deadly chemicals.

Filing a Claim for Salon Injuries

If you have been at a salon, it is important to file your claim as soon as possible. There may be statues of limitations on how long you have to file a claim, and failing to follow those deadlines will prevent you from ever recovering damages. If you are injured at a salon, follow these steps:

• Collect any physical evidence available, and take pictures of the injuries as soon as they occur
• Gather all receipts or bills related to the injury
• Take note of all the information you were given by the salon about the beauty treatment before your appointment
• Document any correspondence you had with the salon about your injury

Contact a personal injury attorney to learn more about your options. Call our offices today to schedule a free consultation.