Compensation for Skin Discoloration Following Hair Dye

Can I claim for compensation for skin discolouration following hair dye? My hair line and the tops of my ears have been left the same colour as the hair dye I had applied last week and no amount of scrubbing will fade it. It has proved very embarrassing when at work – I am a receptionist and must meet and greet people every day.

Eoin P. Campbell, LL.B., Solicitor

Editor in Chief

Eoin P. Campbell

If your professional hairstylist can be shown to have administered your treatment poorly, been negligent or insufficiently skilled, you should be entitled to make a claim for compensation for skin discolouration following hair dye.

To ensure your eligibility to make a compensation for skin discolouration claim, there are some procedures you should follow to determine negligence, the first being that you take photographs of the areas affected by discolouration. Following that, you should return to the hair salon and make a written report in their “Accident Report Book”, making sure to retain your own copy.

There is a possibility that the salon may offer you compensation for skin discolouration following hair dye before you have to opportunity to consider your potential claim. It should be noted that the amount offered – which is likely to be a small cash sum or vouchers – may not adequately reflect how much compensation you should justifiably receive, particularly as it has affected your confidence at work and therefore your quality of life. It is recommended that you relay such an offer to a solicitor and present the report made in the Accident Report Book to be professionally assessed.

If the salon offers an early settlement of compensation, they are effectively admitting liability and you have a better opportunity to receive a fair and accurate amount of compensation. Most solicitors offer a free initial consultation where they can answer any questions you may have and can recommend whether or not the salon’s offer is acceptable or if you have a claim worth pursuing through legal action.