The law governing hair claims is very simple – Your hairdresser has a legal duty to take care for your safety.

If you are reading this page, you have probably learned to your cost that the chemicals used by hairdressers for colouring, bleaching and perming or straightening your hair can be very dangerous, especially if not used properly.

But suing a hairdresser is a complex business.

If you have suffered injury to your scalp or damage to your hair as a result of your hairdresser’s negligence we may be able to help you claim compensation.

If you get in touch we will be able to tell within a few minutes whether or not you have reasonable prospects for making a claim against the hairdresser.

We will write a detailed letter to the hairdresser or salon providing them with your account of what happened and why you think they are at fault.

All parties then have to abide by the terms of the Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims, which encourages both sides to settle the case without court proceedings if possible.

We will obtain evidence from a trichologist (a hair expert) to tell us whether he can prove that the damage has been caused by your hairdresser and tell us how long it will take for your hair to return to normal.

The government has recently introduced an online “portal” system to handle lots of injury cases, but that system is often unsuitable for hair claims. We will be able to advise whether it’s suitable for your case when you get in touch.

In cases, where the hairdresser refuses to negotiate sensibly, we are very experienced in the conduct of court proceedings.

But, even in difficult hair damage claims, where court proceedings are necessary, the vast majority of our cases are settled before we ever get to a trial.

When cases go ahead as a trial the experience of giving evidence is rarely as difficult as people imagine.

We have previously published some very straightforward pointers about giving evidence at court.

Do take some pictures of the damage to your hair and scalp as soon as possible.

Do save a sample of your damaged hair before any more treatment is done. The best thing is to seal a few full length strands into a plastic bag, so that we can have it analysed by an expert trichologist if necessary.

Do save some pictures of your hair from before the damage was done – (the best pictures from a recent holiday or recent night out are often a good place to start).

Do make a note of the name of the stylist and the name and address of the salon where you had your treatment.

Do try and find out the details of the products that were used.

Don’t have any more cutting or styling of your hair, and don’t allow anyone to apply any other products until you have had some initial advice.

Do give us a call for some free initial advice!

We can usually tell you in one short phone call whether you have grounds for bringing a claim against a hairdresser. And if it is worth going ahead, we will be able to tell you exactly what’s involved.

As you might expect, the amount of compensation in claims against hairdressers depends on the extent of the damage.

The biggest consideration is the amount of time it will take for damaged hair to return to its pre-damage length and condition, and in lots of our cases that can take years.

In our recent hair damage cases the level of settlement has ranged between £2,500 and £9,000.

If you ask us to deal with your claim against the hairdresser we will discuss the fee arrangements clearly and carefully before asking you to sign our terms and conditions.

Although other fee arrangements are available, “no win no fee” is usually the best option for clients bringing hair claims.

There are no “upfront” fees, no hidden charges, and we will never leave you out of pocket.

Most importantly, if you lose the case you pay nothing at all.

We have never had a complaint from a client in relation to fees.

Most claims against hairdressers are concluded within 12-18 months of the initial call.

This is because hair damages cases are often defended by the insurers for the hairdresser, and it is often necessary to gather expert trichology evidence about the damage and then bring court proceedings for our clients.

We won’t get our fees until the case is finished, so we will get on with things as quickly as we can!

Hairdressing businesses range in size from multi-national salon franchises right down to mobile stylists who operate out of the boot of their car.

So unfortunately, the absence of insurance is often a real problem in hair claims.

The only way to find out whether a negligent hairdresser is covered by insurance is to write a letter of claim and see whether an insurer responds.

Regulation – Lack of regulation is also a recognised problem in the hairdressing industry.

Even though hairdressers regularly use extremely dangerous chemicals on their clients’ hair, there is no compulsory regulation in the industry, and nothing to stop any unqualified operator from simply setting up shop as a hairdresser.