Excessive hair can of course cause distress, especially if it is in such a noticeable place as your face or neck. This is probably why the trend for undergoing hair removal treatments, such as laser hair removal or waxing at local clinics or salons and the sale of hair removal products such as creams and wax strips have become increasingly popular. However, all of these treatments can cause some injury as many of them either destroy the hair follicle (prominently laser removal) or dissolve the hair root to get that long lasting effect; therefore this means that if something goes wrong or something is faulty, the injury could be worse than what was intended.
Treatments at clinics/salons
If you have chosen to undergo hair removal at one of these it is likely that you will have a consultation to assess your need and decide on the best course of action. It is incredibly important to listen carefully and ask any questions as making a claim for cosmetic procedures can be difficult as there are always inherent risks. It is unlikely that you can claim for an inherent risk as for compensation you need to prove some form of negligence.
Common examples of negligence can result in injuries such as:
- Burning
- Scarring
- Skin pigmentation
- Nerve damage
- Allergic reactions
If you have suffered any of the above and believe it to be because of negligent treatment it is important to seek the advice of a personal injury solicitor straight away.
Faulty “home” products
Here at the injury lawyers, we have dealt with many claims involving faulty products including hair removal cream and faulty wax strips; however, it is important to note that we cannot pursue a claim simply for a product not working- an injury has had to have happened.
For example; if the cream was faulty it may have caused burning to the skin or if the substance on the wax strips (the wax) was faulty this may have caused skin damage. In these claims it is imperative to keep hold of the defective product; by any means contact the manufacturer and see whether they are aware that the product is faulty, but keeping the product can be a vital piece of evidence in obtaining a successful result.
One last thing to note on these types of cases; to be able to act on a No Win No Fee basis your injury has be worth over £1,000 otherwise it may fall into the small claims track. Usually the threshold for this is an injury lasting around 4-6 weeks (which in these cases can be quite rare). However, you should always seek the advice from a specialist on your individual case as the above is not a hard fast- set in stone rule.
