Close Menu
No Recovery No Fee
Hablamos Español
Call Now For A Free Consultation
Coral Springs & Parkland Injury Lawyers > Blog > Personal Injury > Did You Suffer An Injury At A Salon In Florida?

Did You Suffer An Injury At A Salon In Florida?

HairSalon

Each year dozens, if not hundreds, of patrons are injured at hair salons throughout Broward and Palm Beach County.    In the past, it was common to hear about patrons being injured as a result of slip and falls (i.e. water on floor) or trip and falls (things left on the floor).   Recently, however, we have been receiving calls from women who have suffered severe chemical burns on their scalps from improper coloring treatments.

When you go to a hair salon, the owner and their stylists have a duty (or responsibility) to avoid causing you harm.  If they breach that duty and you are injured, you are entitled to damages.

Many women throughout South Florida routinely go to stylists to change the look of their hair (color and straightening).   This is done through the use of (heated) chemicals.  Some of these chemicals include lye, formaldehyde and hydroxide.  For the movie buffs, lye was used in the movie Fight Club to burn Edward Norton’s hand.  Formaldehyde is used to embalm dead bodies.   These chemicals can be very dangerous.

Hair stylists use a combination of these chemicals to bleach, lighten, color, straighten and/or reduce frizz.  Hair stylists wear gloves to protect their skin from contact with these chemicals because they can be toxic (especially when heated).   To safeguard against injury, hair stylists generally pull your hair through plastic caps or wrap your hair in foil to prevent the chemicals from contacting your skin.    If they apply the treatments incorrectly, the chemicals may come in direct contact with your skin and cause injury.

Unbeknownst to you, these dangerous chemicals are routinely used by stylists who may be new or inexperienced.   They may not be familiar with the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent injury.  Sometimes even experienced stylists use too many chemicals, the wrong combination of chemicals, use the chemicals for too long, improperly use the chemicals in conjunction with high heat and/or use high heat for longer than recommended.  This can lead to very painful burns and scarring.

One popular procedure that leads to burns is Balayage (where the stylist hand-paints color on your hair).  Another popular procedure that leads to burns is a “Brazilian Blowout”.   With a Brazilian Blowout, a stylist applies liquid keratin to reduce frizz.   Then the stylist uses heat lamps and a hot flat iron to speed up the chemical reaction.  If not applied properly, these chemicals can cause significant damage to your scalp and head.     The added heat only serves to exacerbate the chemical reactions.

Victims of improper chemical procedures at hair salons can suffer temporary or permanent burns, causing pain and suffering as well as hair loss, scarring and disfigurement.   In one case, we heard of a victim’s scalp completely detaching from her head.   Sometimes, these victims need lengthy, painful and multiple reconstructive surgeries by a plastic surgery to (attempt to) fix their injuries.  As one would imagine, these surgeries can be quite expensive.

If you or someone you know has suffered significant injuries (i.e. severely burned scalp) at a hair salon from the use of chemicals, you should IMMEDIATELY seek medical treatment.   Do not wait.   Take pictures of your injuries to memorialize the hair salon’s negligence.    Then, please give one of our experienced personal injury attorneys a call.  We are happy to offer a free consultation.    You should be compensated for your past and future medical bills and past and future pain and suffering as a result of someone else’s negligence.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

© 2021 - 2024 Lyons & Snyder, Trial Lawyers. All rights reserved.