Last Updated 17th February 2026. Welcome to our guide about hairdresser compensation claims. A trip to the hairdresser is usually a routine process. A regular feature of many people’s lives, a haircut in a salon, barber’s, or another venue might seem inconsequential.
However, accidents can potentially happen while receiving a haircut in one of these venues. If you have been injured or harmed during an appointment, then enquiring with a legal professional about making a hairdresser injury claim could prove beneficial.
In many situations, a compensation claim can be the best way to repair the damage stemming from an accident. This could be financial, medical, personal, or psychological. In this guide, we will examine the various hairdressing compensation claims that have resulted from cases of hair salon negligence and how to claim.
All you need to do to take your first steps is to get in touch today.
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Can You Make A Hairdressing Compensation Claim?
As part of the hairdressing compensation claims process, you’ll need to make sure that you meet the eligibility requirements before suing a hair salon.
Typically, when making a personal injury claim, you’ll need to prove the following:
- You were owed a duty of care by your hairdresser,
- Your hairdresser breached this duty of care,
- You were injured as a result.
Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, any party in charge of premises has a duty of care to ensure that visitors are reasonably safe during their visit. This duty may be extended to hairdressers. Therefore, if you are injured as a result of the hairdresser’s negligence, you may have grounds for a valid claim.
It’s worth noting that you’ll need to make your claim within the limitation period; your claim might be statute-barred. You usually have three years from the date of the accident to take action; however, there are exceptions.
Please don’t hesitate to contact our advisors. They can confirm if you meet the eligibility criteria and can also discuss the personal injury claim time limits and what exceptions might apply to your case.
How Long Do I Have To Sue A Hairdresser?
When making a civil claim against a hairdresser, it’s important to keep the time limit in mind. The personal injury claims time limit is three years as set out by the Limitation Act 1980. This means that you must begin your claim within three years of sustaining your injuries.
However, there are some exceptions to this time limit. For example, you cannot sue a hairdresser yourself if you are a minor. Because of this, the time limit is suspended until you turn 18, when it begins and runs until you turn 21. However, a litigation friend can start a claim on your behalf while the time limit is frozen.
Similarly, the time limit is indefinitely suspended for those who lack the mental capacity to claim for themselves. In this case, their claim can be made by a litigation friend. If they regain the capacity needed to make a claim and one has not already been made for them, then the time limit begins on the date of their recovery.
If you would like to find out if you can sue a hairdresser, contact our team of advisors today.
Who Is Responsible For Hairdressing Negligence?
Salon operators and individual practitioners (e.g., stylists and beauticians) are responsible for hairdressing negligence, with liability depending on the circumstances of the injuries. Below, we outline the specific obligations these parties have:
- Salons: As employers, salons and hairdressers may be vicariously liable for injuries caused by the negligent acts of their staff, such as hair damage resulting from inadequate training. Moreover, as occupants of public spaces, they may be liable for any harm arising from a failure to keep customers or other visitors reasonably safe. This may be due to slips on poorly maintained floors or infections resulting from a failure to adequately maintain hygiene standards for hairdressing tools.
- Practitioners: Self-employed hairdressers or stylists operating as sole traders may be held liable for any injuries a customer suffers as a result of their negligent actions or inactions. Any business that provides services and products, such as hairdressing, is legally obligated to do so with reasonable skill and care. This is established by the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
If you’d like to learn more about liability or the steps involved in making claims against hairdressers or salons, please reach out now. Our advisors are here to help give you the answers you need.
How Do You Prove A Hairdressing Negligence Claim?
If you make a hairdresser compensation claim, you will be asked to provide evidence. Evidence can benefit your claim in a number of ways, as it can help prove that your hairdresser is liable for your injuries, and can also showcase the extent of the harm suffered and demonstrate how this harm has affected your life.
Some examples of evidence that you could use to support a claim against a hairdresser could include:
- Photographs: Pictures of your injuries can help demonstrate their severity.
- Medical records: Your medical records may be able to provide insight into the treatment your injuries require and how it will affect your life.
- Witness contact details: Taking the contact details of witnesses allows their statements to be taken at a later date.
If you choose to work with a solicitor, they can help you gather evidence to further strengthen your hairdresser compensation claim. To find out if you could be eligible to work with one of our solicitors, or to learn more about collecting evidence, contact our team today.
Common Types Of Hairdressing Negligence Claims
Injuries resulting from a failure to perform patch tests, improper application of hair bleach or other products, and slips or trips are among the most common types of hairdressing negligence claims. Below, we’ll examine these and other scenarios that illustrate how such incidents might occur and the harm that can result:
- You are a new client, but the salon doesn’t perform a patch test before your hair dye appointment, causing you to suffer a severe allergic reaction and develop long-term anxiety.
- A stylist disregards the manufacturer’s instructions by mixing incompatible products during your colouring treatment, resulting in extensive chemical burns, blisters, and noticeable scarring.
- Your salon fails to provide a trainee hairdresser with instructions on the use of styling scissors. You subsequently sustain deep lacerations when the employee uses an improper cutting technique.
- During a straightening procedure, your hairdresser fails to check the temperature of their flat irons. This results in scalp burns, substantial hair damage, and large bald patches.
Patch Testing And Why It Matters
Patch testing is the process of applying a small amount of a product, such as hair dye, to determine whether a client may have an allergic reaction to specific ingredients. This is typically done 48 hours before a treatment, as ingredients like paraphenylenediamine (PPD) can trigger severe and potentially life-threatening reactions.
A patch test should be performed for all new clients, whenever a different product is used, or for returning customers who have not had a treatment for several months. Salons and hairdressers have a legal obligation to protect the health and safety of others, and they may be held liable if a failure to use patch tests results in harm to a client.
Our advisors are here to address any questions you have about hairdressing compensation claims. They also provide a free consultation service, which can quickly check if you could pursue a claim with the support of one of our expert solicitors.
Payouts In Hairdressing Compensation Claims
If you make a successful claim for a hairdressing injury, your payout could consist of two parts. These are general damages for the physical pain and mental suffering caused by the harm you suffered and special damages for the financial losses this injury has caused you.
To help calculate general damages, those responsible for assigning value to your hairdressing compensation claim may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG lists various types of injuries, including hair damage, alongside guideline compensation for each.
Below, we have set out some of the compensation guidelines listed within the JCG. Please note, however, that the first entry does not come from the JCG.
- Multiple Very Serious Injuries in addition to Significant Special Damages could receive up to £250,000 and above.
- Very Severe Facial Scarring in younger claimants could receive between £36,340 to £118,790.
- Less Severe Facial Scarring that causes a substantial disfigurement could receive between.£21,920 to £59,090
- Significant Facial Scarring where plastic surgery has reduced the worst effects could receive between £11,120 to £36,720
- Less Significant Facial Scarring that does not markedly affect appearance could receive between £4,820 to £16,770
- Damage to Hair a), caused by defective permanent waving, tinting resulting in hair loss and causing psychological harm could receive between £8,960 to £13,450
- Damage to hair b), less serious than the above bracket where compensation will be assessed based on how long it takes to regrow hair. Could receive between £4,820 to £8,960
Special Damages
As stated above, if your claim is successful, you could be reimbursed for the financial losses caused by the hairdressing injury. Your settlement could include compensation for:
- Wigs or hair transplant surgery.
- Specialist oils and creams for scars.
- Cosmetic surgery.
- Loss of earnings.
- Therapy.
- Specialist makeup.
To recover your financial losses, you should save proof of your costs. For example, you could save receipts and invoices.
If you have any questions about hairdressing compensation claims, please speak with one of our team members. In addition to free advice, one of our advisors can potentially connect you with one of our expert solicitors.
Our £85,000 Case Study On Hairdressing Compensation Claims
Mrs Smith was awarded £85,000 after she suffered severe chemical burns when a trainee stylist failed to rinse out hair bleach within the recommended processing time. She had gone to have a hair colouring treatment, but the stylist left her unattended for more than an hour without carrying out regular checks.
The failure to rinse the bleach out led to irreversible hair damage and chemical burns to the scalp. Mrs Smith also suffered noticeable scarring, which led to her developing long-term depression and self-esteem issues. With the support of a personal injury solicitor, she sought compensation for her injuries.
Her solicitor helped establish that the salon knowingly had the stylist apply the product without providing any training in the proper application of bleach. Mrs Smith subsequently received an £85,000 settlement, which was broken down as follows:
- General damages: £48,000 for the chemical burns, scarring, and psychological harm.
- Special damages: £37,000 for lost earnings and the cost of extra childcare, private treatment to reduce scarring, and therapy services.
While this is an example case study*, please get in touch today if you’d like to find out whether you can sue a hairdresser or salon for your injuries. We are here for you, and our advisors can assess your case in complete confidence to help you explore your options for claiming compensation.
Make A Hairdresser Compensation Claim With Our No Win No Fee Solicitors
If you are seeking representation for suing a hair salon, you may wish to consider working with one of our solicitors. If eligible, they could offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) that functions on a No Win No Fee basis. This means that you would not pay fees for your solicitor’s work:
- Before the claim process starts.
- While the claim is ongoing.
- If you are not awarded compensation.
In the event that you do receive compensation, you would then need to pay a success fee. This refers to a percentage of the compensation you owe your solicitor. It is legally capped, so you can rest assured that you will receive most of the amount awarded.
How Legal Expert Can Help
With their years of legal experience and training, one of our solicitors can help make the process of claiming compensation much simpler for you. They are experts in personal injury law and know how to navigate the legal system when it comes to making hairdresser compensation claims.
If you are eligible to work with a Legal Expert solicitor, they will offer the following benefits to your case:
- Advising you on what evidence is required to claim hairdresser injury compensation and helping you to collect it
- Negotiating with the defending party for your compensation settlement to include the general and special damages that apply to your case
- Providing you with straightforward explanations of any legal phrases that you are unsure of
- Advising you throughout the process and providing you with detailed updates on the case
There is no obligation to instruct a solicitor in order to make a personal injury claim. However, the work that a solicitor does on your case could make your life a lot easier. It may allow you more time to focus on your recovery, as you can rest assured that one of our solicitors will handle your case with the care and attention it warrants.
If you have any queries about how hairdresser compensation claims work or want to know more about our services, please contact our advisors. They could refer your case to an experienced No Win No Fee solicitor who could help you make a claim for compensation:
- Call on 0800 073 8804
- Get in contact online
- Use our live chat pop-up
Learn More About Hairdressing Compensation Claims
- HSE Guidance On Safe Hairdressing – You can check out this section of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website which covers safety guidance for hairdressers and potential hazards.
- Claim Compensation For a Slip, Trip Or Fall Injury – If you have suffered a slip trip or fall at a hairdressers or salon contact us today.
- Burn Injury Compensation Claims – How Much Compensation – Have you suffered a burn in a hairdressers? Claim compensation today for your burn injury.
You’re welcome to contact our advisors online or by phone if you still have any questions about hairdresser compensation claims or our *illustrative case study.