Last Updated 6th November 2025. We normally go to the beauty parlour to pamper ourselves and to try out new hairstyles. It is the one place which we associate with self-care and cosmetic treatments. However, if your hair gets burnt or damaged due to any negligent action from your hairdresser, it can cause a lot of pain, hardship and mental trauma. You may wish to make a hairdresser burnt scalp claim to help recover from your financial, physical and emotional setbacks.
Our solicitors at Legal Expert have handled a variety of beauty treatment negligence claims and will start with a complimentary consultation. You will be able to find out whether you have an eligible claim without any obligation to proceed. Contact us now to discuss how to claim against your hairdresser.
What You Need To Know About Hairdressing Injury Claims:
- Can I sue my hairdresser for burning my scalp? Yes, you may be able to sue your hairdresser if they burnt your scalp due to not taking the necessary safety precautions, such as performing a strip test.
- What kind of injuries are possible due to a hairdresser’s negligent actions? Some common injuries which occur due to a hairdresser’s negligent actions include chemical burns, heat burns and lacerations.
- What are some symptoms of a severe allergy due to hair dye? Some symptoms of a severe allergy due to hair dye include itching or rashes on the skin, wheezing, stomach ache, and nausea.
- Can I sue my hairdresser for getting hair dye in my eyes? Yes, you may be able to sue your hairdresser for getting hair dye in your eyes if this affected your vision.
- How long will my claim against the hairdresser take? A simple claim against your hairdresser could take a few months, while a more complicated claim could take slightly longer.
To receive free advice for your case, you can contact our friendly team of advisors.
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Examples Of Scalp Burn Injuries Caused By Hairdressers
There are various ways that heat or chemical burns can occur at a hairdresser. Heat-based styling tools such as curling wands, straighteners, and hairdryers can all cause harm if used incorrectly. Moreover, hairdressers may cause burns by leaving products in for too long or failing to check a client for allergies.
Keep reading as we look at several scenarios that might lead to a hairdresser burnt scalp claim.
Scalp Burnt With Styling Tool
Styling tools like curling irons, straighteners, and hair dryers all use heat. A hairdressers might be at fault in the following situations:
- A hairdresser knowingly uses a defective styling tool that leaves you with serious burn injuries.
- A poorly-trained stylist improperly uses a tool, allowing the hot surface to touch your scalp and burn it.
Bleach Caused Scalp Burn
Bleaching is a very strong method of lightening hair by removing pigment. The bleach is applied for a set time and then washed off. However, its improper application can lead to chemical burns and hair damage, such as:
- A hairdresser leaves bleach in for too long and ignores your concerns about a burning sensation. The prolonged exposure gives you a severe scalp burn and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Despite using a very strong bleach, a stylist fails to monitor for signs of burning or irritation. Consequently, they fail to rinse the bleach off when you start to have a reaction, allowing the burn to become severe.
Hair Dye Chemical Burns To The Scalp
Hair stylists are supposed to carry out a patch test to check if products are suitable for clients, as hair dye can cause chemical burns and allergic reactions. A small volume of the product is placed on a patch and applied to the skin in order to detect any issues.
If your hair stylist fails to take precautions when using dye, it may result in burning, blistering, or a life-threatening allergic reaction like anaphylaxis. For instance:
- An unsupervised trainee fails to perform a patch test before using hair dye. This failure causes you to have a serious reaction to the dye ingredients, leaving you with chemical burns and welts.
- A hairdresser doesn’t follow instructions when applying dye. Due to this, the product gets too close to your scalp and gives you chemical burns.
You can learn more about burn claims or damage to your hair by talking to our advisors today.
How Can I Know If My Hairdresser Has Burnt My Scalp?
Tell-tale signs of burns include swelling and redness, skin feeling hot, and blistering. The deeper the burns, the more serious your symptoms will be. Burns, no matter how minor, requires prompt medical treatment to avoid the burn penetrating more layers of your skin.
How Are Burns Categorised?
Burns are categorised by their thickness, meaning that the more layers of skin and tissue a burn goes through, the more serious they are. We have set out these categories below using medical advice from the NHS:
- Superficial epidermal burns: Damage to the top layer of skin (the epidermis), characterised by redness and swelling without blistering.
- Superficial dermal burns: Both the epidermis and the layer of tissue beneath the skin (the dermis) have been damaged. The skin will be a pale pink colour and painful.
- Deep dermal/partial thickness burns: Damage to both epidermis and dermis with red and blotchy skin, blistering, and high levels of pain and swelling.
- Full thickness burn: Damage to the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. These burns tend not to hurt as much due to damage to the nerve endings.
To get your free eligibility assessment, contact an advisor today to discuss the circumstances of your hairdressing accident.
Can I Make A Hairdresser Burnt Scalp Claim?
To be able to make a hairdresser burnt scalp claim, you need to show that you were owed a duty of care by your hairdresser and that a breach of it caused your injuries.
Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, occupiers of a premises like a hairdresser have a duty to take steps that can keep visitors reasonably safe. In addition, part 1 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 outlines specific remedies and rights if a trader like a hairdresser fails to supply their services with ‘reasonable care and skill.’
We have summarised the eligibility to begin a claim against your hairdresser for burns here:
- You were owed a duty of care.
- This duty of care was breached when the salon failed to provide the expected standard of service.
- As a result of this, you suffered burns to your scalp.
For a free consultation on your eligibility to start a burn accident claim, call our team today.
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Does Signing A Waiver Impact My Ability To Claim?
Signing a waiver does not impact your ability to claim hairdresser compensation. Waivers do not absolve the salon from liability if you can prove you suffered an injury due to hairdresser negligence. For example, if you sustained chemical burns because the hair bleach was left for too long, the waiver will not affect your ability to claim as the salon made the error.
Please reach out to our helpful advisors for more information about waivers.
How Much Compensation Can I Get For Burnt Scalp Injuries?
For very severe scarring that might be caused by a hairdresser’s accident, the Judicial College Guidelines suggest that the level of compensation could range between £36,340 and £118,790. Known as the JCG, this document details compensation brackets for various injuries, some of which you can see in a table further below.
Payouts in successful hairdressing compensation claims may be based on several factors, such as the severity of chemical burns or if there are also psychological injuries. Compensation covers two different heads of loss. These are:
- General damages: Compensation for the psychological and/or physical impact of the burn injuries.
- Special damages: Covers the financial harm caused by those injuries.
Compensation Table
Please note that the top figure was not taken from the JCG and that the brackets in the table are intended to serve as guidance only.
| Type of Harm | Severity | Guideline Compensation Value |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Instances of Very Severe Harm with Substantial Special Damages | Very Severe | Up to £250,000+ |
| Facial Disfigurement | Very Severe Scarring (a) | £36,340 to £118,790 |
| Less Severe Scarring (b) | £21,920 to £59,090 | |
| Significant Scarring (c) | £11,120 to £36,720 | |
| Less Significant Scarring (d) | £4,820 to £16,770 | |
| Trivial Scarring (e) | £2,080 to £4,310 | |
| Scarring To Other Parts of The Body | Multiple Noticeable Lacerations or One Disfiguring Scar | £9,560 to £27,740 |
| One Noticeable Scar or Multiple Superficial Scars | £2,890 to £9,560 | |
| Damage to Hair | Permanent Defective Waving and Tinting (a) | £8,960 to £13,450 |
| Less Serious or Fewer Symptoms (b) | £4,820 to £8,960 |
Can I Claim For Financial Losses Too
Special damages is the second head of claim in a personal injury compensation claim. We have set out a few potential examples here:
- Loss of earnings whilst recovering.
- Medical bills, prescriptions and counselling sessions.
- The cost of wigs, a hair transplant, hair extensions, or other cosmetic treatments.
It is important to prove any losses you are seeking compensation for, so retain copies of invoices, payslips, tickets, and receipts as evidence of any costs.
To find out if you are eligible to make a hairdresser burnt scalp claim and get more tailored advice, feel free to contact our team today.
The Process Of Making A Hairdresser Scalp Burn Claim
At Legal Expert, we fully understand that you may have many questions about the process of making a hairdresser scalp burn claim. That’s why our solicitors support your claim from start to finish, giving you the best possible chance of success. Below, we have covered a few important aspects of making a claim that you should be aware of.
Gathering Evidence
Gathering evidence is an important part of making your claim, as it can show how the hairdresser breached their duty of care and caused your injuries. Moreover, evidence can demonstrate the extent of your injuries and help solicitors build the strongest possible claim. Types of evidence include:
- Your medical records will show what injuries were caused and how serious they were. While your health is always the primary concern, these records will be very helpful in showing the severity of your burns and the impact they had.
- Photographs of your injuries and the packaging of the hair product used.
- Salon training records could be used to show that the hairdresser was not supposed to be applying dye or bleach unsupervised.
- Documents showing the financial harm you have sustained.
What Is The Time Limit To Make A Hairdresser Burnt Scalp Claim?
The time limit to make a hairdresser burn claim is generally 3 years from the date of the accident, established by the Limitation Act 1980. However, exceptions to the general rule can apply in certain cases. These are:
- Children: As minors cannot start legal action for themselves, time limits will not come into force until they turn 18. That gives them until their 21st birthday to start a claim.
- Mental Incapacity: Those who do not possess sufficient mental capacity are also unable to independently make a claim. Consequently, the time limit is halted indefinitely unless the individual regains their mental capacity.
Whilst time limits are paused, a parent, legal guardian, or another eligible adult (such as a solicitor) can apply or be appointed by the court to act as a litigation friend. This gives someone the authority to make decisions on a claimant’s behalf and correspond with the legal representatives.
You can discuss exceptions in personal injury cases and how they might apply to your hairdresser burnt scalp claim by talking to our advisors.
How Could Legal Expert Help You?
While you’re not required to instruct a solicitor when making a beauty treatment negligence claim, it is definitely recommended practice to seek legal advice. You’ll have a knowledgeable and experienced legal professional in your corner who will help you navigate the ins and outs of making a claim.
We have set out just a few tasks a solicitor could support you with or undertake on your behalf here:
- Corresponding with the defendant’s representatives.
- Helping you gather evidence.
- Calculating a potential compensation figure.
- Negotiating a final settlement figure.
- Explaining the claims process and answering any questions you have.
To find out if you’re eligible to work with us and to inquire further about the personal injury claims process, talk to our team today using the details given below.
Claiming On A No Win No Fee Basis
Claiming on a No Win No Fee basis means no solicitor fees will be paid unless the claim is won. Our solicitors offer a specific type of No Win No Fee arrangement called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
A CFA brings with it notable benefits, such as:
- No fee to pay a solicitor to start work.
- There will also be no solicitor fees as the case progresses.
- Lastly, if your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t pay a solicitor fee.
Personal injury compensation will be paid out in the event of a successful claim. A success fee will be taken from this, but The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 caps the percentage taken at 25%. Therefore, the majority of the compensation will be yours to keep.
Contact Legal Expert’s Scalp Burn Claim Specialists
You can learn more about the hairdresser compensation claims process by talking to our advisors. In addition to answering your questions, our team can provide a free eligibility assessment with zero obligation to pursue a claim.
Talk to the team today using the details provided here:
- Call us on 0800 073 8804.
- You can also contact us online.
- Open the live chat window in the bottom left of your screen.
More Information
You can read some of our other personal injury claims guides here:
- Find out how to claim against a barber or hairdresser for cutting you.
- Learn more about making a leisure centre accident claim.
- Discover how to claim compensation for burns caused by a hot drink.
We have also included these external pages for additional information:
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a resource on the safe use of chemicals at work.
- Read the NHS guidance on acid and chemical burns.
- Learn more about consumer rights from the government.
We appreciate you taking the time to read our guide to making a hairdresser burnt scalp claim. To get your free eligibility assessment, contact our advisors using the details provided above.