Hair dye left Paddock girl blind and swollen - shocking pictures

Dec 1 2009 by John Knighton, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Hair dye left Paddock girl blind and swollen

The following day her face had inflamed so much she couldn’t see.

It took five worrying days before the swelling went down and her sight returned.

Charlotte was treated at hospital and given antihistamines.

She was told at a follow-up appointment that she had reactive eczema and will never be able to dye her hair again.

“I took the legal action because I wanted them to realise how much it’s affected my life,” she added.

“Hairdressers have a responsibility to their clients. It could happen to anyone – they don’t know how sensitive people are so a skin test is a must.

“My advice to everyone is be careful – I hope this makes people realise what can happen.”

A survey, carried out in Wales, revealed that 84% of salons surveyed will dye hair without following the dye manufacturer’s instructions.

Denise Kitchener, chief executive of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, said it was “shocking and concerning” that an industry as big as hairdressing was left to its own devices.

She said: “This means anyone can pick up a pair of scissors and call themselves a hairdresser, with or without training and qualifications.

“Worse still is the fact that hairdressers routinely handle and administer dangerous chemicals in the form of hair dyes, perming or straightening solutions.

“While there are many reputable salons out there, others have a careless attitude towards the safety of their customers.”

Sarah Young, of Ridley and Hall Solicitors, who took on Charlotte’s case, said: “This was a devastating incident for my young client.

“I hope that hair salons will take notice, but I am concerned about recent research which indicates that they are lax about patch testing.”