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Your most important questions about hair damage claims answered

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We see the hair salon and beauty parlour as a place where we can have our hair cut, styled, and treated, and we often emerge from such places feeling great because we know we look great. But if you have opted for hair treatment in a hair salon or beauty parlour and things have gone wrong, resulting in severe or even minor damage to your hair, you can definitely consider claiming compensation. This is true whether or not your injury has resulted in brittle hair, hair that is falling out, bald spots, skin irritation, a burn, or even just a flawed haircut that has affected your future career or profession. But before moving forward, it’s always best to be aware of what you are in for and what you can expect. That being said, here are the answers to your most important questions about hair damage claims.

What constitutes hair damage?

We may be understandably confused as to what hair damage really is because different kinds of injuries can come from different kinds of hair treatments and procedures. But what you need to know is that it doesn’t really matter what kind of injury you have had – what matters is that the injury has resulted in a poorer hair condition than that prior to your having the procedure. If, for example, you had significantly thick hair before the treatment and have been left with much thinner hair because of the treatment, then this can be hair damage. But there are also injuries that are more common, such as scalp dermatitis, balding, hair patches, hair brittleness, and burnt hair or scalp.

You can also claim other manifestations of hair damage, such as your formerly long hair that has been cut short, leading to a loss of self-confidence or esteem, or hair that falls out because of bleaching.

What are the factors that can affect compensation amounts?

There are various factors that can affect compensation amounts for hair damage, but this will often include the expenses you have had because of your hair damage injury and your loss of wages or income if you cannot go to work because of your injury, as hairdressing claims experts attest. You can also receive a higher compensation if your hair damage has resulted in fewer opportunities for work, such as if you are a model or you depend on your physical appearance to earn a living. You can also get a higher compensation based on the overall effect of the damage to your life and the amount of pain it has caused you.

What can I do to solidify my hair damage claim?

If you believe that you are entitled to file a hair damage claim, you should preserve any evidence related to the damage, such as photos of your hair injury, receipts and records of expenses you have incurred related to it, and medical records if you have visited a specialist or physician.

It would also help if you have any witnesses to the event – salon staff or other clients – who can testify for you. You should take note of their contact information so you can ask them to file statements on your behalf. If you can, write down what happened so you do not forget any important or relevant detail as well.

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