Houston Salon Perm Burn Injury Attorney
A hair salon perm burn injury lawyer may be able to help if you have had a hair styling procedure performed using chemicals that caused severe burns to your scalp. Hair product chemicals may react and cause burns for many different reasons that range from what water you drink to allergies. But there is one simple way to prevent this from happening–a simple strand test. Failure to apply that test is negligence. If you suffered a burn at the hands of a so-called hair professional because they failed to do a simple strand test, call a hair salon perm burn injury lawyer to discuss your legal options. We offer a free consultation and charge you no fees and none of our expenses unless we make a recovery for you. (800) 298-0111.
Burns from Improper Application of Hair Care Products Such as Perms or Straighteners
The “Brazilian Blowout” is probably the most well-known hair procedure that can leave perm burns if not performed correctly. It is also known as Brazilian Hair Straightening Perm, Brazilian Keratin Treatment, Coppola Keratin Straightening, Keratin Complex Treatment, Liquid Keratin, and Global Keratin. Other beauty shop procedures that may result in scalp burns may include hair bleaching, hair lightening, hair dying, or hair straightening perms a/k/a “relaxing perms.
The burns can range from minor burns to third-degree burns that cause permanent scarring and hair loss. If it is allowed to get into the eye, it may result in permanent blindness. Sadly, most of these burns are preventable simply by following the safety directions on the container.
What Damages Can You Seek Compensation For After a Scalp Burn From a Salon Perm?
Scalp burns from the negligent application of a salon perm can range in severity from first-degree to third-degree burns. Each individual may suffer differently depending upon the degree of burn, their age, sex, and sensitivity to the product misapplied. Some of the damages that are available to compensate a victim of a salon perm burn include:
- Medical bills for the past treatment of the burn injury.
- Costs associated with transplants, plastic surgery, and/or hair regrowth.
- Scarring and disfigurement compensation including costs of wigs and other temporary or permanent solutions to scarring.
- Mental anguish from the embarrassment caused by scarring and hair loss.
- Lost earnings resulting from time taken off work for medical treatment and/or recovery.
What Causes Perm Burns?
There are several reasons perm burns may occur, including toxic chemicals in the product, allergic reactions to the product, over-application, and the release of formaldehyde due to heat application to certain products. First and foremost, the chemicals being used are known to have toxic properties. Chemicals such as lye, formaldehyde, and calcium hydroxide can cause severe scalp burns if not handled with care. There is a reason your cosmetologist wears rubber gloves and pulls the hair through a protective cap or wraps it in foil to prevent the chemical from touching the skin.
Second, people can have allergic and/or toxic reactions to the chemicals. Chemicals and minerals in your hair and scalp may have an adverse reaction to the chemicals used in the hair care procedure being performed. Many of the chemicals used in these products have Material Safety Data Sheets—documents required to be filed with the government when potentially hazardous and/or toxic chemicals are being used.
The important thing to understand is that these reactions are known to occur sometimes when you get a hair perm or hair relaxer. A trained hair care professional should be aware of these known risks and of the importance of following the manufacturer’s safety instructions included in the product information. Many of the harmful reactions can be avoided by performing a simple hair strand test—a procedure by which a small amount of chemical is applied to a few strands of hair to see if there is any adverse reaction. Failure to perform such a test on a known dangerous hair care product is negligence on the part of the hairstylist.
Lastly, even though these products have claimed to be “formaldehyde-free” in their labeling, some of them are misleading. Many of them, when heated with a blow drier, release formaldehyde. The Federal Drug Administration has gone after companies for years and there has even been a class action over this. Formaldehyde is a chemical known to cause skin irritation and severe burns. Knowing that these products can result in burns and are often not properly labeled, your hairstylist should realize the importance of a strand test. If they do not and they cause you to be burned, call a perm burn injury lawyer in Houston, TX for a free consultation.
What Are Common Indications You Should Not Get A Perm?
Some indicators that you should not have a perm done at a particular time include:
- you normally consume well water (which tends to have more iron)
- your scalp is already irritated or injured
- your scalp is sunburned
- your scalp has scratches or brush marks (you should not brush for 3 days before getting a perm)
- you have had prior reactions to straighteners
- you have a negative reaction to a strand test
- you have recently had other hair procedures or treatments done that could adversely react or impact a perm
There are certain things your salon hairstylist should know to ask about before performing a straightening perm procedure on you. If your hairstylist does not ask you about these sorts of things before agreeing to perform a perm she may be uninformed, improperly trained, or simply unconcerned about the safety of applying hair perm products. Also, if she knows her profession well, she will tell you the following things:
- do not scratch or brush your hair/scalp for 3 days before relaxing/perming
- do not dye your hair for at least two weeks after any relaxing, perming, or bleaching procedure
- seek emergency medical care if you feel a burning sensation on your scalp
If your salon stylist does not discuss these matters with you, you should seriously consider going elsewhere.
What Should I Do After a Perm Burn Injury?
If you feel burning on your scalp during or after a hair care procedure, you should go to the emergency room at once. However, sometimes the full effects of the burn are not visibly noticeable until hours later. If they do arise later, contact a medical professional at once. Once you have seen a medical provider, talk to a salon perm burn injury lawyer to determine your next course of action.
What are the Symptoms of a Perm Burn?
Symptoms that may indicate you have suffered from a perm burn and should seek medical care include:
- fever,
- facial erythema,
- swelling of the neck,
- burning sensation to the scalp, and;
- hair loss.
If you have a perm done and these symptoms appear, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Burns From Home Care Products
We do not currently handle product liability cases against manufacturers of home perm and other hair care products where the application is not performed by a professional stylist. These products usually come with written warnings advising the user to conduct a strand test before use. Since failing to perform a strand test is the key to establishing negligence in these cases, your failure to do so after having been warned is sufficient to discharge the manufacturer’s duty to warn you of the risk of suffering a chemical burn injury to your scalp.
Other Hair Product Injuries
There are currently two mass torts involving hair care products. One of these specifically involves perms. If you have developed uterine cancer and used hair straightening perms 4 or more times over a year, you may be eligible for a hair relaxer lawsuit. The second mass tort is against makers of various dry shampoos that were found to contain benzene.
Consult a Hair Salon Perm Burn Injury Lawyer
After you have sought the appropriate level of medical care, you should consult a hair salon perm burn injury attorney immediately to determine your rights. You must act quickly in a case such as this to preserve evidence. The hair care product involved may be disposed of if you fail to act quickly making determining exactly what went wrong more difficult. At Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., we have recovered substantial settlements for clients suffering from severe salon perm burn injuries. Call us for a free consultation on your case today. (713) 932-0777.