Hair Salon Lawsuits: How Overprocessed Hair Can Lead to Claims

In 2010, a 14-year-old girl went to a hair salon to get highlights. The stylist colored her hair, then started to blow dry. That’s when the girl started to feel a burning sensation. The product had burned the girl’s hair and scalp. According to Miller & Zois, who reported on the verdict, the client settled her hair care claim for $200,000. (Don’t all those zeros make your hair stand on end!?)

Hair products and styling tools can work magic, creating healthy, shiny, chic hair that boosts clients’ confidence, relationships, mood, and even productivity, writes L1 Styles. But on the (hair) flip side, misusing products and tools can give clients dry, brittle, and damaged locks. Cue the clients crying as they leave the salon.

The number-one culprit causing tears, frustration, and even hair salon lawsuits in the barber space: overprocessed hair.

Overprocessed hair is hair that becomes porous, dry, and dense after you inappropriately or excessively apply dye, bleach, or heat. It looks dull, feels fragile, and has breakage, including split ends. Prone to cowlicks and flyaways, lying in several directions, and adopting different textures, overprocessed hair is notoriously difficult to style, writes Kathryn Watson for Healthline. It’s a recipe for a bad hair day, every day (until the hair grows out). That’s why overprocessed hair leads to so many hair care claims.

But as you know, many beauty professionals can color and style their clients’ hair without any mishaps. You can, too. In this article, we talk about five ways to prevent damaged, overprocessed hair.

5 Ways to Avoid Stylists’ Overprocessed Hair Salon Lawsuits

1. Space out those treatments.

It’s great to book appointments. But there is such a thing as having too many appointments—especially with the same clients! If clients book chemical and heat-based treatments too close together, they’re more prone to overprocessed hair problems.

Natural hair relaxers, also known as chemical straighteners, are easy to book close together. Many clients feel impatient with new growth, leading stylists to book touch-ups every six weeks, like Valarie of Hairlicious, Inc. used to. But realistically, clients should eight to 10 weeks between touch-ups for relaxers and colors —or longer, writes the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD). While less frequent appointments may feel difficult at first, you’ll be more likely to have healthy, happy clients who keep coming back in the long term.

2. Perform one service at a time.

When people ask, “What are some challenges estheticians face? Why do estheticians quit?” Someone with more experience will probably warn them about this challenge of being an esthetician: long days.

At your old desk job, you may be used to working nine to five. But as an esthetician, people rely on you to be available outside of normal business hours, writes Evergreen Beauty College. If you work for someone else’s salon or spa, you’re even more subject to inconvenient or irregular hours, says Indeed’s Career Guide. 

3. Mind the foils.

In the words of Ice Cube, “You better check yo’self before you wreck yo’self—” or your clients.

We love foils! They’re precise, customizable, versatile, and efficient, writes Fringe Hair Studio. Most colorists would be lost without them—but so would many angry clients.

When foiling hair, you coat strands with bleach or color, then wrap them in a sheet of foil to develop. The time it takes to develop color varies from person to person. So  to avoid overprocessed, bleached hair, make sure you don’t overdo it. After all, the longer and more frequent the bleaching sessions, the more likely the hair will be overprocessed and damaged, writes Living Proof. Clairol Professional recommends checking strands for development 20 minutes after the first foil placement. 

But color isn’t the only thing to watch out for. Take note of the texture, too. If the hair feels “stretchy,” it may be getting overprocessed, explains Exclusive Beauty Supplies in their Facebook video. In the same video, Exclusive Beauty Supplies also recommends not keeping hair in foil past the 60-minute mark, since there’s more chance for damage (and possible hairdresser negligence claims).

4. Keep it cool.

Avoiding or minimizing heat—including straightening, curling, and blow drying—protects your clients’ hair. Use the lowest temperature setting you can based on their hair type, suggest hairstylists Jason Lee and Aaron Grenia in an article for Byrdie. Using a heat protectant before you start can prevent damage, too, Lee and Grania said.

5. Let the hair type run the show.

Your clients’ hair types and textures can predict how they’ll handle a certain treatment or product. So if your client says one thing, and their hair tells you another, listen to the hair! Clients may feel disappointed when you tell them their hair can’t match the Instagram picture they brought in. But they’ll still be a lot happier than if you damaged and overprocessed their hair trying to achieve their dream look. Don’t forget, long-term satisfied customers are less likely to file hair salon lawsuits.

As you shop for products to use in your salon, remember that one size doesn’t fit all. Stock your salon with products that are good for a wide range of hair types and textures.

Let your hair down with WellnessPro Insurance.

It doesn’t take much to get caught in the cross hairs of a hair care claim. If you’re a bigwig salon owner, your hairdresser’s negligence could be your client’s payday. And if you’re a solo stylist, the pressure’s all on you to protect your business. With WellnessPro Insurance, you have reliable coverage for professional beauty claims, including lawsuits against hair salons. Click here to apply and get peace of mind today.