What can you do if your new hair ‘do’ turns into a hair ‘don’t’?

he recent news that a model is suing a hair treatment clinic for £100,000 after a failed procedure left her ‘completely bald’ has raised questions over what protection customers have if their hair treatment doesn’t deliver the expected results. What can you do if the final look isn’t what you wanted? What rights do you have if you don’t like your new hair style? Do you still have to pay if you didn’t get the look you desired? Do you have any legal recourse?

Sarah Garner, a solicitor at DAS Law, has all the information you need to know about your rights and what you can do if your dream makeover turns into a nightmare.

My hair/makeup was done by a professional but I don’t like it, can I request a refund?

If the stylist has provided the service you requested you would not be entitled to a refund if it is just the case that you do not like it.

If a mistake was made, such as the stylist cutting off too much hair or dying it the wrong colour, or if I asked a makeup artist for a specific look, and even showed them a photo but it looks different, am I still required to pay?

If the stylist has failed to provide the service that you have requested, you would be able to argue that they have breached the contract under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Remedies for breach of contract include full refund, partial refund, or specific performance where they should provide the service again at no additional cost.

One of the products used by the hair dresser/makeup artist caused irritated skin or allergic reactions. What can I do? Can I sue the hair dresser/makeup artist?

If the hair dresser/makeup artist has been negligent in carrying out the service you could potentially pursue a claim for personal injury. Negligence could be though failings such as not carrying out a patch test on your skin/hair, or not taking information relating to any allergies or medical conditions prior to commencing the service.

The salon is charging me extra for a treatment but they didn’t inform me of the additional cost first, can they legally charge me for this?

If you have booked an appointment for a treatment and agreed a price then this is a legally binding contract. The salon would not therefore be able to charge an additional cost if they have failed to make you aware of this.

I wrote a bad review for a makeup artist online and they are threatening to sue me. What can I do?

If the review that you posted is accurate and true, you would not be committing any offence and no legal action could be taken against you. However, if you are posting inaccurate or false information that would have an impact on their reputation, they could potentially sue you for defamation if you fail to remove the post.

Disclaimer: This information is for general guidance regarding rights and responsibilities and is not formal legal advice as no lawyer-client relationship has been created.