Common Insurance Claims Against Hairdressers

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Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

During your training to become a hairdresser you will learn a wide range of skills and techniques which will enable you to safely provide treatments for your clients. However sometimes things can go wrong resulting in distress for both you and your client.

Claims against hairdressers can range from accidents in the salon, to blistering of the skin due to an allergic reaction or even loss of hair! Here are some of the most common insurance claims that are made against Hairdressers insurance.

Burns

Unfortunately, injuries can be caused quite easily and an example of one of the ways that this can happen is that a client might get burnt by straighteners.

Straighteners can reach a temperature of 185 degrees Celsius within about 6 seconds and so every care needs to be taken around safety to avoid a client or colleague getting burnt.

Cuts and grazes

With the use of scissors in a hairdressers, comes the obvious risk of a client getting cut or grazed in the case of razors. All it takes is a hairdresser to not handle the scissors safely and an accident becomes a very real possibility.

Allergic reactions

Our skin is very fragile and so hairdressers should always ensure that the proper patch tests are carried out before a treatment is applied to a client’s skin or scalp.

These patch tests take place in a discreet area of your client’s body 48 hours before the treatment itself to see if a client’s skin will react. If it doesn’t then the treatment can be applied.

If the patch test hasn’t been done and a skin reaction does occur, then the hairdresser is likely to have invalidated their insurance policy and they won’t be covered.

Damage to hair

If the right care is not taken, then it is very easy for a hairdresser to cause damage to a client’s hair. Often this damage can take months or years for the hair to recover.

Damage can be caused through:

· Over processing: For example using too many products on the hair in a short space of time

· Improper use of Relaxers: Relaxer products can be used on thicker hair, for example on afro hair before it is straightened. Over-use of these products or leaving them on a client’s hair for too long can cause lasting damage.

· Straightening: Straighteners are very hot and sustained exposure to this heat can cause damage to hair

Extensions

Extensions can cause damage if they are not fitted properly or if they are not properly maintained. Claims can occur if a hairdresser has fitted the extensions too closely together or hasn’t used the right product. A hairdresser is also required to provide a client with the right instructions on how to look after their extensions.

If this advice is not given, or the wrong advice is provided then problems can occur. In extreme cases, extensions which are not cared for can become matted together causing them to be very painful and needing careful removal.

Accidents in the salon

Accidents can take place within the salon due to slippery floors or trips over boxes which have not been put away. If a client has a trip or fall while attending their appointment, then they can make a claim against the hairdresser.

Faulty equipment

An accident might happen due to equipment that is faulty. All electrical equipment should be checked and tested regularly to ensure that it is working properly to avoid such accidents. Failure to do this might invalidate your insurance cover.

Claims against hairdressers can be avoided as much as possible through adequate training and by ensuring the safety procedures are followed. However, should a claim be made, you as a hairdresser can ensure that you protected with the right insurance policy in place.

Protectivity is a specialist provider of barber insurance and Hairdressing Insurance . We cover thousands of individuals and small to medium size businesses across the UK, offering a range of tailored insurance products to protect our customers against unforeseen events.

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*Disclaimer – This blog has been created as general information and should not be taken as advice. Make sure you have the correct level of insurance for your requirements and always review policy documentation. Information is factually accurate at the time of publishing but may have become out of date.

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