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Waxing procedures are a very common beauty treatment designed to temporarily remove unwanted hair, smooth the skin, exfoliate, or create defined eyebrow shapes. When performed correctly, waxing can provide a welcome confidence boost and long-lasting, silky-smooth skin or more precisely shaped eyebrows and facial hair. However, what ought to be a routine act of self-care can go wrong and lead to a serious allergic reaction if the beauty treatment is not performed safely or appropriately. If you’ve experienced this because of the negligent actions of a salon or another third party, you may be able to pursue a waxing allergy claim for your physical, emotional, and financial suffering. As you take your first steps towards exploring the options for claiming, Legal Helpline’s advisory team can provide you with the help you deserve.
Key Takeaways
- Waxing treatments can be carried out on nearly all parts of the body (most commonly the face, arms, legs, and bikini area).
- Signs of an allergic reaction can include swelling, rashes, hives, and persistent redness.
- An allergic reaction to waxing can cause blistering, severe burns, scarring, and anaphylaxis.
- Allergic reactions can occur if beauty therapists are poorly trained, fail to perform patch tests, or ignore a client’s disclosed sensitivities to certain product ingredients.
- Our panel of solicitors can provide a No Win No Fee service for eligible claimants across the country.
If you’d like to share your experience with waxing allergies or find out whether you can claim, our advisors are here to help. Not only can they provide clear, confidential guidance, but their free consultation service can quickly determine if you can proceed with a claim. Following this, you could be connected with a solicitor from our panel and benefit from expert representation throughout the personal injury compensation claims process. You can get started today by chatting with one of our advisors via the options listed in this guide.
Jump To A Section
- Can I Make A Waxing Allergy Claim?
- How Can I Suffer An Allergic Reaction After A Wax Treatment?
- What Precautions Should Be Taken To Avoid An Allergic Reaction To Waxing?
- Examples Of Waxing Allergy Claim Compensation Amounts
- What Will I Need To Prove Negligence Caused My Wax Allergic Reaction?
- Is There A Time Limit For Waxing Allergy Claims?
- Get Support With A Waxing Allergic Reaction Claim From Legal Helpline
- More Information
Can I Make A Waxing Allergy Claim?
You can make a waxing allergy claim if you can demonstrate that you were harmed through the negligent actions of a salon, spa, or other responsible third party. This can be established by meeting the following eligibility criteria for a personal injury claim:
- You were owed a duty of care: A duty of care refers to the legal responsibility that a third party has towards the safety of others. When visiting a salon or another space in public, you are owed a specific duty of care under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. This requires occupiers (the parties in control of a public space) to keep visitors to the premises reasonably safe through practical measures. For providers of waxing treatments, those steps can include using sterilised applicators and ensuring staff have the required training. Additionally, Part 1 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires salons, spas, and other trading businesses that deliver a service to do so with reasonable skill and care.
- That duty of care was breached: A breach means the beauty salon (or whichever third party was responsible for your waxing treatment) failed to act as a reasonable business or person would have. For instance, the salon may have neglected to perform a patch test before your eyebrow waxing procedure.
- You suffered an injury or illness: This can be both physical, such as bodily scarring or dermatitis following your allergic reaction, and psychological. The important thing to remember is that the harm must directly result from the breach.
For a more tailored explanation of the criteria outlined above, please feel free to have a quick and confidential chat with one of our advisors today.
How Can I Suffer An Allergic Reaction After A Wax Treatment?
You can suffer an allergic reaction after a wax treatment if patch tests are not carried out, if beauty therapists are not appropriately trained, or if a procedure is performed with unsterilised equipment. Below are some scenarios showing how this might occur:
- Poor training: You are at a new salon, where responsibility for your leg waxing is given to a trainee beauty therapist. However, the salon has yet to provide the employee with any training on conducting a thorough consultation or checking for allergies. This results in a serious reaction to the wax, causing you to go into anaphylactic shock and lose consciousness.
- Patch testing: A new product is being used at your local spa, but no patch test is performed before your waxing to make sure it is appropriate for you. You subsequently have a reaction that causes severe blistering and inflammation.
- Unsuitable ingredients: Despite informing staff about your allergies, your therapist uses a product containing an unsuitable additive during your eyebrow waxing appointment. The ingredient triggers an allergic reaction and blistering, leaving you with several permanent scars that contribute to you developing depression.
- Unclean or unsterilised equipment: Your aesthetician collects more product from the wax pot, which they had earlier contaminated by reusing a spatula that had already come into contact with a previous client’s skin. This double-dipping had introduced ‘hitchhiker’ allergens to the pot, leading you to suffer a severe reaction and develop a serious bacterial infection.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, and we appreciate that your circumstances may differ entirely from the examples listed above. So, please get in touch today to find out if you can pursue a beauty treatment claim with the support of a solicitor from our expert panel.
What Precautions Should Be Taken To Avoid An Allergic Reaction To Waxing?
Salons, spas, and other beauty treatment providers should take several precautions to avoid an allergic reaction to waxing, including performing patch tests and using waxes formulated for sensitive skin. These steps, along with others discussed below, can help prevent serious allergic reactions and other waxing injuries:
- Collect client information: Consultation forms can identify known allergies to rosin, honey, or other ingredients commonly found in waxing products.
- Perform a patch test: A patch test checks whether the products used for waxing could cause irritation or an allergic reaction. It should be performed 24 to 48 hours before the treatment.
- Train staff: Beauty therapists should be trained to identify allergens, maintain sanitary conditions, use patch tests, and provide appropriate client aftercare.
- Use hypoallergenic/sensitive skin products: Some reactions occur because of the resin used to make natural wax products sticky. Hypoallergenic waxes are specifically formulated for sensitive skin and are free of common triggers like rosin, fragrances, and dyes.
- Provide aftercare: Clear guidance can help a client manage normal reactions to waxing, such as redness, and prevent the worsening of an allergic reaction.
If you’ve suffered eyebrow waxing injuries or been harmed elsewhere because precautions were not taken during your treatment, you may be able to claim compensation for your allergic reaction. Contact our advisors today to find out more with a free, no-obligation consultation.
Examples Of Waxing Allergy Claim Compensation Amounts
Waxing allergy claim compensation amounts are determined by the extent to which you were harmed, how this affects your quality of life, and whether you have also incurred financial losses. Any physical and psychological effects you experienced due to the waxing incident can be compensated under a head of claim called general damages. This head is always awarded in successful claims, and your solicitor may assess its value by referring to the suggested compensation brackets published in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). Those brackets correspond to different types of harm, making the document useful for calculating payouts.
You will find several of the JCG’s brackets in the table below, excluding the highest-value entry. All of these are included for guidance only, and they cannot guarantee how much compensation might be awarded in a successful claim.
| Injury/Severity | Compensation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple, very severe injuries and financial losses | Up to £250,000+ | Special damages may be for lost earnings, the cost of therapy, and medical expenses. |
| Facial disfigurement: Very severe scarring | £36,340 to £118,790 | Claimants are typically in their teens to early 30s, and they will have a severe psychological reaction and experience a very disfiguring cosmetic effect. |
| Facial disfigurement: Less severe scarring | £21,920 to £59,090 | Disfigurement will still be substantial, while the psychological effect is significant. |
| Facial disfigurement: Significant scarring | £11,120 to £36,720 | Includes instances where plastic surgery has reduced the worst effects (or will do so). |
| Facial disfigurement: Less significant scarring | £4,820 to £16,770 | There may be a single scar or several smaller ones, with overall impact marring without markedly affecting appearance. |
| Bodily scarring: Several noticeable laceration scars or 1 disfiguring scar | £9,560 to £27,740 | Scars affecting a claimant's arms, hands, back, chest, or legs can be covered by this bracket. |
| Bodily scarring: 1 noticeable scar or several superficial ones | £2,890 to £9,560 | There will be some minor cosmetic deficit. |
| Dermatitis: Both hands | £16,770 to £23,430 | Dermatitis of both hands, with cracking and soreness, affecting employment and domestic capability, possibly with some psychological consequences, lasting for some years, perhaps indefinitely. |
| Dermatitis: 1 or both hands | £10,550 to £13,930 | Persisting for significant period, but will settle through treatment and/or gloves used for specific tasks. |
Special Damages In Waxing Allergy Claims
Special damages in waxing allergy claims can cover any financial losses directly resulting from harm caused by a third party’s negligent actions. These losses must be provable, meaning that you can only claim for out-of-pocket expenses if you can supply payslips, invoices, or other supporting evidence. Provided you have proof, special damages can cover various costs, such as:
- Lost earnings, including any future impact on income.
- Therapy and counselling.
- Private medical treatment from dermatologists or other healthcare providers to reduce scarring.
- Specialist creams, cooling gels, and gentle serums.
- Antihistamines, pain relief, and other medications.
If you’d like help gathering documentation of your losses, get in touch today to learn about the support our panel of solicitors can provide to claimants.
What Will I Need To Prove Negligence Caused My Wax Allergic Reaction?
To prove negligence caused your wax allergic reaction, you will need evidence like a copy of an accident book report showing how a salon (or another waxing provider) was responsible for the harm you suffered. This should establish a causal link between the third party’s negligent actions (or inaction) and your reaction and waxing injuries. For example, you could supply the following for your claim:
- Photographs showing visible signs of your reaction, such as hives, blistering, and scarring. You can document their progression, particularly during the first 24 to 48 hours after the waxing.
- Medical records, including notes from dermatologists and allergists.
- Your waxing consultation form, which can confirm whether you specified any allergies.
- The ingredient list of the products used for your waxing.
- Contact details for any salon staff, family, or friends who could provide your solicitor with eyewitness statements.
Proving negligence can feel daunting, especially when you’re still navigating the fallout from your allergic reaction. Thankfully, our panel of solicitors have the experience to help clients gather and prepare evidence for their claims effectively. You can learn more about this service by speaking to our advisory team.
Is There A Time Limit For Waxing Allergy Claims?
Yes, there is a time limit for starting the waxing allergy claims process, typically 3 years from the incident date. This is established by the Limitation Act 1980, but there are certain circumstances when the time limit does not apply. You can get further information on this in our detailed guide to time limits.
Our advisors are also on hand to help and can determine if you have sufficient time to begin your compensation claim.
Get Support With A Waxing Allergic Reaction Claim From Legal Helpline
You can get support with your waxing allergic reaction claim from the moment you reach out to our team of advisors here at Legal Helpline. Not only can they provide clear answers to any questions you might have, but they can also quickly establish your options for pursuing compensation through a free consultation. Following this, you may be connected with one of the expert personal injury solicitors making up our panel. They appreciate the profound toll that beauty treatment negligence can have on their clients. That is why they provide a compassionate service that considers your needs and supports you in staying focused on both your short- and long-term recovery.
Our panel approaches every case with a firm understanding that each claimant has a unique, lived experience. The service you receive will reflect this commitment and can include the following benefits:
- Keeping you informed about the progress of your case with regular, straightforward updates.
- Putting you in touch with therapists, allergists, dermatology specialists, and other rehabilitation services.
- Delivering professional representation in all communications and throughout negotiations with the opposing party.
- Gathering and preparing evidence for your waxing allergy claim.
- Ensuring your concerns are always heard and that your questions about legal terms or other aspects of the claims process are clearly answered.
No Win No Fee Service For Waxing Allergy Claims
At Legal Helpline, our panel of solicitors deliver empathetic, expert legal representation on a No Win No Fee basis through something called a Conditional Fee Agreement. This arrangement simply means you can start claiming without your solicitor charging an upfront service fee for their work. In fact, you won’t pay these fees at any other stage of the claims process, nor in the event that the beauty negligence case is unsuccessful.
If you win your waxing allergy claim, your solicitor would receive a legally limited percentage of the compensation. This is their success fee, but the largest share of the compensation will go to you thanks to that capped limit.
Contact Our Advisors
We recognise that the decision to start a claim is never taken lightly, and you deserve advice that takes the time to understand your situation and explain your options. For our advisors, that means giving you the information you need to take those first steps towards making a waxing allergy claim. You can get started today by:
- Filling in our online enquiry form
- Calling 0333 000 0729
- Using the live chat at the bottom of the screen
More Information
We have several other guides covering claims for beauty treatment negligence:
- How to make a dermal filler claim.
- See our in-depth look at seeking compensation for laser hair removal burns.
- Explore the process of claiming for hair damage.
Further external resources:
- NHS information on allergies and their symptoms.
- Government guidance on Statutory Sick Pay.
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) helps with reporting safety issues in the workplace or in public places.
You can get further guidance on starting a waxing allergy claim by chatting with one of our advisors today.