Getting Ready for Summer? Here are a few tips on looking good safely

Woman looking in mirror

Insight and advice from Digby Brown Associate Jennifer Watson

The weather is warming up and we are finally able to put away our sweaters and wellies. It’s the season for sun, sandals and swimsuits and for many an opportunity to look our best.

However there are a number of popular treatments which can leave consumers exposed to some nasty looking injuries.

Jennifer Watson, Associate in our Dundee office, highlights some of the treatments which can cause injury and offers some tips to stay safe this summer:-

HD Brows

Made popular by such celebrities as Kim Kardashian and Cheryl Cole, HD brows are the latest fashion in beauty treatments. Combining tinting, waxing and threading this treatment creates a high definition look to eyebrows. Unfortunately a lot of salons/brow bars are not affiliated with the HD product and staff haven’t undergone the appropriate training. Too often we see injuries caused by insufficient patch testing or inexperienced staff, leaving clients exposed to severe allergic reactions.

  • Ensure you select a salon who is properly insured;
  • The therapist is properly trained;
  • The product is affiliated with HD brows.
  • It is extremely important that you undertake a patch test to your face at least 48 hours prior to the treatment being commenced.

Tanning

It’s the season to soak up the sun but for those who don’t tan well there are many self-tan products which can be used to recreate the bronzed sun-kissed look. Unfortunately some self-tanning products can cause allergic reactions. Most tanning products contain an ingredient known as Dihydroxyacetone (DHA.) Some individuals may react to this ingredient or to other chemicals contained within their self tan. The product itself may be defective.

  • Choose a reputable product which has positive online reviews.
  • Read the safety instructions and ensure you follow these.
  • Check the ingredients to ensure you are not allergic to any of the materials.
  • Test the product on a small area of your body 48-72 hours prior to use to ensure you are not allergic to any ingredients.

Teeth Whitening

Inspired by programmes such as TOWIE and Made in Chelsea, many of us would like to obtain the Hollywood smile. The procedure can often be expensive and many consumers are going to beauty salons following special deals online to save money. However many therapists are not qualified dentists and use products with a high percentage of bleach which exposes consumers to very serious injuries. 

Following a spate of cases down south, the General Dental Council has been taking legal action and a recent High Court decision means that it has been held illegal for anyone other than a dentist, dental hygienist and dental therapist (working to the prescription of a dentist) to carry out teeth whitening. Beauty therapists dabbling in the procedure are now leaving themselves open to criminal prosecution and the General Dental Council are looking to take action in Scotland.

A very serious example of this saw one of our clients being hospitalised and having to be placed on a drip for a week following a whitening procedure by a therapist who was not qualified and used an inappropriate product. Her tongue was swollen and her gums covered in ulcers after the unqualified therapist treated her without gloves and using a product with a percentage of bleach that was 6 times the recommended dose.

  • Only go to a registered dentist for this treatment;
  • Ensure that you consult the dentist prior to the treatment to ensure your medical history is obtained and you are not allergic to the product;
  • Double check with the dentist that the teeth whitening product contains less than 6% hydrogen peroxide (bleach.)

Need help or advice?

If you have suffered an injury caused by a beauty treatment that has been badly carried out, we can help. Jennifer Watson is an Associate in  Digby Brown Solicitors Dundee office with experience and expertise in injuries caused by beauty treatments and hairdressing.

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