The dream: long, natural-looking lashes that are the attraction of many and envy of everyone.
The reality: botched extensions causing eyelash loss, inflamed eyelids and infection requiring medical attention.
While false eyelashes may be considered popular currently, deemed a relatively safe beauty procedure in the grand scheme of things and featured on the catalogue of the majority of salons, a woman in Australia unfortunately learnt the truth the hard way.
In readiness for her upcoming birthday celebrations, the Perth lady visited her local beauty salon to fix her severely damaged real lashes after having synthetic lashes applied onto her own by an eyelash technician of (now) ill repute. The lash loss was so extensive and potentially irreversible that nothing could be done to help.
The warnings about eyelash extensions are loud and clear: do your research upfront so you know what you’re committing to, choose your eyelash artist carefully and never select your salon by (cheapest) cost alone.
We present these tips and more in our ‘10 tips for wedding-perfect eyelashes‘ blog. Although the subject of our earlier article is preparing for your wedding day, the same words of warning apply for any occasion demanding eyelash care.
If you experience harm by the inattention of your therapist, contact our Beauty Treatment Claims team for specialist legal advice about suing a beauty salon. Because sometimes making a claim after beauty salon negligence is the only option open to you. Email enquiries@beautytreatmentclaims.co.uk, call 0800 141 3682 or 0333 202 6560, or complete our enquiry form.
Beauty industry’s “Wild West” antics, says Labour MP Carolyn Harris
The beauty industry likened to the “Wild West”, an increase in complaints to Save Face from 378 in 2017 to 2,083 in 2020 being just the “tip of the iceberg”, and unnecessary interventions causing “serious harm” – potentially leading to extreme complications such as blindness, breathing difficulties, lip amputations and rotting tissue – are some of the most-recent commentaries by Labour MP Carolyn Harris, Save Face’s director Ashton Collins and Women’s Equality Party’s leader Mandu Reid respectively.
Urgent pleas for the regulation of non-invasive cosmetic treatments come amidst news that celebrities too are suffering at the hands of their beauty therapists, supermodel Linda Evangelista included.
Currently, in the UK anyone can perform non-surgical procedures with little or no training, despite the risk of life-threatening side effects. It’s been reported that the majority of complained-about treatments are carried out by beauticians, hairdressers and laypeople. Their clients are largely unaware of the dangers and practitioners fail to warn them sufficiently about any severe problems that can happen.
As of October, the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021 comes into force, thereby making it illegal for under 18s to be given Botox. But it’s not enough. There are calls for further legislation which is being reviewed by the Department for Health and Social Care.
Don’t try out everything you see on social media. Big Brother star, 21-year-old Tilly Whitfield, learnt this lesson the hard way.
After watching a viral TikTok faux-freckles beauty trend, Tilly used a sewing needle to prick her skin with brown tattoo ink ordered over the internet. Unfortunately, due to unexpectedly high lead levels in the ink, she suffered facial scarring and temporary blindness.
Tilly’s burn marks were the reason she subsequently appeared on the Big Brother reality TV show wearing a blue clay mask. £8,500 later, Tilly has still not found a cure for the harm caused by the application of a dangerously toxic substance on her face.
Whether self inflicted or resulting from a treatment by a beauty therapist that’s gone wrong, take your own learnings from Tilly’s mistakes by only undergoing beauty procedures when you understand upfront the potential risks in their entirety. You should know how to proceed if you experience injury after being let down by a beauty salon or clinic too (as detailed below).
It goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway!) that replicating what you observe in social videos, viral or otherwise, is ill advised. That’s because not only do you rarely see the full story, just an edition version, you also won’t be confident that the social media star is a reliable, trusted source. Take what you view online with a pinch of salt and seek guidance from a recommended beauty therapist instead.
Unrealistic beauty standards are depicted everywhere. Whether it’s heavily Photoshopped magazine cover photographs or overly filtered Instagram uploads, we’re all guilty of falling for them even when we know they’re not true to life.
The extreme editing of photos of celebrities, influencers and models leaves many of us battling identity issues in our quest to emulate similar perfection which is simply unattainable. There’s no point in comparing ourselves to exquisitely sculpted and immaculately made-up famous people because these media-spotlighted images are fake.
As if low self esteem, negative thinking and body dysmorphia aren’t enough to contend with, now there’s another toxic beauty trend to live up to… fillers. Or, to be more accurate, overfilling.
To clarify, more and more patients are undergoing filler treatments, often badly placed and overdone, which is resulting in a warped appearance that’s become the new normal in beauty circles.
According to a London-based cosmetic surgeon, lack of regulations, monetary greed, unscrupulous practitioners and excessive plastic surgery is to blame for brainwashing society into believing an alienised face is the new perfection-personified ideal. This latest perception drift is spreading at epidemic rates and presents significant risks to both our physical and emotional wellbeing.
To tackle the growing problem of alienisation, it’s the responsibility of beauty therapists and cosmetic surgeons to act always with a duty of care towards clients. It’s also the responsibility of clients to understand treatments being undertaken along with all of their attendant dangers, and to choose trustworthy therapists or surgeons to do the work.
As beauty treatment claims experts, we feel it’s our responsibility to highlight negligent, unprofessional practices so that you can avoid disfigurement and emotional trauma, which are just two of the side effects of being let down by your beauty salon or clinic.
The last lockdown ended in March 2021, with salons reopen from 12th April 2021, but lots of us still haven’t yet ventured back to the beauty therapist. It’ll come as no surprise to learn that the salon experience is different now to how it was before Covid. These changes are part of keeping salon clients and staff safe in our nationwide coronavirus response.
As we’re now in the midst of peak holiday time, one of the most popular beauty treatments currently is waxes. After all, our bodies need to get beach (or poolside!) ready. So, that’s the focus here – waxing – and what to expect at your next appointment. Without further ado…
1. More pain
Did you resort to shaving during lockdown to keep on top of hair regrowth? If yes, your first wax may be more painful than previously. That’s because shaving strengthens the hair and makes the skin more sensitive in contrast to waxing which thins and softens the hair. Don’t worry, though, you won’t have totally undone all your time spent waxing pre-Covid. You’ll soon be back to where you were, once you’ve overcome any initial discomfort.
2. Limited services
Salons will be operating at lower capacity which means that not all services will be on offer and not all products available to choose from. If you’re accustomed to picking a certain type of wax, be prepared to discover it’s temporarily out of use, for example hot wax only, as cold wax could pose a higher risk of transmitting bacteria.
3. PPE gear for salon staff
The safeguarding measures likely to be in place include your therapist wearing personal protective equipment in the form of gloves, disposable aprons and masks or visors. This should be somewhat familiar if you’ve visited your hair salon post-lockdown; although it’s likely to be on a bigger scale at the beauty salon due to the greater degree of physical contact involved in treatments.
4. Checks undertaken on salon clients
In order to maintain a safe environment for each client, you may have your temperature taken using an infrared thermometer as well as being asked questions regarding your health and that of your immediate family, to check for evidence of Covid-19 symptoms. Even though mask wearing restrictions were lifted on 19th July, you might be requested to wear a mask too, due to the close-contact nature of the beauty industry.
5. Punctuality requirements
As already mentioned, salons are contending with less capacity to comply with social distancing. You’ll need to turn up on time and not cancel at the last minute. There could be new 24-48 hour notice periods in force for rescheduling appointments. While arriving on time is mandatory, being early is an issue. You may have to wait outside until your allocated appointment slot due to limitations on the number of people in the salon at any one time.
6. Belongings and payments
You could be asked to bring along fewer belongings – bags and coats – as they’re considered an unnecessary additional contact point. No cloakroom service will be the norm for the foreseeable future. Payment will probably be by card rather than cash for the same reasons of reducing contact – in this case, relating to banknotes and coins.
Rather than these salon transformations being a bad thing, they actually combine to make your salon visit more efficient, sleek and professional. You’ll feel all the better for it. And safer too.
Ending with a note of advice, to prepare for your salon wax job, make sure your hair is sufficiently long (the recommendation is around 1cm) so that the wax sticks. It’s also a good idea to gently exfoliate with a body scrub or mitt so that there’s less wax-skin contact to lessen the pain.
A word of warning too, to guarantee your waxing treatment goes to plan, select a reputable beauty therapist ideally from a recommendation. We’re specialist legal advisors in claims against beauty therapists and salons and see what happens when waxing goes awry – the side effects range from redness and inflammation to bruised and burned skin.
Anyone who suffers harm by their beauty therapist is invited to speak to our team about making a claim for beauty salon negligence. Get in touch by emailing enquiries@beautytreatmentclaims.co.uk, calling 0800 141 3682 or 0333 202 6560, or completing our online enquiry form.
Lash extensions are one consideration for your wedding day
Peak wedding season is upon us. As budding brides meticulously plan for their big day, one of the many preparatory tasks is… eyelashes! Lash extensions may seem a small consideration in the grand scheme of your wedding day arrangements but it’s important to get it right so that you feel on top of the world for your special event.
We’ve helpfully compiled these ten top tips to make sure your lashes look picture-perfect on your wedding:
1. Choose natural rather than dramatic While it might be tempting to choose long, thick lashes, this doesn’t translate well when it comes to a classic wedding. The mantra here is ‘less is more’. Lashes should suit your face and be so flattering that most people will assume they’re real. If you start off small, you can always ask for extra volume later. It’s less easy to rectify lashes that are excessive to begin with.
2. Avoid coloured lashes Following on from #1, go for jet black or brown lashes rather than experimenting with coloured lashes for all of the same reasons of natural being the most desirable style choice for the occasion. And it doesn’t mean they’re any less striking.
3. Find a lash technician by recommendation Word of mouth is best when it comes to your beauty therapist. If someone you know and trust recommends their technician, you can’t go far wrong. You may notice a friend or colleague’s lash extensions looking great; if so, ask who they use. This is preferable to locating a therapist via a Google search as it’s a leap of faith.
The worst thing you can do is visit an inexperienced, unqualified or inattentive beauty technician. Lack of care can result in swelling, blistering and itchiness around the eyelids. Also, damage to your eyelash hair follicles can lead to permanent hair loss.
4. Have a trial run While we kicked off this blog by stating wedding season is underway, it’s actually better to prepare for your ideal lashes way ahead of time. If you’re getting married in the summer, get your lashes done the previous summer to see how they fare in the weather conditions. You’re giving yourself plenty of opportunity to try have another rerun in order to correct what was wrong the first time around.
Reflecting once again on the issue of a negligent technician, all new clients should be offered a skin patch test to check for any potential allergic chemical reaction upfront. You see, there are chemicals in the adhesives and gel pads used to apply lash extensions. This test should ideally take place 24 to 48 hours before your scheduled treatment.
5. Get the final job done in a timely manner too If you’re getting married in the UK, get your final lashes applied three to four days ahead so they’re still in good shape for your wedding. If you’re getting married abroad, leave it as late as possible to your flight before applying your lashes as it could still be a week or more before your actual wedding. Have an oil-free mascara to hand in case you need a lash top-up when the day arrives.
6. Look for silk or synthetic mink lashes These varieties of lashes are pre-curled and will keep their shape whereas some types can drop their curled shape after contact with water, heat and other elements. It’s impossible to lock yourself away in the run up to your wedding. Instead, limit the impact of exposure to the elements in this way.
7. Steer clear of oily beauty products To maximise the staying power of your newly applied lashes, stay away from oily items such as sunblocks, eye creams, cleansers, facemasks and the like. Oils are bad news if you want your lashes to last (which you do!).
8. Don’t be tempted by a budget buy Money might be flying out of your bank account as if there’s no tomorrow with all of your wedding day purchases but don’t go for budget lashes. It’s a decision you’ll come to regret. If the price looks too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t compromise on your lash technician’s skill. Quality and experience are worth paying over the odds for.
Applying lash extensions is a technically precise procedure. With an unskilled technician, all manner of problems can arise, from failing to cover the upper or lower eyelashes sufficiently thereby causing them to get glued together by adhesive to fumes accidentally entering the eye resulting in severe irritation and inflammation. Further costly treatments will be needed to fix these errors. Spending as minimal an amount as possible in the first place is false economy and a danger to your health.
9. Know what to do if you react badly As already intimated, a bodily reaction to the glue or adhesive used to apply false lashes is always a possibility, especially if you select a technician of ill-repute as a cost-cutting exercise. If a reaction occurs, remove the extensions, seek medical treatment and instruct an injury claims expert (see below).
10. Consider investing in good mascara and eyelash curler Of course, there’s the option of simply buying a good mascara along with an eyelash curler as a safer alternative to lash extensions. You can still achieve longer, fuller-looking lashes without any of the accompanying risks.
As experts in claims against beauty therapists and salons, we know more than anyone what happens when a beauty treatment has gone wrong. By following our advice, you’ll prevent this happening to you. Should you suffer harm and need to contact a specialist solicitor for beauty salon accident claims, please get in touch with our team in confidence by emailing enquiries@beautytreatmentclaims.co.uk, calling 0800 141 3682 or 0333 202 6560, or completing our online enquiry form.
Beauty trends change over time. These trends are driven in part by advancements in science and technology. We’re sure that none of us could have imagined using lasers to enhance our appearance even only a few years ago.
On the reverse side of the coin, popularity wanes for treatments proven to have a negative impact on health. Tanning beds are a prime example here. They were a big trend in years gone by until linked closely with skin cancer.
In saying this, even treatments spotlighted as being seriously dangerous if your beauty clinician is careless in their delivery – such as dermal fillers, eyebrow tattoos and permanent lip liners – continue to be embarked upon daily by individuals seeking to improve their looks by any which method.
Plus, there are other types of beauty treatment which remain popular always. Nail art, for instance, is as fashionable today as it ever has been.
Today’s blog is an exploration of beauty trends right here in the UK. Here’s what to look out for in 2020…
Extreme facials Apparently the most-mentioned procedure for 2019 (according to Yelp) was the hydrafacial. Similar to dermabrasion, hydrafacials use a thin-nibbed device to cleanse and hydrate your skin by a process of infusion. It’s essentially a glow-boosting treatment for natural, radiant skin.
Intense skin treatments Similar results can be achieved with microneedling (needles cause microscopic pinpricks in your skin to stimulate collagen production), dermaplaning (scalpel-like tool for dead skin removal thereby ensuring a smoother complexion) and lasering (wrinkle-reducing alternative to Botox injections), all of which tackle imperfections and generate healthy-looking skin without long recovery times. There’s also ultherapy; a non-surgical collagen-banking treatment to tighten your skin for a more defined jawline and lifted brows.
Body tweakments Where body shape is concerned, trending treatments centre around more muscle, more tone, less fat. To obtain body perfection, various procedures are available for fat reduction, body contouring, muscle toning and tightening. Ranging from microneedling and radiofrequency to serum and oxygen administering, the Harper’s Bazaar website names these treatment options, CoolSculpting, CoolTone and Le Shape amongst them. It’s envisaged that consumers will adopt a mix-and-match approach by choosing a combination of treatments from an ever-extensive menu.
Innovative devices There’s an upsurge in use of devices generally. Whichever the device type (be it radiofrequency, vacuum, laser, LED, pressure) and whatever their purpose (skin re-energiser, hair remover, oxygen applicator), it’s believed that both salon-based and mobile beauty therapists will be investing in equipment so they can offer a wider range of services.
Supercharged spa experiences Spa days will stay in high demand for couples or friends enjoying special downtime together but there’s a key difference in that the complementary beauty treatments will be aesthetic rather than simply touchy-feely. Clients, then, will not only feel good afterwards, but look good too. No doubt some of the aforementioned treatments will be on offer.
Of course, none of us can indulge in beauty treatments of any kind until COVID-19 lockdown restrictions are fully eased when salons and clinics are re-opened to the public and mobile therapists can once again visit your home. When this time comes, in your overly enthusiastic rush to book an appointment, remember to perform the usual questioning and researching to ensure procedures are safe and will have no nasty side effects.
You also need to know what to do should you suffer harm. This may necessitate contacting your expert Beauty Treatment Claims legal team to claim compensation from a beauty therapist on your behalf. We’re operating the same level of support through this time so you can expect excellent service, as always.
Did you know that bee venom and placenta facials were even a thing? What about inlaid-crystal manicures? According to the Harper’s Bazaar website, such beauty treatments do exist, cost £thousands (£millions, even!), and the rich and famous appear to pay these extortionate amounts in their quest for beautification without a second thought.
As anyone who’s undergone beauty treatments is aware, some skin, lips and nail beauty regimes are costly. If the regular woman (or man) off the street spends huge sums visiting her (or his) beauty therapist, just imagine how much wealthy celebrities dish out on luxurious treatments to maintain their looks. Their image is, essentially, their trademark, after all.
In today’s blog, you can discover what this reputed extravagant expenditure equates to. For example, apparently Celine Dion spent $2.5 million (£2 million) on a humidifier for her Las Vegas hotel room, Madonna splurged $99,000 (£79K) on an anti-cellulite device and Mila Kunis forked out $8,900 (£7.1K) on a ruby facial.
The other distinguished people featured in Harper’s Bazaar top ten list are Rihanna, Serena Williams, Gigi Hadid, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Victoria Beckham and Kate Middleton with treatments ranging from an Evian bath comprising 1,000 litres of spring water to hiring a personal hair stylist on a full-time basis. Even the cheapest treatment cited in this article comes in at $325 (£259) a time.
Whilst the majority of us don’t have the big budgets of our screen, stage and royal stars, spending on beauty treatments is rising in the UK to the tune of around £8-9 billion per year (including hairdressing treatments).
Although none of us is currently in a position to visit our local beauty salon due to lockdown restrictions, when social distancing measures are eventually relaxed and salons open their doors once again, remember to apply caution when embarking upon any treatments.
Should you be considering booking an appointment with your beauty therapist post lockdown – be it lip fillers, Botox, eyebrow and lip liner tattoos, or whatever – make sure you know the risks, ask about potential side effects and find out what to do in the unfortunate circumstance that things go awry.
For the latter – botched beauty treatments – please get in touch with our dedicated team to discuss your next steps.
Over-plucked eyebrows is something a lot of us experience at some stage in our lives. Being overly enthusiastic with the tweezers is an easy thing to do. Whilst extremely distressing, it’s recoverable over time – possibly years, though! – if we can force ourselves to be patient.
Less easily repaired, however, is badly microbladed eyebrows. For the uninitiated, microblading is the process of having eyebrows semi-permanently tattooed – a cosmetic procedure that first rose to prominence in 2017.
This treatment may sound appealing from the perspective of reducing ongoing eyebrow maintenance, if your beauty therapist is negligent and gives you botched eyebrows, restoration is doubtful.
As experts in claims against beauty therapists, we see more and more clients seeking compensation from their beautician as a result of microblading gone awry. Should you need to see evidence to convince you of the dangers, take a look at The Sun website.
Amongst the various horror stories and images on this site is Jami Ledbetter, a 42-year-old mum from Kansas born without eyebrows, who spent a Groupon voucher gift on microblading to correct her birth defect. Unfortunately, Jami was left with four eyebrows. Subsequently, she became too embarrassed to leave the house and split up with her boyfriend.
There are other shocking cases as well, not least an American woman who suffered illness by needle-induced nicks in her skin from microblading becoming infected by bacteria.
If you’ve been injured by your beauty therapist, talk to us about the possibility of making a legal claim for compensation. To get in touch in confidence, please email enquiries@beautytreatmentclaims.co.uk, call 0800 141 3682 or 0333 202 6560, or complete our online enquiry form.
Following a notable rise in reported cosmetic treatments gone wrong, including dermal fillers, lip fillers and Botox, the British government has launched an information campaign to raise awareness of the issue. Others are calling for better regulation of the entire industry. Here at Beauty Treatment Claims we support the government campaign, and call for better training and regulation of all beauty therapists.
There have been a number of British fatalities from people undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad, specifically by having Brazilian butt lifts. Many botched procedures, both in the UK and further afield, end up costing the NHS significant sums of money for correctional work.
According to an online survey of 1,033 women aged between 18 and 30 commissioned by the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme and Newsbeat, published last year (read more), 83% of respondents expressed a desire to change their body with 7% having already had treatments such as lip fillers and Botox.
Save Face, a national register of accredited practitioners, received 934 complaints in the 2017 to 2018 period regarding unregistered practitioners. Of the issues raised, the vast majority, 616 in total, related to dermal fillers. You can learn more about the risks of dermal fillers and what to do if you have problems here.
Worryingly, these and other cosmetic treatments are embarked upon without full awareness of the potential risks and complications. Additionally, they’re usually administered by beauticians lacking medical training. That’s because some fillers aren’t currently regulated like medicines.
Another factor is the wide availability of products bought over the internet and self-injected at home. For overseas procedures, patients typically see their surgeon only on the day of the operation and it’s nigh on impossible to seek follow up treatment resulting from complications.
A core aim of the government’s campaign is to help individuals become better informed about what may happen from the outset and empower them to choose reputable, medically qualified practitioners from national registers. If news headlines of botched treatments are anything to go by, the campaign has a long way to go.
At Beauty Treatment Claims, we support individuals who’ve been harmed by their beauty therapist. With an impact on both physical and mental health, and often heavy financial implications, our role is to represent clients to secure maximum compensation from those to blame for the injury and suffering.
If you’ve been injured in this way, contact us in confidence to ask about making a claim against a beauty therapist. Our dedicated and experienced legal team, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, can progress a case on your behalf on a ‘no win no fee’ basis.
Personal information you enter on this website such as your name and email address mean that you agree to being contacted by us to provide the information you request. We will not disclose any information you provide about yourself to any third parties unless we have to do so in the course of your matter if you become a client. We are aware of and we will comply with our obligations under current data protection legislation in the UK and the Solicitors Code of Conduct. If you have any questions about our use of your personal details then please contact us at enquiries@beautytreatmentclaims.co.uk.
How we use cookies
A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about webpage traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.
Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.
Measuring website usage:
When someone visits www.beautytreatmentclaims.com we use a third party service, Google Analytics to collect standard internet log information and details about how visitors use this site. This provides us with important information that can enable the site to work better. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website.
The following cookies are used on www.beautytreatmentclaims.com:
__UTM.GIF, __UTMA, __UTMB, __UTMC, __UTMT, __UTMZ, __GA, __GAT, __GID, COLLECT - various cookies used by Google Analytics for visitor statistics
P.GIF - used to enable Typekit to show an embedded font on the site
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.
