May I make a claim for compensation for skin discolouration following hair dye if the tops of my ears and my hairline were dyed alongside my hair and cannot be scrubbed off? I do not even want to leave the house because I feel so embarrassed.

You should be entitled to claim compensation for skin discolouration following hair dye provided that the hairstylist that treated you can be proven to have administered your treatment poorly, been negligent or insufficiently skilled.

There are some procedures that you should carry out to determine negligence in order to ensure your entitlement to make a compensation for skin discolouration following hair dye claim. For example, you should have taken photographs of the affected areas, with both close up and distance shots. You should also return to the hair salon and have them note a written account of the accident in their “Accident Report Book”, making sure to retain your own copy.

If the negligent hairstylist admits liability, the salon may approach you with an early offer of compensation for skin discolouration following hair dye before you even begin to initiate proceedings for your claim. You should be aware that the amount offered -usually given in the form of a cash sum or vouchers – may not be a sufficient representation of the amount of compensation you should actually receive, particularly since the incident has clearly affected your quality of life. You should relay any such compensation offer to a solicitor who can assess it and determine its acceptability.

The salon effectively admits liability when they offer an early settlement of compensation and because of this you would have a better opportunity to receive a fair and accurate amount of compensation. Most solicitors offer an initial consultation without charge where they can evaluate the offer proposed by the salon, answer any questions you may have relating to your potential claim and where they can recommend whether or not you have a claim that is worth pursuing.