Legal action under way as woman claims hair treatment caused stroke

A woman has launched a £1 million legal action against a hairdresser over claims her hair treatment caused a stroke.

Adele Burns had her hair washed six times during a treatment at Rainbow Rooms in Glasgow and lawyers allege the impact of the sink on her neck caused her to collapse the following day.

The 47-year-old, from Mid Calder, West Lothian, has now started a civil case against the salon and said her life “has been turned upside down”.

“With backing from my doctors, there is no doubt in my mind the salon caused the stroke,” Mrs Burns said.

“This hasn’t just left me isolated from society – I’ve been isolated from my own body.”

Mrs Burns visited the hairdresser in April 2016 and left with a headache, but put it down to not getting a chance to eat during the appointment.

The next day she lost her sight and felt dizzy, and then passed out when phoning her husband Campbell.

He called an ambulance and Mrs Burns was taken to St John’s Hospital in Livingston.

Solicitors Digby Brown said it was found that she suffered a stroke following dissection of the vertebral artery – a clot caused by trauma in the neck which stops blood getting to the brain.

Thousands of people will seek beauty treatment like this every year and Adele is incredibly brave in speaking out as a way of alerting others to the risks

It was also found there is no history of strokes in Mrs Burns’ family.

The mother-of-two said she had to sell the family home and now struggles to speak, read and write.

Court papers state salon staff never asked Mrs Burns to attend for a “strand test” before her appointment which would have prevented the need for her hair to be re-washed and re-coloured six times.

Documents also accuse the salon of negligence by failing to offer Mrs Burns a front-facing sink or provide neck protection during the treatment she received.

Jennifer Watson, associate at Digby Brown and specialist beauty treatment lawyer, said: “A civil action against Rainbow Rooms is under way after our client’s life was undeniably altered following her appointment with their salon.

“Thousands of people will seek beauty treatment like this every year and Adele is incredibly brave in speaking out as a way of alerting others to the risks.

“Strokes caused by hair washes are not unheard of as there have been a handful of similar cases across the globe – however I’m not aware of anything similar having called in Scottish courts.

“This claim of negligence will be rigorously pursued but as it is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further.”