Ravi Ranjan Kumar
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission awarded a Delhi woman Rs.2 crore compensation for a wrong haircut and hair treatment in a salon at Hotel ITC Maurya in 2018. This haircut and hair treatment left the woman ‘with little or no hair’. The woman was a model for hair products.
Justice RK Agarwal as well as Dr. SM Kantikar passed the order after the observation that ‘without a doubt that every woman is cautious and careful about their hair.’ Plus, every woman ‘spend a lot of money to keep their hair gorgeous looking.’
‘They are very emotionally attached to their tresses. The complainant who was the model for hair products was signed up for after her long hair. Earlier she was a model for hair brands like VLCC and Pantene. But the haircut went against her instructions by the ITC Hotel Ltd. She further lost her expected assignments and faced a lot of losses. This changed the woman’s lifestyle as well as crushed her dream to be a top model,’ according to the order.
The complainant had many plans to continue her modeling assignments. Those assignments were mainly about hair products. Moreover, the model was offered a movie role.
In the year 2018, the model visited the salon at Hotel ITC Maurya to get a haircut for an interview. She asked for her regular hairstylist which was not available at the moment. However, she was provided with another stylist after an assurance. She was left ‘surprised and shocked that despite her clear instructions for long flicks, and 4-inch trim from the bottom, the hairstylist entirely chopped her hair, leaving only four inches of hair till shoulder.’
Later salon staff offered the woman free hair treatment. The complainant stated which was ‘dubious and completely damaged her hair.’ She faced a burning sensation on her scalp due to the free hair treatment offered. Also, there was itching as well as flaking of her scalp. The chemical which was used in the treatment caused serious and permanent damage to the scalp,’ as per commission.
The commission also observed that the woman was working as a senior management professional and enjoyed a decent income. ‘She had to go through mental breakdown as well as trauma because of the opposite party no.2 while doing the haircut and hair treatment. Apart from this opposite party no.2 is also found guilty of medical carelessness while doing the hair treatment. The woman’s hair scalp got burnt and is still facing allergy and itching,’ according to the order.
The woman said that she ‘underwent serious mental breakdown as well as self-esteem. She has been left with little to almost no hair.’
‘She stopped attending social activities and stopped seeing herself in the mirror. She even lost her self-confidence due to no hair. She further suffered the loss of income. She has gone through a lot of pain and trauma in the last two years,’ as per commission.
The respondent’s lawyer has submitted that the ‘complainant has exaggerated the statements without any basis.’
