Many people love to experiment with their hair, whether it’s a bold new colour or a trendy style. But for one young woman in the US, a routine salon visit turned into a painful nightmare she’ll never forget.
Excited For A Makeover Before Prom
A nursery worker,18-year-old Kyrie Martin from North Carolina, had planned to dye her dark brown hair blonde ahead of her graduation and prom.
On February 11, she visited a salon she had used before and felt confident about the procedure. For the past four years, she had regularly dyed her hair without issue.
But this time, things went horribly wrong.
‘It Felt Like My Head Was On Fire’
Shortly after the hairdresser applied foils and dye to her hair, Kyrie began to feel an intense burning on her scalp. Within an hour, the pain became unbearable.
“I was crying and told the hairdresser my head felt like it was on fire”, she recalled. Alarmed, the stylist quickly removed the foils and washed her hair. But things only got worse, smoke began rising from her head.
Waived Colour Fee — But Charged For Haircut
Despite the incident, the hairdresser still charged Kyrie $50 (around Rs 4,100) for the haircut, although she waived the colouring cost. Kyrie left the salon in agony.
When she got home, her mother noticed severe swelling and a long red mark on her scalp. They rushed to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with a first-degree chemical burn.
Bald Spot The Size Of An Orange
In the following days, her condition deteriorated. Doctors eventually had to remove a section of dead skin the size of an orange, leaving a bald patch where hair still hasn’t regrown. There’s a strong chance the damage is permanent.
“The recovery was slow and extremely painful”, Kyrie said. “It took over two months for the wound to heal, and even now not a single hair follicle has grown back.”
No Apology, No Follow-Up
Even more upsetting, the hairdresser never contacted her again. Kyrie and her mother were stunned by the complete lack of concern.
“At a time when my friends were getting ready for graduation and college, I was going to hospital appointments. It ruined my final year”, she said. “The pain was physical, but also deeply emotional.”
