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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Bad Haircut Sends|Woman to Hospital

CLAYTON, Mo. (CN) - A woman suffered cardiac arrest and spent eight days on life support after a hair salon put the wrong chemical into her hair, she claims in court.

Catherine Oldham sued Geoffred's Hair Salon and DeShone Love in St. Louis County Court.

Oldham claims in the lawsuit that she went to Geoffred's on April 7, 2011, for a haircut and conditioner, and Love persuaded her to add some color to the gray in her hair.

"DeShone Love suggested a product that she believed would last longer in coloring the plaintiff's hair," the complaint states. "DeShone Love stated that she did not have the product but that she could borrow it from another cosmetologist in the next lane at Geoffred's Hair Salon. When the time came to neutralize the hair coloring agent on plaintiff's hair, defendant DeShone Love borrowed an unmarked bottle from a neighboring cosmetologist's lane at Geoffred's Hair Salon and applied the solution."

Oldham claims her scalp began itching the next day and blisters formed two days later. It got so bad that she went to the emergency room, where she was given pain medication, antibiotics and steroids.

Oldham claims Love called her on April 11, 2011 and told her that the product was not "Beautiful Browns Rinse," but a dye called "Take 5."

"Plaintiff realized that no rinse and neutralizing agent was ever applied to her hair," the complaint states. "Instead an additional hair color with acidic qualities was added to her hair in place of a rinse and neutralizer."

Oldham says she developed a bacterial infection due to the scalp wounds and had to get her hair cut off.

"On or about Friday, April 22, 2011, plaintiff awakened with severe pain and nausea," the complaint states. "Plaintiff rose from bed around 5:00 a.m., attempting to get help, and fainted. Paramedics arrived, transporting plaintiff to the hospital. Plaintiff went into cardiac arrest on several occasions as emergency measures were taken. Twelve (12) hours later plaintiff was stabilized well enough to go to the ICU at the hospital and was on life support for the next eight (8) days. Plaintiff went through numerous surgeries and was then implanted with an internal defibulator to keep her heart rhythm regular. Hospital stay extended to approximately eleven (11) days."

Oldham says she is in constant pain and will forever be limited in her daily activities. She says she will have the defibulator for the rest of her life and will need to have surgery every five to six years for defibulator maintenance.

She seeks damages for negligence. She is represented by W. Edwin Roussin of the Roach Law Firm, of Clayton.

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