Hair dye caused chemical burn to scalp, woman claims

WINFIELD - A woman says P&G-Clairol Inc. caused her to suffer a chemical burn to her scalp and caused her severe injuries.

In 2011, Tammy McCallister purchased Clairol "Nice 'n Easy" from Wal-mart in Hurricane to dye her hair, according to a complaint filed May 31 in Putnam Circuit Court.

McCallister claims in June 2011 she used the Clairol product to dye her hair and because she had not used to product before, she performed a skin test per the included instructions and did not have a reaction.

After applying the foam to her hair, per the instructions, she immediately began feeling a tingling sensation, and within 10 minutes of applying the foam to her hair, she felt an intense burning sensation, according to the suit.

McCallister claims she immediately went to wash the foam from her hair as the pain intensified and her heart began to race.

After washing out the foam, McCallister noticed that her scalp was bright red with brown blotches embedded in the redness, according to the suit.

McCallister claims she continued experiencing a burning sensation, so she placed ice packs on her head to ease the burning and the next morning, she awoke to blisters covering her scalp and her hair was extremely dry and straw-like.

Over the course of the next few weeks, McCallister's hair started falling out in patches and the blisters turned into sores with a sticky drainage, according to the suit.

McCallister claims after losing the majority of her hair and after enduring considerable pain, she made an appointment in September 2011 with her family physician, who diagnosed her with a chemical burn and referred her to a dermatologist for continued medical treatment.

The dermatologist confirmed the chemical burn diagnosis and prescribed McCallister a steroid solution and a medicated shampoo to assist in healing the sores, according to the suit.

McCallister claims the dermatologist stated that the hair loss could be permanent and that she would have psoriasis and eczema for the rest of her life due to the damage to her scalp.

There was no warning on the box or enclosed in the Clairol packaging that warned McCallister or any other purchaser that the product could cause chemical burns and/or permanent hair loss, according to the suit.

McCallister claims after notifying the defendant that she had retained legal counsel, the defendant has continually and repeatedly initiated contact with her and attempted to harass and bully her into accepting a payment of $200 in exchange for a full release of the defendant, thereby constituting an unreasonable intrusion upon her right to privacy and seclusion.

As a direct and proximate result of the defendant's actions, McCallister suffered severe personal injuries in the form of chemical burns, permanent hair loss and other traumatic injuries, including mental and physical pain and suffering; emotional and mental anguish; loss of enjoyment of life; and other consequential damages, according to the suit.

McCallister is seeking compensatory damages with pre-judgment interest. She is being represented by David M. Adkins of The Adkins Law Firm PLLC.

Putnam Circuit Court case number: 13-C-180