Elaine is an ASCP member and has had years of waxing experience. She never expected that a bikini wax gone wrong would result in stitches and ongoing medical bills for one of her clients that would result in a $60,000 lawsuit.
Elaine’s client came in for a Brazilian wax. It happened to be two weeks before her wedding and she had never had a Brazilian wax before. The treatment seemed to go smoothly, and the client left without incident.
Weeks later, Elaine received a letter from her client’s attorney. She could barely remember the incident because the client had seemed so unconcerned post-treatment. In actuality, the client had gone directly to urgent care and received stitches. Unbeknownst to Elaine, the client’s labia had torn during the waxing procedure.
The client continued to have additional complications, which resulted in surgery to remove the scar tissue. But because Elaine was covered, ASCP handled the entire suit from beginning to end.
Some accidents are small and some are big. Regardless of the size, our member was covered and didn’t incur any out-of-pocket expenses. Make sure you have the best professional liability insurance and a team to support you so you can survive incidents like Elaine’s. We hope you choose ASCP as your insurance partner and check out all the benefits we offer to support you and your career.
Do beauty professionals really injure clients?
YES! Accidents happen and clients sue. Some claims are minor, such as a product reaction. Other claims can be major lawsuits that go on for a long time and cost a lot of money.
Risky Treatments
So, what treatment do you think is the riskiest? If you guessed waxing, you’re correct. Waxing is an excellent moneymaker. It’s a fast, high-profit service, great for add-ons and almost always guarantees regularly booked visits from a consistent clientele.
Waxing claims can be minor, but they can also be MAJOR with lifting and tearing of skin that results in scarring. And we’re sure you can all use your imaginations to think of what might be considered some of the most painful and undesirable places to have skin tearing and scarring.
Here is our chart of what type of services get the most and least claims:
| SERVICE | % of TOTAL CLAIMS |
| Hair Removal (waxing, sugaring, hair removal product reaction, Brazilian waxing) | 28% |
| Chemical Peels | 21% |
| Facials | 18% |
| Eyelash Extensions, Tinting, Lift | 13% |
| Microdermabrasion | 6% |
| Extractions | 5% |
| Steamer Burns | 4% |
|
Misc. (galvanic shock, LED burn, microcurrent, radio frequency, spray tan) |
2% |
|
Accidental (mag light hit client, Dropped mirror on client’s face) |
2% |
| Dermaplaning | 1% |
|
Product sold to client or non-client; took home and had a reaction |
Less than 1% |
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Accidents do happen and clients will sue. Make sure you have the best professional liability insurance and a team to support you so you can avoid what this esthetician went through. We hope you choose ASCP as your Insurance partner and check out all the benefits we offer to support you and your career.
Not an ASCP member? Join today and gain access to all the benefits we have to offer to support you and your career.
Note: The insurance coverage descriptions above are illustrative only. Refer to a copy of the policy for specific coverages, limitations, exclusions, terms, and conditions. The insurance information contained herein is not a part of your insurance policy; it is instead a partial illustration of benefits, conditions, limitations, and exclusions. In the event that there is confusion or conflict between the policy language and any information provided herein, the policy language shall control
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