A model whose eyebrows were "scalded" in a hot wax beauty treatment was awarded €16,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday.
Circuit Court President Mr Justice Matthew Deery said he was satisfied there had been a severe burning of Tara Murphy's eyebrows during the cosmetic treatment in Buttercups Beauty Salon, in Dublin's Powerscourt Centre on May 10th, 2002.
He directed that Celtic Beauty Salon Ltd, of Sandyford Industrial Estate, Dublin, which trades as Buttercups, pay Ms Murphy €13,000 damages and a further €3,000 special damages to include loss of earnings and medical treatment.
Ms Murphy, aged 32, of Galtymore Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, had told her counsel, Frank Beatty, she had been temporarily cosmetically deformed and had lost photographic modelling engagements as a result.
She said her eyebrows and the bridge of her nose had started to bleed following the treatment in Buttercups. It had been as though her eyebrows had been scaled with boiling water. Scabs had later developed on her eyebrows.
Ms Murphy told Mr Beatty that the beautician who had administered the waxing was not her usual therapist and had failed to test the wax on her own or Ms Murphy's wrist before applying it.
When she had complained about a burning sensation she had been told it was normal but the treatment, which normally took five minutes, had been completed "in seconds".
Her vision had become blurred after leaving Buttercups and she had vomited. She had attended her local doctor for treatment, and her eyebrows had returned to normal after about a year.
Judge Deery said that the defence entered by Buttercups was "odd" in that it had attempted to plead contributory negligence on the part of Ms Murphy.