A 21-year-old woman who was blinded at the age of 16 by a hair dye product has been awarded £20,000 in compensation – £18,000 of which is to cover her legal costs.

The Daily Mail reports that Charlotte Gilchrist from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire suffered a severe allergic reaction to hair dye used at a salon she visited – and woke up the next morning unable to see. A trainee hairdresser had applied the dye the day before Ms Gilchrist’s school prom in April 2004.

As soon as the purple/brown colourant was applied, her head began to itch and then burn. Ms Gilchrist went back to the salon the next day, having left school early – and a soothing coolant was applied. She attended the school prom but spent the evening in tears.

Ms Gilchrist said she had woken up the next day to find her head swollen and a ‘clear liquid’ pouring from it. She was also unable to see and did not regain her eyesight until five days later when the swelling went down.

The salon – which cannot be named for legal reasons – told the schoolgirl that the shampoo she was using at home must have caused the reaction. However, Ms Gilchrist said she had used the same product for years.

After visiting hospital, where doctors gave her antihistamines, Ms Gilchrist was told that she would never be able to use hair dye again.

A recent survey carried out in Wales found that 84 per cent of hair salons used dye hair products without following the manufacturer's instructions. Ms Gilchrist is now warning all those who use such products to carry out the recommended skin patch test first.

Chief executive of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, Denise Kitchener, said that it was ‘shocking and concerning’ that a major industry like hairdressing was ‘left to its own devices’.

’This means anyone can pick up a pair of scissors and call themselves a hairdresser, with or without training and qualifications,’ she said.

‘Worse still is the fact that hairdressers routinely handle and administer dangerous chemicals in the form of hair dyes, perming or straightening solutions .While there are many reputable salons out there, others have a careless attitude towards the safety of their customers.’

Ms Gilchrist – now the mother of a child – was awarded £2,000 in compensation. The owner of the salon, who at first disputed her claim, was ordered to pay £18,000 in costs to Ms Gilchrist.

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