Bikini line waxing and burns: what compensation?

When a client of a beauty salon seeks compensation for bodily injury sustained during beauty treatments, she must prove the causal link between the two, as the following case shows.

On July 5, 2017, ^Ms. X, 39, had a “bikini line wax” at Annecy Body, where she had had a subscription since 2008. She returned home complaining of having been burned by the wax, which had been heated to an excessive temperature, despite her protests.

On July 16, 2017, the emergency department of the Annecy general clinic (Haute-Savoie) prescribed antibiotic treatment. On July 18, his gynecologist prescribed tests. On August 11, his dermatologist highlighted the presence of "erythematous and pruritic lesions."

He performed a biopsy that allowed him to diagnose genital psoriasis. On several occasions until October 2017, ^Ms. X visited her doctor for dermatological lesions on her buttocks and pubic area. She then decided to sue the beauty salon and her insurer to obtain compensation for her injuries. Annecy Body and Axa France IARD dispute any causal link between the treatments and the psoriasis.

They cite as evidence, in particular, the long delays that elapsed between these and the appointment at the clinic (eleven days) or the consultation with the dermatologist (more than a month). They emphasize the fact that an expert, appointed in summary proceedings, concluded that " it is difficult to decide with certainty on the responsibility of the cosmetic procedure on the appearance of psoriasis (which can be multifactorial)."

The same expert, however, stated that "the concomitant occurrence of psoriasis after the hair removal session and its persistence in the same area suggest a direct relationship between the dermatosis and the hair removal procedure." Furthermore, the burns were located at the place where the disputed hair removal procedure was performed. Finally, the numerous affidavits submitted to the proceedings attributed the applicant's physical suffering to her hair removal session. Her husband in particular blames her for "the big problems that have arisen in their relationship" , since ^Ms. X was no longer able to have sexual intercourse until September 2018.

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