A 17-YEAR-OLD schoolboy, who suffered a severe allergic reaction to a hair dye procedure, has been awarded €12,500 damages in the Circuit Civil Court.

Conor Byrne, counsel for Patrick Biggar, said Patrick had gone to Peter Mark, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, in October 2009 to have highlights removed.

Counsel said Patrick, then aged 15, had wanted to return some highlighting of his hair to its natural brown colour and during the process had suffered a severe reaction that resulted in temporary hair loss.

Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Matthew Deery, heard that Patrick’s scalp had come out in spots, ulcers, swelling and severe irritation down to his forehead and into his eye area.

Counsel said Patrick, of Talbot Lodge, Grove Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin, had attended Dr Marian McWade and, among a number of treatments, had to take steroid tablets for a week.

The court heard that while severe, the reaction had been short lived and Peter Mark had offered Patrick a settlement of €12,500 together with expenses and special damages of €1,915 and costs of his claim.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Wednesday, June 01, 2011 By Ray Managh