Hair salons and barber shops under the spotlight

Certain hair salons and barber shops are under the spotlight after concerns raised by customers regarding severe scalp damage and hair loss.

According to the Consumer Council, 46 complaints have been registered in the last 18 months, and the inspections discovered that certain salons are making use of beauty products which are expired, contains no coded expiry dates and products with foreign labelling.

Consumer Council of Fiji Chief Executive Officer Seema Shandil says out of the 19 salons surveyed in the Central, Western and Northern Divisions, 26 percent were found using products which were expired or had no coded expiry dates while 42 percent were utilizing products with foreign labelling.

She says it is also alarming that salons are not informing customers about the products which are applied on them.

The Council is calling on hair salons to immediately cease the use of products with foreign labelling, which infringes on consumers right to safety and information.

The Council is also urging consumers to be assertive and ask questions about the products labelling, expiry dates and other pertinent information when visiting salons. Consumers must also demand for receipts as proof of service in case there is a need for redress.

Consumers who come across hair salons using expired or products with foreign labelling are encouraged to contact the Council.