Minuwangoda Magistrate has issued an order for the immediate arrest of a beautician and her staff following a hair treatment that left a woman severely ill and caused significant hair loss. The police reported that both the salon owner and her aides have fled their residences and removed the signboard of their salon, Kalani Salon, located in the SANASA Building, Minuwangoda.
The victim, a mother of two, was discharged from the hospital yesterday and shared her ordeal with Lankasara.
Details of the Incident
On Saturday, August 31, the woman visited the salon at around 10 a.m. to get her hair styled for a wedding. She was charged 15,000 LKR for the treatment and paid 12,500 LKR in advance. After washing her hair, the salon owner began the styling process and instructed her assistants to continue. The owner then requested the remaining payment to purchase additional supplies.
Once the owner left, the assistants proceeded with the treatment, applying needles and an unknown substance to her hair, and instructed her to leave it on for 45 minutes. Despite her request to see the products being used, the assistants refused. Shortly thereafter, the woman began experiencing severe headaches, dizziness, and eye irritation. She pleaded for the treatment to be removed, but was told to wait until the owner returned.
Hair Loss and Police Involvement
After 45 minutes, the woman noticed the assistants secretly communicating with the salon owner. When they finally washed out the treatment, her hair began falling out in clumps. Panicked, she asked for an explanation, but the staff insisted she remain at the salon until the owner returned.
Her sister arrived after being contacted and was alarmed by the sight of her hair falling out. They both left the salon immediately and reported the incident to the police. At the station, her hair continued to fall out, prompting police to send her to Minuwangoda Hospital, and later to Gampaha Hospital for further treatment.
Following the complaint, officers from the Minuwangoda Police’s Children and Women’s Bureau searched the salon. By this time, the owner and her aides had vanished, leaving behind the salon keys and removing the salon’s nameboard.
The police also searched the suspects’ homes but found them empty. The Minuwangoda Police reported the incident to the court, which has scheduled the case for September 13. The court has also instructed the Consumer Affairs Authority to test the chemical products used in the treatment as requested by the police.