Coco Brown, a 15-year-old from Shortlands, suffered a severe third-degree burn on her scalp at a Florida hair salon due to chemicals used for blonde highlights, as reported by her mother Samantha.
The incident occurred while Coco’s mother was away shopping, leaving her daughter under the care of a trusted stylist. Upon her return, Samantha found Coco’s head in a sink, with the salon attributing the injury to an allergic reaction to the chemicals.
During their trip to Orlando for a cheerleading competition in April and Clearwater in May, Coco, a member of the Unity Allstars in Sutton and a devoted Taylor Swift fan, decided to get highlights to emulate her idol’s hairstyle.
The family opted not to disclose the salon’s identity, pending a lawsuit seeking compensation from the salon’s insurer.
Despite being asked about her swimming habits, Coco claims the stylist did not perform any strand or patch tests to gauge her hair’s reaction to the bleach. Following treatment, Coco experienced intense pain and smoke emanating from her hair, yet the stylist continued with another round of chemicals, claiming an allergic reaction.
Upon returning to the UK, Coco was diagnosed with a severe third-degree chemical burn, necessitating a skin graft at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, leaving her permanently bald in that area.
Despite the ordeal, Samantha praised Coco’s courage in addressing her injury on social media, where her TikTok channel, @Coco.and.Burt, has garnered substantial attention, with some videos viewed over 150,000 times.
