When you put a product in your hair its no big deal, But what would you do if you were conditioning your hair and you looked in your hands to find them filled with hair? It happened to one South Florida woman whose long hair is important to her career. So does the company have to pay to compensate her? It’s why she called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
WSVN — Nanette Pauole: “My background is Hawaiian Portuguese.”
When you watch Nanette Pauole hula dance, you understand why she knows what she is doing.
Nanette Pauole: “My mom and my dad were professional hula dancers as well. My twin is also a hula dancer as well, so as you can say it pretty much runs in my family.”
Nanette is from Hawaii and hula dancing is not just a family tradition, it’s a money maker. A skill very few people do.
Nanette Pauole: “A hula dancer should look pretty, long hair, great face, pretty features, a good body as well. So it’s together you have to have the whole package in order to present yourself to companies and visitors that expect a lual to see a dancer, a Hawaiian dancer in its prime.”
Nanette says the long hair is important and she takes great care of it. Just recently, before a big event, she bought a product she had never used before to straighten it out.
Nanette Pauole: “I used that product, Africa’s Best, to help relax my hair.”
But then…
Nanette Pauole: “Not even five minutes the hair was coming off in my hands and when I see it coming off in my hand, I freaked out and started washing that product out of my hair.”
It was too late. Nanette’s hands were filled with her once long luxurious hair.
Nanette Pauole: “I was devastated, I was literally crying. It just broke my heart because it took me a while just to grow my hair.”
Nanette immediately called the company to let them know what their product had done.
Nanette Pauole: “I emailed them pictures of before and after.”
Their first question, did she follow the instructions on the container?
Nanette Pauole: “I did follow the directions. I know for a fact I followed the directions.”
Nanette says she asked the company to pay her for $5,000, the supplies it would take to grow her hair back and the jobs she will lose because of the loss of her traditional hair.
Nanette Pauole: “‘Well I’m not going to give you $5,000 but I can give you $250.’ I got so upset. I was furious. ‘Are you insulting me?'”
Nanette turned down their offer and bought a wig but says it didn’t look the same.
Nanette Pauole: “I have been turning away my jobs because I just don’t feel that comfortable. Like it’s going to fall out or you can tell it’s not the right color.”
She lost her hair and now she is losing jobs because of it. But Howard, legally what can she do?
Howard Finkelstein: “If you use a product as directed, there is what the law calls an Implied Warranty. Meaning its fit for the purpose it was sold and if you are damaged, the manufacture has to pay to replace the product and treatments to repair the hair. And she can get lost wages, if Nannette can prove someone refused to hire her because of her damaged hair.”
We contacted the House of Cheatham, the company that sells the hair product, Africa’s Best.
We wanted to know if they thought Nanette did something incorrectly or there was problem with her product. We also wanted to know if they would give her more than the $250 they were offering.
They couldn’t answer that yet. They told us addressing the complaint and working to bring resolution and satisfaction to this matter.
They added we exercise quality in the formulation and manufacturing of our products, and significantly value consumer satisfaction.
And what should Nanette expect in monetary compensation?
Howard Finkelstein: “To determine exactly how much Nanette should get can’t be answered today. It will take a judge or a jury to decide just how much the loss of her hair hurt her over the next few months. But you can not determine that today.”
While she waits for the companies decision and for her hair to grow back, if she decides to dance she will wear a wig because dancing is what she loves.
Nanette Pauole: “Since I was a little girl, I was a professional hula dancer. I loved to dance. It’s in my culture and blood. I love dancing. Keeps me fit and happy.”
I talked to Howard about someone like Nanette collecting money for emotional or physical damage. He said that’s unlikely. It would have to be something permanent, like scars or burns, from a product. Her hair doesn’t qualify for that because eventually, it will grow back.
Hair raising experience left you feeling limp? Need someone to straighten things out? Contact us. We will brush up on the law and get to the root of things.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
E-mail: helpmehoward@wsvn.com (please include your contact phone number when e-mailing)
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
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