Dublin designer awarded €46,000 for botched laser facial

Dublin Woman Awarded Over €46,000 After Botched Laser Treatment

A Dublin-based graphic designer has been awarded €46,496 in damages after a cosmetic laser procedure intended to treat a minor skin blemish left her with severe, widespread facial pigmentation and a debilitating sensitivity to sunlight. The Circuit Civil Court heard that Hui Hao, 41, has been left “disfigured” by the treatment, which has profoundly altered her daily life.

Judge Roderick Maguire ordered Gordosek Limited, trading as Dundrum Cosmetic Clinic, to pay the sum after hearing harrowing evidence of the long-term consequences of the procedure, which took place over four years ago. The court was told that the clinic, located in the prominent Dundrum Town Centre, had completely ignored the legal proceedings brought against it, failing to enter any appearance or offer a defence.

A Life Constrained by the Sun

Ms. Hao, of Pugin House, Rathfarnham, Dublin, provided a poignant account of how her life has been irrevocably changed since the treatment in September 2021. She told the court that for half of every year, from March to October, she lives in constant fear of the sun. Exposure to even moderate daylight can cause her face to erupt in painful and unsightly red blotches.

“If I go out in bright or sunny days my face would now come out in red blotches all over,” she stated during her evidence. This condition forces her to remain indoors for much of the spring and summer, the very months when most people enjoy the outdoors. When she does venture outside, she must apply significant layers of medical and cosmetic protection, a constant and costly reminder of the ordeal.

Her barrister, Deirdre Byrne, appearing with Lauren Doyle of HJ Ward Solicitors, explained the profound impact on Ms. Hao’s social and professional life. While she has been able to continue her work in architecture and graphic design from home, avoiding a claim for loss of earnings, the psychological toll has been immense. The court heard she was often unable to face friends and colleagues due to the visible damage to her skin.

From Minor Blemish to Major Disfigurement

The case paints a stark picture of a cosmetic procedure that went catastrophically wrong. Ms. Hao explained that she initially visited the Dundrum Cosmetic Clinic to seek advice on a “very mild pigmentation” located just under her left eye. It was a minor imperfection she hoped to have corrected. The clinic recommended a course of laser treatments and she booked an appointment, trusting in their professional expertise.

However, the experience was traumatic from the outset. “From the moment the doctor applied the laser to my cheek I was in pain and I complained about it but he didn’t stop and continued until the end,” Ms. Hao recounted to Judge Maguire. She was told that some pain was to be expected and that it would subside within a day.

Contrary to these assurances, the pain persisted overnight and for several days. When she returned to the clinic in distress, she was given an unmarked phial containing an unbranded cream, which she was told would alleviate her symptoms. Her condition only worsened. The initial pigmentation issue, once confined to a small area, began to spread across both her cheeks and forehead. Alarmed, she consulted her GP, who immediately advised her to cease using the mysterious cream provided by the clinic.

Justice in Absentia

A striking feature of the case was the defendant’s total lack of engagement with the legal process. Ms. Byrne informed the court that since proceedings were issued in May 2023, Gordosek Limited had made no contact and offered no response. Consequently, a judgment had already been secured against them for failure to enter an appearance, with the court hearing serving to assess the appropriate level of damages.

In his summary, Judge Maguire detailed the negligence and its severe consequences. He noted that Ms. Hao had sought help for a minor issue and was left with a far more serious and permanent condition. “Pigmentation had broken out around her face and close to her lips and the cream she was given had no effect,” the judge stated. He acknowledged the photographic evidence presented in court, which documented the extent of the damage over time.

The judge concluded that Ms. Hao’s life has been fundamentally altered. “She has significant pigmentation that was not there before the treatment,” he said. “She has had to change her daily life as regards going out and it has led to significant change for her. I fully accept that it will be at its worst during summer and she has been now left with extensive pigmentation all over her face. She has been disfigured after having the treatment.”

In awarding Ms. Hao €46,496 along with her legal costs, Judge Maguire validated her suffering and held the absent clinic accountable for the serious scarring and the ongoing, daily impact of its negligence.