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“Hair-uncurling experience prompts suit

By William C. Lhotka Post-Dispatch

Geremie Hoff claims that her bad hair day in August 2001 evolved into depression, counseling and a job loss.

It also prompted a lawsuit against Elizabeth Arden's Salon at Saks Fifth Avenue in Plaza Frontenac, where Hoff went to get her hair straightened or relaxed.

Hoff's attorney, Paul Devine, said Monday that the work on Hoff's hair at the salon was so bad that Hoff, a teacher at the University of Missouri at St. Louis and a tour guide for trips to Italy, "shut down. She spiraled into a depression because, right or wrong, looks were important to her."

The salon's attorney, Lawrence Hartstein, told the jury in his opening statement that the stylist, Raye Hudson, had performed "hundreds if not thousands of these procedures" and did nothing wrong in treating Hoff's hair.

Hoff's "alleged losses were unrelated to anything we did," Hartstein added.

Devine said Hoff never had had her naturally curly hair straightened or relaxed, although "she had gotten it colored and colored it herself from time to time."

Hoff, now 56, of Creve Coeur, decided to have her hair straightened because she was going on a float and camping trip, Devine said, and went to Saks on the recommendation of a friend.

Hudson applied a hair product, then washed Hoff's hair several times before putting her under a hair dryer. Devine alleged that Hudson failed to do a test strand before applying the product.

On the float trip, some of Hoff's hair fell out, and her scalp was flaky, Devine said. Weeks later, she had a bald spot in back, "and her hair stuck out like a bird's nest," Devine said.

Hoff took early retirement from teaching and stopped taking tour groups to Italy, Devine said. He added that a psychiatrist and a counselor will testify about her depression.

Hartstein said testimony will disclose that Hoff bought moisturizing products and left a tip when she paid her bill. He said Hoff didn't see a mental health professional until three months later. And her hair had already grown back by the summer of 2002 when her next tour to Italy was scheduled, Hartstein said.”