UVA salon Prahran: hairdresser Keely Alister sues celebrity salon over wrist injury

A high-end Prahran salon with clients including Nadia Bartel is being sued after a hairdresser claimed it ignored an injury that ended her dream career.

A Melbourne hairdresser to the stars is suing her high end salon claiming they ignored her debilitating wrist injury which ended her dream career.

Keely Alister, 24, has launched civil action against UVA salon in Prahran for pain and suffering she says she sustained while working at the award-winning hairdresser.

Ms Alister, who has styled the locks of Melbourne identities including Bec Judd, Nadia Bartel and former Bachelorette Georgia Love, says she moved to Melbourne to pursue a career in hairdressing and work with professionals she admired.

“I had dreams of a successful hairdressing career and chose a salon that I felt would nurture my ambition,” Ms Alister told the Herald Sun.

Keely Alister is suing high end salon UVA salon. Picture: Instagram

Her star-studded clients included former Bachelorette Georgia Love.

UVA salon, founded by celebrity hair stylist Marie Uva, has a roll-call of local and international celebrity clientele and was named Australian Salon on the Year in 2018.

Ms Alister joined the in-demand salon as an apprentice in 2013 and was named Face of Headmasters’ academy the following year.

But after years of repetitive cutting, colouring and styling the young woman began suffering chronic pain in her right wrist, which eventually required multiple surgeries.

In a statement of claim obtained by the Herald Sun, Ms Alister states she has suffered de Quervain tenosynovitis, a right ganglion cyst, neuropathic wrist pain and scarring.

Ms Alister also claims she has suffered depression and anxiety as a result of the injury.

“This wrist injury has been devastating to me,” she said.
“I was willing to work hard for the career success that I wanted but I have been most disappointed with how my work injury has been handled by my employer,” she said.

In court documents, Ms Alister claims UVA salon didn’t give her adequate breaks, were understaffed and failed to respond to her complaints regarding the working conditions she says contributed to her workplace injury.

Keely Alister was a rising star in the industry.

Ms Alister has undergone three surgeries since March 2018 and despite working with restricted duties at various times between her surgeries and other medical procedures, she has been unable to return to work since November 2019.

Victorian General Manager of Shine Lawyers, Emma Hines, said Ms Alister’s injury was avoidable.

“Every employer has a duty of care and is legally obliged to provide a safe and healthy workplace for its employees to carry out their duties,” Ms Hines said.

“It is unacceptable to dismiss injury as ‘part of the job,” she said.

Ms Alister wants UVA Salon to acknowledge her pain and support her recovery.

Shine lawyers are supporting Ms Alister to pursue legal action against the salon.

“Medical evidence indicates that she is suffering an avoidable chronic work overuse injury that will limit her ability to engage in any activities that require the repeated use of her hands for the foreseeable future,” Ms Hines said.

Mr Alister said given the “time and energy” she had put in contributing to the success of the business, she had expected that her pain would be acknowledged and appropriately supported during my recovery.
“Sadly that did not turn out to be the case,” she said.

UVA salon said they had not yet received the court documents, “but expect that if the writ is served, the matter will be defended”.