GB2276818A - Permanent waving of hair - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable the roots of a head of a head of hair to be frequently permed, and at the same time fully protect and existing perm by insulating the already permed portion a plastic type clip (shield). 9 is provided having a cylindrical body and two skirt portions 10, 11, which are more deflectable than the body portion (eg. they are thinner or of different material). The clip fits an existing perm roller and covers the already permed hair wound on it. <IMAGE>

Description

PERMANENT WAVING OF HAIR So-called permanent waving (a "perm") involves the imposition on human hair of a persistent set by the application to it of suitable chemical treatment while the hair is held in the desired pattern by curlers.

The chemical nature of the treatment means that it cannot be repeated too frequently. It is a problem that growth of hair from the root causes after some time the permed hair to be attached to the scalp by an unpermed fresh length. This spoils the intended appearance; and the obvious answer, to re-perm the whole head of hair, may be undesirable because it is still too soon after the last treatment.

The present invention solves this problem by allowing perming of the fresh hair while shielding at least the bulk of already-treated hair from retreatment.

In one aspect the invention provides a shield for use with a permanent-wave curler to act as barrier between one or more inner turns of a spiral of hair wound onto a core of that curler and one or more subsequent turns of the spiral of hair wound over the shield, the barrier being to prevent at least substantially access of liquid to the inner turn(s) of hair. The inner turn(s) are of course those of previously-treated hair.

The shield may take the form of a deflectable body portion having two major edges and being in or deflectable into a part-cylindrical configuration with the major edges parallel to the axis of the cylinder, and a skirt portion extending from at least one of the major edges, the skirt portion being more deflectable than the body portion.

Preferably the shield has two such skirt portions and they are unequal in their extent, the skirt portion intended to lie innermost in the spiral being the one of lesser extent.

The skirt portion(s) may be integral with the body portions and be more deflectable by virtue of being thinner or may be attached to it e.g. by welding and be more deflectable by virtue of difference of material or thinness or both. The skirt or each skirt will be thin, at least at its or their edge remote from the body, and may be tapered at that edge for that purpose.

Since it is preferred that the body portion will persist in and recover to the part-cylindrical configuration, the skirt portion(s) will usually be made of a different material; all the materials will usually be plastics materials.

The invention includes as another aspect, the use of an article as generally described above for shielding hair during permanent waving and as a third aspect a method of permanent waving which involves winding one or more turns of a spiral of previously permed hair onto a core of a permanent wave curler, fitting a shield over the outer surface of those turn(s) and continuing to wind hair spirally onto the curler over the shield whereby the shield occupies at least one turn around the coil and acts as a barrier to liquid penetration to the turn(s) of hair lying within it.

The shield used in the method may be as generally described above.

A particular embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to accompanying drawings wherein Fig 1 is a perspective view of a permanent wave curler with initial turns of hair on it; Fig 2 is a perspective view of a shield; Fig 3 is an end view thereof; Fig 4 shows in perspective view a step in the fitting of the shield; and Fig 5 is a section through a completed spiral of hair on the curler.

A permanent wave curler 1 has a core 2 with end fittings 3 on one of which is attached an elastic band 4 an end cap 5 of which will be slipped over the other end fitting to retain a spiral of hair being rolled onto the curler.

Initial turns 6 of hair 7 are being wound anticlockwise onto the core 2.

This will be a length of the hair of the customer which has been previously permed and has retained its set, but which has with time and due to the growth of fresh, unpermed, hair became separated by that fresh hair from the customers scalp.

The intention is to perm that fresh hair without exposing the previously treated length to further chemicals.

For this purpose there is provided a shield 8 which is of the same standard length as the core 2.

It has a body portion 9 and first and second skirts 10 and 11, one at each major edge 12 of the body portion. Skirt 10 extends less far from the body portion than does the second skirt 11, approximately half as far.

The body portion 9 is in the form of a part cylinder with the edges 12 parallel to its axis. It is made of a plastics material which will retain that shape and will restore itself to it even after some deformation.

The diameter of the cylinder is chosen in relation to that of the core 2; there is a standard series of core diameters which are colour coded - the shield may be colourcoded accordingly and may be used with only one diameter or (preferably) with a range of diameters of core.

A modified body portion may be made of a pliable plastics material which is normally a flat sheet but is deformable into the part cylindrical shape in use: however it should be firm enough to be easily handleable without collapse.

The skirts 10,11 are more deformable than the body portion either by virtue of being thinner or of different material or both. They must be thin at least at their edges remote from the body portion, and for this purpose may be tapered at least adjacent to those edges. This is to avoid the edges impressing a line set in the permed hair.

They may be integral with the body portion or be attached to it by e.g. welding (fusion) or adhesive bonding.

In the embodiment shown, they are separate sheets of material both thinner and more pliable than the material of the body portion.

In use, the inner turns 6 having been wound on, the shield is offered up to the outer of those turns with the first skirt 10 tucking into the angle where the hair 7 goes tangential to the spiral. The body portion 9 fits over the major part of the turn then outermost. The second and longer skirt 11 is laid along the hair 7 as coiling of the hair continues by rotation of the curler, the positioning of the shield being assisted by the tang 13 of a hairdresser's comb 14 (Fig 4). When coiling of the spiral of hair onto the curler is completed (Fig 5) one or more outer turns 15 of the spiral, made up of fresh hair, lie outside the barrier formed by the shield, and the completed coil is held in place by the elastic band 4.

The length of the skirts 10,11 and the body portion 9 in the spiral is such that they occupy at least one complete turn (i.e. extend over at least 360 around the core) and act as a barrier to any substantial liquid penetration to the inner turns 6 of hair while allowing the outer turns 15 to be appropriately dosed with chemicals.

Clearly the shields may be made to different quality standards - a professional grade for repeated re-use and a cheaper more disposable item for amateur/home use.

Claims (5)

1. A Perm-a-root (shield) protector. Shaped into a part cylindrical configuration with the major edges parallel to the axis of the cylinder and a skirt portion extending from at least one or more of the major edges, the skirt portions being more deflectable than the body portion.

2. A Perm-a-root (shield) protector. As claimed in claim 1 manufactured in plastic materials which is clipped onto an existing perm roller whilst the hair is being rolled by a hair dresser.

3. A Perm-a-root (shield) protector. As claimed in claim 1 or claim 2. The skirt portions maybe integral with the body portions and be more deflectable by virtue of being thinner and being tapered at the edges to avoid leaving an undesired line or mark in the permed hair.

4. A Perm-a-root (shield) protector. As claimed in claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein it has a body portion of cylindrical shape, the diameter of which is chosen in relation to that of the required existing perm roller.

5. A Perm-a-root (shield) protector. Substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.