GB2280367A

GB2280367A - Method and device for use in treating hair

Info

Publication number: GB2280367A
Application number: GB9315399A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Benedictis Alfredo De; Mark Christopher Lawrence
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-07-24
Filing date: 1993-07-24
Publication date: 1995-02-01
Also published as: GB9315399D0

Abstract

A method of treating hair with a liquid treatment substance is disclosed in which lengths of hair 19 which are not to receive treatment are protected by means of a tubular protection device which is impervious to the liquid treatment substance. The tubular protection device comprises an open ended tube 13 of thin rubber and one end of the tube is folded back inside itself to protrude therefrom at 18 and the tube then rolled back upon itself from the fold to form an annular rolled portion 17 with end portions 15 and 18 protruding therefrom. In use, the end 21 of a length of hair to be protected is inserted into the end portion and the rolled portion is unrolled as at 23 to an extent sufficient to enclose all the length of hair to be protected. The protected 19 and unprotected hair 20 is rolled onto a curler and the liquid treatment substance is applied to the rolled hair. The protection device serves to prevent the liquid treatment substance coming into contact with the length of hair enclosed within the tube. <IMAGE>

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR USE IN TREATING HAIR This invention relates to a device for use in protecting portions of hair during treatment of other portions of the hair and in particular relates to a device for use in socalled root perming.

In one known treatment for human hair, known as root perming, newly grown hair is subjected to a treatment which imparts a permanent waving to the hair. This treatment of the hair causes damage to the hair and hence it is desirable to restrict the treatment such that only those portions of hair newly grown since a previous treatment are treated. In order to restrict the treatment to the newly grown hair, the hair which has been treated previously is protected to inhibit treatment thereof. It will be appreciated that the previously treated hair, which it is desired to protect from receiving further treatment, are those portions of hair remote from the scalp whereas the newly grown untreated hair, which is to receive treatment, are those portions of hair between the scalp and the portions- treated previously.

In our pending International Patent Application PCT/GB92/01683, International publication number WO 93/05677, we have described and claimed a method and device for use in treating hair. In the method disclosed in the specification of said application, in a hairdressing treatment of human hair with a liquid treatment substance, lengths of hair which are not to receive treatment are protected by means of a tubular protection device which is impervious to the liquid treatment substance. The tubular protection device comprises an open ended tube of thin rubber and the wall of the tube is rolled from one end thereof upon itself to form an annular rolled portion with an end tubular portion protruding therefrom. In use, the end of a length of a tress of hair to be protected is inserted through the annular rolled portion into the end tubular portion.The rolled portion then is unrolled to enclose all the length of hair to be protected. The protected hair and unprotected hair at the root end of the tress of hair is rolled onto a curler and the liquid treatment substance is applied to the rolled hair. The protection device serves to prevent the liquid treatment substance coming into contact with the length of hair enclosed within the tube.

In use of the protection device as described in our earlier patent application referred to hereinbefore, it has been found that the tube in the rolled annular portion does not always unroll easily to its full extent due to adhesion between opposed surfaces in the rolled annular portion of the tube.

According to one aspect of the present invention a protection device for protecting a length of hair from treatment by a liquid treatment substance comprises - an open ended tube including a wall of rubber or like impermeable material in which the wall of the tube is folded such that a first length of said tube extends within a second length of said tube and extends beyond a free end of said second length of tube remote from a fold between the first and second lengths and in which the wal of the tube is rolled upon itself from the fold thereof to or toward said free end of said second length of tube.

According a second aspect of the invention a method of treating hair in which a first part of a length of hair is protected from treatment while a second part of said length of hair is subjected to said treatment by a liquid hair treatment substance comprises the steps of providing a hair protection device formed of an open ended tube comprising a wall of rubber or like impermeable material; said tube being folded such that a first length of said tube extends within a second length of said tube and extends beyond a free end of said second length of tube remote from a fold between said first and second lengths of tube; and said folded tube being rolled starting from the fold toward the free end of said second length of tube to form a rolled annular portion with a part of said first length of tube protruding therefrom; utilising said protection device by inserting a free end of said first length of hair through the rolled annular portion into the protruding part of said first length; unrolling the rolled annular portion and sliding said second length relative to said first length to extend the tube toward a scalp bearing said hair so as to enclose said first part of said length of hair entirely within said tube; rolling said length of hair onto a curler or roller and applying hair treatment liquid to treat said second part of the length of hair.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference by way of example to the drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a view of a protection device for protecting hair from treatment, the device being shown in its initial state prior to application to the hair, Figure 2 shows an intermediate stage in the formation of the protection device, and Figures 3a and 3b show respectively initial application of the protection device to a tress of hair and unrolling and extension of the device to enclose and protect the portion of hair to be protected.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a device 10 for protecting a portion of hair from treatment by a liquid chemical substance comprises an open ended tube of thin rubber material. In forming the protection device, the wall of the tube is folded upon itself such that a first length 12 of the tube extends internally through a second length 13 of the tube from a fold 14 as shown in Figure 2.

The first length 12 is longer than the second length and hence a free end 15 of the second length of the tube lies intermediate the fold 14 and a free end 16 of the first length of tube. The tube then is rolled starting from the fold 14 toward the free ends 15, 16 such that the wall forming both the first and second lengths is rolled upon itself to form a rolled annular portion 17. The rolling is continued until only a relatively short portion 18 of the first length 12 remains protruding from the rolled annular portion as shown in Figure 1. It is preferred that the rolling is terminated such as to leave the free end 15 of the second length of tube protruding from the rolled annular portion.

Referring now to Figures 3a and 3b, a first length 19 of a tress of hair is to be protected from treatment by a liquid treatment substance to be applied to treat a root end 20 of the tress of hair. A free end 21 of the tress of hair remote from a scalp 22 is inserted through the rolled annular portion 17 into the protruding portion 18 of the second length of tube 13. A hairdresser carrying out the treatment of the hair then grips the portion 18 with one hand to retain the end 21 of the hair therein and by repeated sliding movements of- the fingers and thumb of the other hand over the protection device in the direction indicated by arrow 23 toward the scalp frictionally contacts the rolled annular portion and unrolls the annular portion away from the free ends 15, 16 of the tube toward the scalp 22. As the annular portion 17 is unrolled, the first length 12 of the tube is exposed and continued repeated sliding movement of the fingers and thumb of the hairdresser in frictional contact with the outside surface of the first length of tube causes the second length 13 of the tube to move relative to and over the first length 12 to progressively move the region of the fold along the tube and eventually unfold the wall of the tube such that the tube is fully extended over the tress of hair as shown in Figure 3b. The lengthwise position of the tube relative to the length of the tress of hair may be adjusted, if necessary, such that the tube extends over the entire length of hair to be protected.

When the hair to be protected and lying within the tubular protection device and the hair to be treated is rolled onto a curler or roller it has been found that there is a possibility of a small amount of seepage of the treatment fluid into the end of the protection device.

Accordingly it is preferred to locate the end of the tube relative to the tress of hair such that at the end 15 thereof the tube extends by a small distance beyond the length of hair to be protected over the length of hair to be treated.

It has been found that the folding of the tube prior to rolling results in unrolling of the tube over the tress of hair being more easily accomplished and facilitates the application of the protection device to a tress of hair.

As described in our earlier patent application referred to hereinbefore, after the length of hair to be protected has been enclosed within the tubular protection device, the tress of hair together with the protection device enclosing the length being protected thereby is rolled onto a curler or roller and a treatment liquid such as a permanent waving solution is applied to the hair.

It is preferred to mount the tubular protection device initially, prior to use, on a support as described in our prior patent application referred to hereinbefore and reference is hereby made to the specification of that application for disclosure relating to support of the device and the manner of its use.

Claims

1. A protection device for protecting a length of hair from treatment by a liquid treatment substance comprising an open ended tube including a wall of rubber or like material substantially impermeable to said liquid treatment substance in which the wall of the tube is folded such that a first length of said tube extends within a second length of said tube and extends beyond a free end of said second length of tube remote from a fold between the first and second lengths and in which the wall of said second length and the wall of at least that part of said first length extending within said second length is in a contracted state lengthwise of the tube.

2. A protection device as claimed in claim 1 in which the first length of the tube includes a free end remote from the fold and in which in the contracted state the tube is rolled lengthwise upon itself from said fold toward said free end to form an annular rolled portion.

3. A protection device as claimed in claim 2 wherein support means are provided to maintain the free end and the annular rolled portion in an open state to facilitate insertion of the length of hair.

4. A protection device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the support means comprises at least one rib moulded in said first length of the tube.

5. A protection device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the support means comprises a corrugated profile of the first length of the tube.

6. A protection device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the support means includes a removable holder extending within the tube.

7. A protection device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the removable holder comprises a substantially planar element manually deformable to open the tube.

8. A protection device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the removable holder comprises a hollow cylindrical element.

9. A protection device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tube in its contracted state is mounted on a holder extending within the tube, the length of tube being gathered in folds.

10. A protection device as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein the tube is connected to the holder by at least one frangible connection.

11. A method of treating hair in which a first part of a length of hair is protected from treatment while a second part of said length of hair is subjected to said treatment by a liquid hair treatment substance comprises the steps of providing a hair protection device formed of an open ended tube comprising a wall of rubber or like impermeable material; said tube being folded such that a first length of said tube extends within a second length of said tube and extends beyond a free end of said second length of tube remote from a fold between said first and second lengths of tube; and said folded tube being contracted in length between the fold and the free end of the second length; utilising said protection device by inserting a free end of said first length of hair through the contracted tube into the part of said first length extending beyond the free end of the second length; extending the contracted tube and sliding said second length relative to said first length to extend the tube toward a scalp bearing said hair so as to enclose said first part of said length of hair entirely within said tube; rolling said length of hair onto a curler or roller and applying hair treatment liquid to treat said second part of the length of hair.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein prior to use the tube is rolled upon itself from the fold to or toward the free end of the second length of tube and, after insertion of the hair into the tube, the tube is unrolled to the fold.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 or 12 including the step of providing the tube folded and contacted lengthwise mounted on a holder extending within said tube and including the step of removing said holder after insertion of said free end of the first length of hair into the tube.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the tube is mounted on a substantially planar holder, said tube being in a flattened cylindrical form and including the step of deforming the holder to open the tube into an open cylindrical form.

15. A protection device for protecting length of hair from treatment constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

16. A method of treating hair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.