GB2325521A

GB2325521A - Hair care kit

Info

Publication number: GB2325521A
Application number: GB9710650A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Rowe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-05-22
Filing date: 1997-05-22
Publication date: 1998-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 2017-05-22
Also published as: GB9710650D0; WO1998052470A1; EP1011453A1; GB2325521B; AU7542098A

Abstract

The kit comprises (i) a container containing one or more hair treating chemicals and (ii) at least on skin patch containing the identical chemical(s) to that present in the container. The patch is affixed to the skin of the potential user of the hair treating chemical to determine if the user has an allergic skin reaction to the chemicals present in the container and which are to be used for hair care. The hair treatment chemical can be a dye or permanent waving material. The kit may also contain a swab and gloves.

Description

Hair Care Kit The present invention relates to a hair care kit.

Hair care kits, such as kits for dyeing or perming of hair at home often contain instructions advising that a skin sensitivity test should be carried out before the kit is used.

This is to determine whether the user of the kit is sensitive or allergic to any of the component chemicals of the kit.

These sensitivity tests usually involve cleaning a small area of the skin, usually with soap and water, and applying to this cleaned area a little of the relevant chemical. The chemical may be allowed to dry and may be reapplied a further two or three times. The user is instructed not to wash the area of skin to which the chemical is applied and to wait a period of 48 hours to determine whether there is any reaction to the test chemicals. If there is any irritation to the skin after the 48 hour period, the user is advised not to use the kit; however, if there is no irritation then the user may proceed to carry out hair treatment.

One of the problems with currently used sensitivity tests is that the user is instructed not to wash the area of skin where the chemical has been applied for two whole days. This can prove very difficult and the user may inadvertently remove the chemical from the skin thereby falsely giving a negative result.

This could prove dangerous as the user would be led to believe that it would be safe to continue to use the kit. Furthermore, the user will probably be required to wear gloves when applying the solution to the skin. As kits of this kind are usually only provided with a single pair of gloves, the user may be required to re-use the same pair of (possibly soiled) gloves when carrying out the actual treatment.

The aim of the present invention is to alleviate some of the aforementioned problems and to provide a quick and easyto-use sensitivity test.

According to the present invention there is provided a hair care kit suitable for home use, which kit comprises: (a) at least one sealed container containing one or more hair treatment chemicals; and (b) at least one skin patch to be secured to the skin of a user, the skin patch being capable of releasing at least one of the above-mentioned hair treatment chemicals to the skin of the user.

The patch used in the kit according to the present invention may be suitable for use on various parts of the body.

The patch preferably resembles an adhesive plaster dressing and comprises an upper surface and an undersurface. The upper surface of the patch preferably comprises a thin, waterresistant, flexible plastics material. This allows the user to wash without fear of affecting the result of the sensitivity test. The undersurf ace of the patch (that is the surface to be located adjacent the skin) typically comprises a thin waterresistant flexible plastics material coated with an adhesive polymer to enable the patch to adhere to the skin until the user wishes its removal. The undersurface of the patch further comprises a contact pad designed to slowly release any chemicals impregnated thereupon or therein. The water-resistant nature of such a flexible plastics material ensures that the chemicals remain on the pad and do not permeate out.

The patch may have printed thereon indicia (such as instructions for use, pictorial representations or the like).

Preferably, the hair care kit according to the invention, includes at least one separate receptacle comprising the same hair treatment chemical or chemicals as present in the sealed container and in the skin patch. The chemical(s) in such a receptacle may be used for carrying out a strand test on the hair of a user.

Preferably, the hair care kit according to the invention includes at least one swab. This may be used to clean the surface of the skin prior to applying the skin patch; the swab may contain an alcohol and/or an antiseptic or the like.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the swab and skin patch are packaged together in a flexible sheet material, such as printed or plain plastics material and/or laminated barrier material. The swab and patch may be separated from one another by a portion of the sheet material having perforations or the like. Alternatively, the swab and skin patch may be mounted one on top of the other.

The hair care kit according to the invention preferably includes at least one pair of gloves.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 (not to scale) illustrates the upper surface of a skin patch for use in a hair care kit according to the invention; and Figure 2 illustrates the undersurface of the skin patch shown in Figure 1.

Referring first to Figure 1, there is shown a skin patch 1, comprising a flexible, water-resistant material 2.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a skin patch 1, comprising a flexible, water-resistant material with an adhesive polymeric layer 3 and a pad comprising material 4 impregnated with a chemical or chemicals.

According to the present invention the patch is applied to the surface of the skin, preferably to an area of skin where it is unlikely to come away. The patch is then left on the skin for a suitable time and then removed. If irritation or redness is observed then the individual is advised not to use the contents of a kit containing the same chemical or chemicals on the hair. If there is no visible irritation then the user may proceed to dye or perm their hair.

Claims

CLAIM8:

1. A hair care kit comprising: (a) at least one sealed container containing one or more hair treatment chemicals; and (b) at least one skin patch containing the same chemicals as present in said container, said skin patch capable of releasing said chemicals when said skin patch is fixed to the skin of a user.

2. A kit according to claim 1, which contains a swab.

3. A kit according to claim 2, wherein said swab and skin patch are packaged together in a flexible sheet material and are separated from one another by a portion of the sheet material having perforations.

4. A kit according to any of claims 1 to 3, which contains at least one pair of gloves.

5. A kit according to any of claims 1 to 4, which contains at least one separate receptacle comprising the same hair treatment chemical or chemicals as present in the sealed container and in the skin patch.

6. A kit according to any preceding claim, wherein said patch comprises an upper surface and an undersurface, said upper surface comprising a thin, water-resistant, flexible, plastics material, and said undersurface comprising a thin, water-resistant, flexible, plastics material and an adhesive polymeric layer, said undersurface further comprising a contact pad with chemicals impregnated thereupon or therein, said undersurface to be in direct contact with a user's skin when said patch is in use.

7. A kit according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said chemicals are for dyeing hair.

8. A kit according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said chemicals are for introducing a permanent wave to the hair.

9. A method of determining skin sensitivity, which method comprises: (a) providing a kit according to any of claims 1 to 8; (b) applying said skin patch to the surface of a user's skin; (c) removing said skin patch from said skin after a suitable period; and (d) monitoring for signs of irritation on the surface of said skin where said patch was placed.