WO2009109742A2

WO2009109742A2 - Hair highlights/balayage kit and method

Info

Publication number: WO2009109742A2
Application number: PCT/GB2009/000562
Authority: WO
Inventors: Margaret Waylen
Original assignee: Margaret Waylen
Priority date: 2008-03-06
Filing date: 2009-03-02
Publication date: 2009-09-11
Also published as: GB2447737A; GB2447737B; HK1123165A1; WO2009109742A9; WO2009109742A3; GB0804221D0

Abstract

A hairdressing kit (10) for hairdressing treatments such as colouring, high lighting or low lighting hair, consists of a bowl (12) for holding the treatment preparation, a whisk (14) for mixing the treatment preparation, a brush (16) for applying the treatment preparation and at least one support (18). The support (18) is formed of a sheet of flexible plastic material approximately 1mm thick. It is used to support sections of hair to facilitate application of the treatment preparation. The kit (10) preferably contains three supports of different sizes to suit short, medium and long hair. It may also include a comb (20) and hair clips (22, 24).

Description

HAIR HIGHLIGHTS/ BALAYAGE KIT AND METHOD

The present invention relates to a kit for use in hairdressing treatments such as colouring, high lighting or low lighting hair, and a method for using the kit.

Colouring, high lighting and low lighting are very popular techniques in hairdressing. The conventional method of applying a colour preparation is generally as follows . The colouring or high/low lighting treatment is prepared by combining various ingredients in a plastic bowl, typically by mixing with a tinting brush, i.e. the brush subsequently used to apply the colour preparation to the hair. A section of hair is separated out and held between the first and middle fingers of the hair stylist . A tail comb is woven through the section and lifted, thereby separating some strands of hair from the section. A sheet of aluminium foil is placed beneath the separated strands, supported by the stylist's hand or the head of the client being treated. The treatment preparation is applied to the separated strands with- a brush. The foil is folded to wrap it around the treated strands to enclose them while the stylist moves on to treat other sections of hair.

This method has a number of disadvantages. Thorough mixing of the colouring preparation is difficult to achieve with the tinting brush since the bristles are flexible, leading to uneven application and poor results. Supporting the foil and hair strands with the stylist's hand can cause the foil to ruffle or form into ridges which may cause uneven distribution of the treatment preparation on the hair, again giving poor results. The whole process is relatively slow and cumbersome and very much dependent upon the skill of the stylist.

Various approaches to improving this method have been devised. EP 0182599 describes a close fitting cap for covering the head, with a number of apertures through which portions of hair can be pulled and then treated. However, this type of cap can be uncomfortable for the wearer and may give unsatisfactory results because the hair may be damaged in the course of pulling it through the apertures. Also, the various portions of hair pulled through are allowed to lie in contact with one another and this creates excess heat and undesired chemical reactions in the treatment preparation, giving unsatisfactory results to the colouring treatment. It is also difficult to apply the treatment preparation very close to the roots of the hair.

GB 2238239A describes a hairdressing kit including a comb with specially shaped teeth, a former for cutting foil strips and tray for receiving a foil strip and supporting it and the hair strand while the treatment preparation is applied. The tray is formed with upstanding side walls, a curved edge for abutting the client ' s head and a handle protruding from the opposite edge. Thus, the form of the tray obstructs folding of the foil neatly around it.

Moreover, the protruding handle means that the tray is not held and supported beneath the hair being coloured and this may make it difficult to control and somewhat unwieldy.

US 4,880,019 describes a platform for supporting a portion of hair to be treated. The platform is a thick, rigid slab of plastic, with one edge bevelled to facilitate access and close proximity to the roots of the selected hair strands. However, the bevelled edge promotes the build up of treatment preparation at the roots, which may then seep to other areas of the hair. Furthermore, by folding foil over this bevelled edge, the resulting foil envelope tends to flare out at the end adjacent the hair roots. Use of hair bleach products produces a chemical reaction which causes the preparation to expand and the resulting shape of the foil envelope may encourage the product to seep out and effect other areas of the hair. The rigid slab is also heavy and uncomfortable for a stylist to use for extended periods of time .

US 5,349,970 describes a rigid planar member made of aluminium which can support a portion of hair being treated. This is intended to be used by bracing the rigid plate between the head of a client and the chest of the hair stylist. In this position the plate slopes upwards towards the stylist. Not only is this uncomfortable for the client, with the relatively sharp edge of the aluminium plate being pressed against their scalp, but the upward slope of the plate encourages the stylist to directly inhale the fumes from the treatment preparation, which may be harmful over an extended period.

The present invention provides a hairdressing kit comprising a bowl for holding a hair treatment preparation, a whisk for mixing the preparation, a brush for applying the preparation to hair and at least one support for supporting sections of hair in use to facilitate application of the treatment preparation wherein the or each support is formed from a sheet of flexible plasties material having a thickness of approximately 1 mm.

Advantageously, the kit may comprise three supports of differing sizes, for use with hair of different lengths.

In the case, typically, the smallest support measures approximately 10 cm by 13 cm, the medium support measures approximately 10 cm by 18 cm and the largest support measures approximately 10 cm by 22 cm.

Preferably the hairdressing kit further comprises a tail comb and a plurality of hair clips.

The whisk preferably comprises a stainless steel balloon whisk, typically having a maximum balloon diameter of approximately 3cm, a balloon length of approximately 6.5cm and a handle length of approximately 9cm.

The present invention also provides a method of applying a treatment preparation to hair using a hairdressing kit as described above, comprising the steps of: separating a portion of hair to be treated, , positioning the support beneath the hair to be treated, holding the support and hair to be treated between the user's fingers and thumb, applying a treatment preparation to the hair overlying the support, and removing the support.

Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of, before positioning the support beneath the hair to be treated, placing a sheet of foil on the support and folding a portion of the foil over one edge of the support, subsequently positioning the foil-covered support beneath the hair to be treated, removing the support after applying the treatment preparation while leaving the foil in place, and folding the foil to create an envelope retaining the treated hair.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a hairdressing kit in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows the selection of strands of hair to be treated;

Figure 3 shows the positioning of a foil covered support plate;

Figure 4 shows a treatment preparation being applied to the hair; and

Figure 5 shows folding of the foil after removal of the plate to contain the treated hair.

Figure 1 shows the typical components of a kit 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

The essential elements of the kit 10 are a mixing bowl 12, whisk 14, applicator brush 16 and at least one support 18.

The mixing bowl 12 is typically a tapered plastic bowl with a maximum diameter of approximately 11cm, narrowing to a base diameter of approximately 9cm, and depth of approximately 9cm. The whisk 14 is a preferably stainless steel balloon whisk, typically having a maximum balloon diameter of approximately 3cm, a balloon length of approximately 6.5cm and a handle length of approximately 9cm.

Use of the whisk 14 ensures the constituents of the treatment preparation are thoroughly mixed with ease, to form a smooth, emulsified preparation of optimum consistency. The preparation should not be too thick or else it cannot be applied evenly. Conversely, it must not be too liquid or it will run off the hair and drip on to other areas . Use of the whisk ensures the constituents are combined easily and in to a suitable consistency for application, much more efficiently than using a conventional brush .

The support 18 comprises a thin planar member of plastics material, generally rectangular in shape, but with rounded corners to avoid sharp corners which might injure a user. The plate 18 is sufficiently rigid to retain its shape and be self-supporting, for example if held from one corner, but it also has some degree of flexibility, for example so that it can be flexed into an arcuate shape if opposing edges are pressed together. Typically, the plate 18 will be formed from polypropylene to provide the necessary rigidity with flexibility. This will also ensure the plate is impervious to the chemicals used in the treatment preparations and can be easily cleaned. The plate 18 may be transparent or semi-transparent and may be coloured. Preferably, the kit 10 contains three supports 18 of different sizes to suit short, medium and long hair. The small size of support 18 is preferably approximately 10 cm by 13 cm. The medium size is preferably approximately 10 cm by 18 cm and the large plate is preferably 10 cm by 22 cm. In all cases, the support 18 is approximately 1 mm thick. This ensures the support 18 is flexible whilst also being extremely lightweight. It is therefore easy to handle and does not unduly strain the hands and wrists of the stylist who is using it repeatedly.

The kit 10 may also consist of a conventional tail comb 20, which is a comb having a long tapering handle or tail extending from one end, and a variety of conventional hair clips. For example, plastic hair sectioning clips 22 for clipping sections of the client's hair out of the way while other portions are worked on and metal clips 24 for clipping a foil envelope to a section of hair once it has been treated

In use, a portion of hair 26 to be treated is separated out using the tail comb 20 while other portions may be clipped out of the way with plastic clips 22, in a conventional manner as seen in Figure 2. A sheet of foil 28, such as aluminium foil, is placed over the selected size of support 18, with approximately 1 cm of foil protruding over a forward edge of the support 18 and folded over. The support 18 and foil 28 are positioned beneath the selected strands of hair 26 with the forward edge of the support 18 pushed up against the client's head as seen in Figure 3.

The support 18 is itself supported by the stylist's fingers and the hair strands held against the foil 28 by the stylist's thumb. The treatment preparation 30 is applied to the hair strands with the brush 16, working from the roots down towards the tips of the hair, as seen in Figure 4. The support 18 provides a stable base for this operation, ensuring the foil 28 is kept flat and smooth and allowing the hair strands 26 to be evenly coated with the treatment preparation.

When a suitable amount of the treatment preparation has been applied, the support 18 is slid out from the foil 28, while the foil 28 and treated hair strands 26 are still supported by the stylist's hand. The foil 28 is clipped to the hair close to the roots using a metal clip 24. The free end 32 of the foil 28 is folded upwards as shown in Figure 5, using the tail comb 20 to keep the treated hair strands within the foil 28. The foil 28 may be folded over once again and the side edges folded inwards to create a foil envelope retaining the treated hair 26 within it, in a conventional manner. This process can be repeated as desired on other areas of hair around the client's head.

In this way, the process of treating hair with various colouring preparations is greatly facilitated. The support 18 is lightweight, slightly flexible and easy to handle and provides a firm support for the hair whilst the treatment preparation is being applied, so that it can be applied uniformly for best results. The support 18 can also be used without the foil for carrying out Balayage techniques (known techniques for applying colour without using foil.) The support 18 can also be used as a shield, for example to protect the client's eyes whilst applying hairspray. The kit may include instructions for use, on paper and/or by means of a playable medium such as a DVD. Using the method described, each section of hair to be treated can be dealt with in 30-60 seconds, depending on the length and thickness of the hair, speeding up the process of treating a whole head of hair. The thin flexible support 18 also allows the treatment preparation to be applied as closely as possible to the hair roots and scalp, which leads to an additional 2 or 3 weeks of hair growth being possible before the natural colour shows significantly at the roots and becomes unsightly.

Thus, the present invention provides and improved hairdressing kit and method of use which lead to better results when treating hair with colouring, high lighting or low lighting preparations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications or variations to the specific details mentioned above may be made with out departing from the scope of the invention as set out in the claims.

Claims

1. A hairdressing kit comprising a bowl for holding a hair treatment preparation, a whisk for mixing the preparation, a brush for applying the preparation to hair and at least one support for supporting sections of hair in use to facilitate application of the treatment preparation wherein the or each support is formed from a sheet of flexible plastics material having a thickness of approximately 1 mm.

2. A hairdressing kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the kit comprises three supports of differing sizes, for use with hair of different lengths.

3. A hairdressing kit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the smallest support measures approximately 10 cm by 13 cm.

4. A hairdressing kit as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the medium support measures approximately 10 cm by 18 cm.

5. A hairdressing kit as claimed in any of claims 2 , 3 or 4, wherein the largest support measures approximately 10 cm by 22 cm.

6. A hairdressing kit as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a tail comb and a plurality of hair clips .

7. A hairdressing kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the whisk comprises a stainless steel balloon whisk having a maximum balloon diameter of approximately 3cm and a balloon length of approximately 6.5cm

8. A method of applying a treatment preparation to hair using a hairdressing kit as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising the steps of: separating a portion of hair to be treated, positioning the support beneath the hair to be treated, holding the support and hair to be treated between the user's fingers and thumb, applying a treatment preparation to the hair overlying the support, and removing the support .

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the steps of: before positioning the support beneath the hair to be treated, placing a sheet of foil on the support and folding a portion of the foil over one edge of the support, subsequently positioning the foil-covered support beneath the hair to be treated, removing the support after applying the treatment preparation while leaving the foil in place, and folding the foil to create an envelope retaining the treated hair.

10. A hairdressing kit substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of applying a treatment preparation to hair substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings .