Hair accessory and method of styling hair

Abstract

The presently disclosed technology teaches a hair accessory for receiving and restraining a bundle of hair, a method of making the hair accessory, and methods of styling hair and instructing others to style hair using the hair accessory. The hair accessory comprises a pair of opposing ductile metallic members. In one implementation, the ductile metallic members are generally rectangular and each has a pair of longitudinal ends. The ductile metallic members are covered by at least one backing member. The ductile metallic members are generally configured in an opposing relationship to each other with at least one closed end. The ductile metallic members may be separated from each other along a portion of their longitudinal lengths to define an opening for receiving a bundle of hair. The opposing ductile metallic members may also be closed about the bundle of hair to secure the hair accessory within a wearer's hair.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A hair accessory comprising:
 a pair of ductile metallic members, each having a major dimension face corresponding to a width of the ductile metallic member and a minor dimension face corresponding to a thickness of the ductile metallic member, the width of the major dimension face being greater than the thickness of the minor dimension face, the pair of ductile metallic members generally opposing each other along the major dimension faces and disposed within at least one backing member, wherein each of the ductile metallic members are fixedly attached within the at least one backing member along substantially the entire length of the ductile metallic member, each of the pair of ductile metallic members comprising a proximal longitudinal end and a distal longitudinal end, the pair of ductile metallic members generally disposed in an end-to-end configuration in which the proximal longitudinal ends of the pair of ductile metallic members are disposed adjacent each other and secured to each other via a rivet such that the major dimension faces of each ductile metallic member are aligned with each other at the proximal longitudinal ends, and distal longitudinal ends of each of the pair of ductile metallic members being free from each other, wherein distal longitudinal ends of the pair of ductile metallic members are configured to be separated from each other to define an opening between the pair of ductile metallic members for receiving a bundle of hair, wherein the alignment of the ductile metallic members at the proximal ends and fixation via the rivet reduces rotation of the pair of ductile metallic members with respect to each other and maintain the pair of ductile metallic members in alignment,   wherein the proximal and distal longitudinal ends of the pair of ductile metallic members are configured to be bent downward and together so that the proximal longitudinal ends overlap the distal longitudinal ends to form a generally round shape to secure the accessory in a wearer's hair and allow the hair to be fanned over the hair accessory between the pair of ductile metallic members to the unattached distal longitudinal ends to obscure the hair accessory.   
     
     
         2 . The hair accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of adjacent proximal longitudinal ends of the ductile metallic members are attached to each other using the at least one backing member. 
     
     
         3 . The hair accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the attached pair of adjacent proximal longitudinal ends are further secured to restrain the attached pair of adjacent longitudinal ends from rotating with respect to each other. 
     
     
         4 . The hair accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the backing member comprises a longitudinal flap. 
     
     
         5 . The hair accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the backing member is wrapped around the ductile metallic members. 
     
     
         6 . The hair accessory of  claim 1 , further comprising a means for connecting a pair of adjacent longitudinal ends of the ductile metallic members together. 
     
     
         7 . The hair accessory of  claim 1 , wherein each of the ductile metallic members comprise copper. 
     
     
         8 . The hair accessory of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the group comprising a tape, an adhesive and a second rivet secure the proximal longitudinal ends of the pair of ductile members to reduce rotation of the pair of ductile metallic members with respect to each other. 
     
     
         9 . The hair accessory of  claim 1  wherein the backing member comprises one or more of the group comprising: leather, imitation leather, suede, imitation suede, velvet, vinyl, cotton, polyester, rayon, silk, hemp, open cell neoprene, closed cell neoprene, polyethylene and polyurethane. 
     
     
         10 . A method of instructing a user to style hair comprising:
 providing instruction for creating a bundle of hair;   providing instruction for feeding the bundle of hair through an opening of a hair accessory defined by a pair of ductile metallic members generally opposing each other and disposed within at least one backing member, wherein each of the ductile metallic members are fixedly attached within the at least one backing member along substantially the entire length of the ductile metallic member, each of the pair of ductile metallic members comprising a proximal longitudinal end and a distal longitudinal end, the pair of ductile metallic members generally disposed in an end-to-end configuration in which the proximal longitudinal ends of the pair of ductile metallic members are disposed adjacent each other and attached to each other, and distal longitudinal ends of each of the pair of ductile metallic members being free from each other, wherein distal ends of the pair of ductile metallic members are configured to be separated from each other to define the opening between the pair of ductile metallic members for receiving the bundle of hair;   providing instruction for closing the bundle of hair within the hair accessory by moving the pair of ductile metallic members toward each other;   providing instruction for sliding the hair accessory downward along a length of the hair away from a wearer's head;   providing instruction for rolling the bundle of hair onto the hair accessory by rolling the hair accessory toward the wearer's head;   providing instruction for bending the proximal and distal longitudinal ends of the pair of ductile metallic members downward and together so that the proximal longitudinal ends overlap the distal longitudinal ends to form a generally round shape and secure the hair accessory in a wearer's hair; and   providing instruction for fanning the hair over the hair accessory between the pair of ductile metallic members to the unattached distal longitudinal ends to obscure the hair accessory within the hair.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: providing instruction for positioning the hair accessory along a length of the bundle of hair. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein positioning the hair accessory closer to a free end of the bundle of hair rather than a root of the bundle of hair before rolling it up to the head results in a classic donut hairstyle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein positioning the hair accessory closer to a root of the bundle of hair rather than a free end of the bundle of hair before rolling it up to the head results in a funky donut hairstyle. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: providing instruction for fanning the bundle of hair out across the opening of the hair accessory. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: providing instruction for closing the opening on the bundle of hair by moving the ductile metallic members toward each other. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the ends of the hair accessory are bent toward each other to form a generally circular shape. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the bundle of hair includes an upper portion of a wearer's hair. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the bundle of hair includes substantially all of a wearer's hair. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the hair accessory comprises at least one of the group comprising a tape, an adhesive and a second rivet secure the proximal longitudinal ends of the pair of ductile members to reduce rotation of the pair of ductile metallic members with respect to each other. 
     
     
         20 . A method of using a hair accessory comprising:
 creating a bundle of hair,   feeding the bundle of hair through an opening of the hair accessory defined by a pair of ductile metallic members generally opposing each other and disposed within at least one backing member, wherein each of the ductile metallic members are fixedly attached within the at least one backing member along substantially the entire length of the ductile metallic member, each of the pair of ductile metallic members comprising a proximal longitudinal end and a distal longitudinal end, the pair of ductile metallic members generally disposed in an end-to-end configuration in which the proximal longitudinal ends of the pair of ductile metallic members are disposed adjacent each other and attached to each other, and distal longitudinal ends of each of the pair of ductile metallic members being free from each other, wherein distal ends of the pair of ductile metallic members are configured to be separated from each other-to define the opening between the pair of ductile metallic members for receiving the bundle of hair;   closing the bundle of hair within the hair accessory by moving the pair of ductile metallic members toward each other;   sliding the hair accessory downward along a length of the hair away from a wearer's head;   rolling the bundle of hair onto the hair accessory by rolling the hair accessory toward the wearer's head;   bending the proximal and distal longitudinal ends of the pair of ductile metallic members downward and together so that the proximal longitudinal ends overlap the distal longitudinal ends to form a generally round shape and secure the hair accessory in a wearer's hair, and   fanning the hair over the hair accessory between the pair of ductile metallic members to the unattached distal longitudinal ends to obscure the hair accessory within the hair.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the hair accessory comprises at least one of the group comprising a tape, an adhesive and a second rivet secure the proximal longitudinal ends of the pair of ductile members to reduce rotation of the pair of ductile metallic members with respect to each other.