Hair treatment apparatus and method

Apparatus for treating hair comprising:

• a handle;
• hair separation means including:
• generally elongate base means associated with said handle;
• and
• a plurality of parallel teeth attached to said base means and extending transversely therefrom, each said tooth having a free end;
• and
• drive means for oscillating said plurality of teeth at a frequency of at least about 4,750 cycles per minute and for limiting a stroke of said free end of each said tooth to a length of no greater than approximately 8 mm, and for bringing said plurality of teeth into repeated engagement with a group of hairs attached to skin, thereby easing passage of said hair separation means through the group of hairs at a level of discomfort tolerable to a user, said drive means comprising means for imparting to said hair separation means an oscillatory motion having a linear component transverse to said longitudinal axis of said base means and further having rotational component about said longitudinal axis of said base means.

A method of treating hair comprising the following steps:

• providing hair separation apparatus including a generally elongate base and a plurality of parallel teeth attached to the base and extending transversely therefrom, each tooth having a free end;
• oscillating the hair separation apparatus at a frequency of at least 4,750 cycles per minute and so as to provide a stroke of the free ends of the tooth of length no greater than approximately 8 mm;
• placing the hair separation apparatus in a group of hairs, each having a length in a given direction;
• and
• moving the hair separation apparatus through the hairs in a direction generally transverse to the length of the hair, thereby easing passage of the hair separation apparatus through the hairs without vibrational discomfort to a user.

A method of treating hair comprising the following steps:

• providing hair separation apparatus comprising a generally elongate base having a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of elongate teeth attached to the base and oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis;
• inparting to the hair separation apparatus an oscillatory motion having a linear component along the longitudinal axis and further having a rotational component about the longitudinal axis;
• placing the hair separation apparatus in a group of hairs, each having a length in a given direction;
• and
• moving the hair separation apparatus through the hairs in a direction generally transverse to the length of the hair, thereby easing passage of the hair separation apparatus therethrough.