Hair pin for use in connection with a hair styling tool

A hair pin for attachment to a hair binding element used to form a hair tail on a user's head, the hair pin comprising:

• a platform having an upper surface being slanted upwardly and backwardly such that said platform occupies a space generally above the hair binding element when the hair pin is attached to the hair binding element on the head;
• a right rear prong, a left rear prong, and a front prong, said rear prongs and said front prong extending downwardly from an underside of said platform, said rear prongs being disposed adjacent to the head of the user, said front prong being disposed outward from each rear prong and outward from the head of the user, said front prong and said rear prongs positioned to accommodate the hair binding element therebetween;
• said rear prongs being generally parallel and defining a plane, said front prong being disposed offset and generally parallel to said plane, said rear prongs being of generally equal length and said front prong being shorter than said rear prongs;
• and
• at least one of said right rear prong, said left rear prong, and said front prong including a stop for engaging the hair binding element, whereby a relative vertical position of the hair pin is maintained when the hair binding element is accommodated between said front prong and said rear prongs and is engaged by said stop.

A method of inverting a hair tail of a user's head and affixing a decorative hair pin thereto, the hair tail including a distal end, the hair tail being bound by a hair binding element disposed between the head of the user and the distal end of the hair tail, the method comprising the steps of:

• inserting a lower end of an elongated probe in the hair tail between the head and the hair binding element, the elongated probe including an upper end and a loop attached thereto,
• inserting the end of the hair tail through the loop,
• pulling the probe, the loop and the distal end of the hair tail through a portion of the hair tail between the head and the hair binding element to invert the hair tail to form an inverted hair tail,
• attaching the hair pin to a portion of the hair binding element between the inverted hair tail and the head of the user, the hair pin including at least one rear prong and at least one front prong, the front and rear prongs extending downwardly from an underside of a platform, the rear prong being disposed between the head and a portion of the hair binding element disposed between the inverted hair tail and the head, the front prong being disposed between the inverted hair tail and the head, at least one prong including a stop for engaging the hair element, whereby a relative vertical position of the hair pin is maintained when the hair binding element is accommodated between the front and rear prongs and the hair binding element is engaged by the stop.