Abstract: The present invention is a hair clamp including an elongate, arcuate base having opposed ends and a pair of articulated arms for holding braided or otherwise gathered strands of hair. Each arm is pivotally attached to the base proximate to one of the opposed ends. The arms are independently rotatable between a hair-receiving, or open, position generally perpendicular to the base and a hair-holding, or closed, position generally parallel to the base. The hair clamp also includes biasing means for biasing the arms in the closed position, retaining means for retaining the arms in the open position and releasing means for releasing the arms to rotate under the influence of the biasing means from the open position to the closed position. The biasing means preferably is a torsion spring positioned between each of the arms and the base. The retaining means preferably includes a stop pin depending outwardly from each of the arms and a corresponding mechanical stop.