Method of providing transitional hair salon services

Abstract

A method of alternatively servicing patrons of hair salons during transitional periods of embarrassment and stress resulting from ongoing medical conditions affecting one's hair appearance includes the steps of offering consultations, purchases of whole wig, demi-piece and hair fall adaptations for purchase, and maintenance of the hair adaptations purchased during such transitional period until the medical condition resolves itself or until the patron feels sufficiently unembarrassed and unstressed to return to the hair salon for further treatments, all on a one-on-one basis in the privacy of an area accessible both visibly and audibly only to the patron and to the hair technician, and at a single one-time fee covering all providing services until the patron returns to the hair salon for further hair treatments.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to providing hair salon services to men, women and children, in general, and to the providing of these services during periods of embarrassment and stress that result from ongoing medical conditions which affect the appearance of such patrons' hair.

2. Description of the Related Art

Men, women and children typically go to barbershops and salons to have their hair cut and styled. As they get older, and their hair thins, they may also patronize these establishments to have whole wigs, demi-pieces and falls styled as well to blend in with their natural hair to maintain a pleasing appearance. As will be understood, this becomes a somewhat embarrassing situation as it generally communicates to all those in the establishment that one's hair is being lost and some type of supplementation is required to keep up the look of one's youthfulness. As will also be appreciated, this degree of embarrassment becomes multiplied many times when the hair loss is as a result of an ongoing medical condition—such as results from chemo and radiation therapy, and from Alopecia Areata. The alternative taking to wearing of caps or hats in such circumstances automatically conveys the fact of the wearer's condition. Having the situation managed in a barbershop or in a typical hair salon is minimally satisfactory, if at all, as the condition essentially becomes publicly broadcast amongst all its patrons and hair technicians.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved method of servicing men, women and children patrons of hair salons during these periods of embarrassment and stress resulting from ongoing medical conditions which affect the appearance of the patrons' hair.

It is an object of the invention, also, to provide such services in a private environment to which only the patron and the hair technician are privy to the services being provided.

It is another object of the invention to provide these services in a transitional manner, until such time as the medical condition improves, or otherwise stabilizes itself to the point at which the patron feels comfortable in returning to the barbershop or salon to resume the services provided there in a more public environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As will be clear from the following description, the method of the invention for servicing these men, women and children during such periods of embarrassment and stress resulting from ongoing medical conditions is provided only during this transitional phase, and until the medical condition resolves itself or until the patron feels sufficiently comfortable to return to the salon for further hair treatments. As will also become clear, the services offered includes consultation concerning the medical condition and the services that can be provided to improve the patrons overall hair appearances, consultations as to whole wig, demi-piece and hair fall adaptations that can be purchased to improve the hair appearance and the blending therewith where beneficial, and the cutting, styling and maintaining of the hair adaptations purchased during the transitional period when this alternative servicing of the patrons is provided.

In accordance with the method of the invention, all these services are provided in a private, comfortable environment accessible both visibly and audibly substantially only to the patron and to hair technician offering the service. In accordance with a preferred method, the services of consultation, purchase and maintenance are offered at a single one-time fee covering all the provided services until the patron returns to the hair salon—although in an alternative method of improving the patron's overall appearance, the additional service of providing permanent cosmetics dealing with eyebrows, eyelashes, permanent lipstick and permanent eyeliner applications may be offered, to be chargeable on a per-service basis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As will be readily understood, the method of the invention is to offer a person, no matter their age, a private environment to be relaxed and sufficiently comfortable to allow a technician to work with him/her in enhancing the appearance of the hair during the transitional period of hair loss or thinning resulting from medical conditions until such time as the person feels sufficiently unembarrassed and unstressed to return to the typical salon for further hair treatments. Such servicings—substantially only by way of referrals from doctors and nurse practitioners rather than by way of general newspaper and magazine advertising—would be in a safe, private atmosphere, on a one-on-one basis with the hair technicians, and as a complete package, one fee until the hair comes back in and the transition period ends, or until the patron feels comfortable enough to go back to the salon. Understanding that the “choice” as to when to return to the salon is up to the patron as a client, the individual attention provided is in the nature of a feeling of comfort and confidence that is given to the client, which the client cannot get in the atmosphere of a salon, especially where the client does not want anyone to know about the condition and does not want anyone to know that some type of hair piece is being worn.

In accordance with the method of the invention, the hair technician first offers a consultation with the patron as a client concerning the medical condition and the services that can be provided to improve the patrons' overall hair appearance. A plurality of services are then offered according to the invention, including the provision of making available whole wig, demi-piece and hair fall adaptations for purchase. Those hair adaptations purchased are then cut, styled and maintained by the hair technician during such transitional time and until the medical condition resolves itself and the hair comes back in, or until the patron feels sufficiently comfortable to return to the hair salon for further hair treatments. In accordance with the invention, the consultation, the purchase and the maintenance are provided on a one-on-one basis in the privacy of an area accessible both visibly and audibly only to the patron and to the hair technician offering the service. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the method provides the consultation, the purchase and the maintenance at a single one-time fee covering all the provided services for improving the patron's hair appearance until such time as the patron returns to the hair salon for further treatments or dies. Such treatments will be understood, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, to be provided in a private, comfortable environment.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the method also offers the additional services of providing permanent cosmetics to the patron in this private, comfortable environment. Such permanent cosmetics may include services to the eyebrows and eyelashes of the patron, and may also extend to the application of permanent lipsticks and permanent eyeliners which typically are not usually permitted to be done by law in a general hair salon. Such additional services could, according to the invention, be provided where the technician is so licensed, on a per-service fee, as compared to the one-time fee applicable to all the provided hair treatment services offered according to the invention.

As will be appreciated, to provide such services, all that really is needed is just to have a one-patient room, large enough to comfortably discuss and deal with such matters with the patient, rather than in the much larger confines of a hair salon. Through notification of the availability of such services to hospitals, oncologists, and nurse practitioners, men, women and children in need of, and desiring such services in a private, comfortable atmosphere can be had. In this manner, people—whether present in the confines of the hair salon where its own services are being provided, or those just in the general public—would not learn of or appreciate just what tension and stress those in need of these services are going through.

While there have been described what are considered to be preferred methods of practicing the present invention, it will be appreciated that modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. For at least such reason, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of alternatively servicing men, women and children patrons of hair salons during transitional periods of embarrassment and stress resulting from ongoing medical conditions affecting the appearance of such patron's hair comprising the steps of:

offering a consultation with the patron as a client concerning the medical condition and the services that can be provided to improve the patron's overall hair appearance;

offering a plurality of services including the provision of whole wig, demi-piece, and hair fall adaptations for purchase;

cutting, styling and maintaining the hair adaptations purchased during such transitional period until the medical condition resolves itself or until the patron feels sufficiently unembarrassed and unstressed to return to the hair salon for further hair treatments; and

offering the consultation, the purchase and the maintenance on a one-on-one basis in the privacy of an area accessible both visibly and audibly only to the patron and to the hair technician offering such services.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the consultation, the purchase and the maintenance are offered at a single one-time fee covering all provided services until the patron returns to the hair salon for further hair treatments.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the consultation, the purchase and the maintenance are provided in a private, comfortable environment.

4. The method of claim 1, also offering the additional services of providing permanent cosmetics to the patron in a private, comfortable environment.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the consultation, the purchase and the maintenance are offered at a single, one-time fee covering all provided hair services until the patron returns to the hair salon for further treatments, and wherein the permanent cosmetics services provided are offered on a per-service fee basis.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the permanent cosmetics services include services to eyebrows and eyelashes, and to permanent lipsticks and eyeliners.