Patent ID: 7021317

Claim:
A hair clip assembly for use by a user having hands, and having a head having a scalp having a plurality of hairs, wherein each of the hairs has a root, a pretreated portion which has been treated by a treatment chemical on a prior occasion, and a new hair growth portion which has not been treated by the treatment chemical on the prior occasion, said hair clip assembly for protecting the pretreated portions of the plurality of hairs from the damaging effects of the treatment chemical applied to the new hair growth portions, comprising: a first jaw member, and a second jaw member substantially the same length as the first jaw member pivotally attached to the first jaw member by a hinge wherein the pivotal attachment permits the jaw members to assume open and closed positions in relation to each other by movement of both jaw members toward and away from each other, each jaw member having a first end, a second end, an internally oriented surface, an externally oriented surface, a lower surface, and an upper surface; a coiled spring in proximity to the adjacent first ends of the jaw members, wherein the coiled spring biases and moves both jaw members towards the closed position such that in the closed position all surfaces of the first jaw member are substantially adjacent and parallel to the corresponding surfaces of the second jaw member; and a first unitary hair shield secured to and extending perpendicularly from the upper surface of the first jaw member and a second separate unitary hair shield secured to and extending perpendicularly from the upper surface of the second jaw member, each hair shield having an internally oriented surface, wherein when the jaw members are biased in the closed position, the two shields are also biased closed such that their internally oriented surfaces are pressed substantially flush against each other and wherein while the hair clip assembly is being used to protect the pretreated portions of the hair during application of the treatment chemical to the new hair growth portions, the jaw members are in the closed position, the pretreated portions of the hair are sandwiched between the internally oriented surfaces of the two hair shields, and the hair shields cover and protect the pretreated portions of the hair from needless exposure to the treatment chemical.