Red Light Emitting Device For Use With Hair Product And Blow Dryer

Abstract

A red light emitting device for use with a hair product and a blow dryer. The device with composition is suitable for permanently reshaping human hair by non-chemical means.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A device that creates a columnar air flow and a concentrated light spot within the air flow, at a location where the air and light impinge a hair surface. 
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the air flow has a maximum temperature of 60° C. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the air flow has a maximum temperature of 50° C. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the air flow has a maximum temperature of 45° C. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the light includes visible red light. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the light has a peak wavelength in the range 600 nm to 1,400 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the light has a peak wavelength in the range 600 nm to 750 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The use of a device according to  claim 1  with a topical hair-reshaping composition that emits or is induced to emit photons at an intensity and range of wavelengths that are effective to alter tertiary and or secondary protein structures in the hair. 
     
     
         9 . The use of  claim 8  wherein the energy of the photons is less than the dissociation energy of a ground state disulfide bond. 
     
     
         10 . The use of  claim 9  wherein the range of wavelengths is between 0.15 and 30 μm. 
     
     
         11 . The use of  claim 8  wherein the hair-reshaping composition comprises a material that has an emissivity of at least 0.80, in the 0.15 and 30 μm wavelength range, when the material is heated to 40° C. to 60° C. 
     
     
         12 . The use of  claim 11 , wherein the material is a tourmaline. 
     
     
         13 . The use of  claim 12  wherein the composition comprises 1% to 10% tourmaline. 
     
     
         14 . A device according to  claim 1  comprising a nozzle having a central axis, an exit orifice that emits the columnar air flow along the central axis, one or more sources of light that are outside of the columnar air flow and that create the concentrated light spot, and means for connecting to one or more power supplies. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14  wherein the sources of light that are outside of the columnar air flow are directed to a location on the central axis of the nozzle that is a distance L from the exit orifice of the nozzle. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the distance L is 2.0 cm to 20.0 cm. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15  wherein multiple light sources are arrayed around the nozzle, near the end of the nozzle. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17  wherein the light sources are set inside a collar, characterized by an inner diameter and an outer diameter, such that the inner diameter is sufficiently large to allow a portion of the nozzle to pass into the collar. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 14  wherein the nozzle is part of a handheld blow dryer. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 14  wherein the light sources are directional LEDs. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 20  wherein at least 25% of each light source's power output is directed toward the concentrated spot, within the columnar air flow. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 20  wherein each light source emits energy in a cone shape, the apex of the cone having an angle of 15° to 90°.