As used in the present specification and claims a positive pattern is defined as an area of exposed skin from which the hair is removed surrounded by remaining hair and a negative pattern is defined as an area of hair surrounded by exposed skin from which the hair has been removed.

BACKGROUND Particularly for women, the tendency to more revealing fashions in clothing and in personal appearance have led to a demand for the removal of unwanted body hair. More recently it has become fashionable among some women to remove a portion of pubic hair so as to express some individuality by shaping the remaining hair into a recognizable pattern. The pattern may be expressed. as a positive or negative ; that is as a portion of bare skin surrounded by remaining hair or as a residual portion of hair.

Among some men with close cropped hair it has also become a further means to expressing individuality by shaping a pattern on some portion of the scalp by removing

a portion of hair. Similarly, a shaped pattern may be desired in the hair of the chest.

In all these applications, the shaping of a well defined recognizable pattern by the application of waxes, razors, creams, sprays or other depilatory agents is awkward.

It is an object of the present invention to address or ame-iorate he above disadvantages or to offer a useful alternative.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Accordingly in one broad form of the invention there is provided a system for the removal of unwanted hair. by means of a template and a depilatory agent ; said system adapted to the provision of a pattern formed by said removal.

Preferably said template is adapted to provide said pattern in negative or positive form.

Preferably said unwanted hair includes that of the scalp.

Preferably said unwanted hair includes pubic hair.

Preferably said unwanted hair includes chest hair.

Preferably said template is in the form of flexible sheeting.

Preferably a cut-out portion in the middle of said flexible sheeting defines said pattern in positive form.

Preferably the shaped periphery of said flexible sheeting defines said pattern in negative form.

Preferably said depilatory agent is applied to hair exposed by said cut-out portion of said flexible sheeting.

Preferably said depilatory agent is applied to hair. exposed around said shaped periphery of said flexible sheeting.

Preferably said depilatory agent includes razors.

Preferably wherein said depilatory agent includes electric shavers.

Preferably said depilatory agent includes spray-on formulations.

Preferably said depilatory agent includes waxes.

Preferably said depilatory agent includes creams.

Preferably said depilatory agent includes mousse.

Preferably said depilatory agent includes gels.

Preferably said depilatory agent includes a chemical formulation adapted to form a coating on a surface of said flexible sheeting,

Preferably said template comprises flexible sheeting provided with a coating of said chemical formulation.

Preferably said coating substantially covers said flexible sheeting and extends to the edges of said cut-out portion defining said pattern.

Preferably said coating substantially covers said flexible sheeting and extends to said shaped periphery of said flexible sheeting defining said pattern.

Preferably said chemical formulation is applied to said flexible sheeting so as to define said pattern approximately in the middle of said flexible sheeting ; said pattern. being devoid of said chemical formulation.

Preferably said chemical formulation is applied to said flexible sheeting so as to define said pattern approximately in the middle of said flexible sheeting ; only said pattern being coated with said chemical formulation.

Preferably said template includes a layer of flexible absorbent material.

Preferably said flexible absorbent material includes woven cloth.

Preferably said flexible'absorbent material is impregnated with a depilatory agent.

Preferably said flexible absorbent material is provided on a first side with a laminated layer of impervious material.

Preferably said flexible absorbent material is provided with a peel-off layer of impervious material on a side opposite said first side.

Preferably said depilatory agent includes a colouring agent adapted to apply a colour to skin exposed by said depilatory agent.

In a further broad form of the invention there is a method for the provision of a pattern in an area of hair by removing a defined portion of said area of hair ; said pattern being defined by a boundary between removed hair and remaining hair ; said method including the steps of: (a) preparing a template defining said pattern, (b) application of said template to said area of hair, (c) application of a depilatory agent to portions of said area of hair as defined by said template.

Preferably said template comprises flexible sheeting provided with a central cut-out portion; said cut-out portion defining said pattern.

Preferably said depilatory agent is applied to hair exposed by said central cut-out portion.

Preferably said template comprises flexible sheeting provided with a shaped periphery to conform to said pattern.

Preferably said depilatory agent is applied to hair exposed around said shaped periphery.

Preferably said template comprises flexible sheeting provided. with a central cut-out portion, said cut-out portion defining said pattern ; said flexible sheeting provided with a coating of depilatory agent.

Preferably said template comprises flexible sheeting provided with a shaped periphery to conform to said pattern ; said flexible sheeting provided with a coating of depilatory agent.

Preferably said template comprises flexible sheeting; said flexible sheeting provided with a selectively applied coating of depilatory agent defining said pattern.

Preferably said coating is applied to said flexible sheeting so as to substantially cover the underside of said flexible sheeting but excluding a central portion defining said pattern.

Preferably said coating is applied to said flexible sheeting so as to cover a middle portion of the underside of said flexible sheeting ; said portion defining said pattern.

Preferably said depilatory agent includes a range of agents; said range including waxes, razors, creams, mousse, gels and spray formulations.

Preferably said flexible sheeting includes a range of sheeting material; said range including paper and plastic, Preferably said flexible sheeting includes absorbent material.

Preferably said absorbent material includes woven cloth.

Preferably said depilatory agent is impregnated in said absorbent material.

Preferably said absorbent material is provided on a first side with a laminated layer of impervious material.

Preferably said absorbent material is provided with a peel- off layer of impervious material on a side opposite said first side, Preferably said depilatory agent includes a colouring agent adapted to apply a colour to skin exposed by sad depilatory agent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a positive and negative example of a template according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the positive template of figure 1 applied to the hair of the head of a user.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a negative and positive template according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention- Figure 4 is a perspective view of a negative and positive template according to a third preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a template according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to figure 1, flexible sheet 10 of suitable material is prepared as a positive template 11 by the cutting out of a pattern 12 such as in this example, a representation of a dolphin. This process may automatically produce the accompanying negative template 13 of the dolphin, but clearly positive and negative templates of the same general shape but of different sizes may be made independently.

The material of sheet 10 may be paper or plastic for example and, in the case of positive templates, will be of a size sufficient to cover the surrounding hair during the cepilation procedure.

To produce a desired positive effect, for example in the formation of a pattern on the scalp, a positive template 20 of the desired shape is placed over the scalp in the desired position as shown in figure 2, and a suitable depilatory agent applied through the opening 21 of the template. Thus a portion of the skin of the scalp is exposed after the agent has take. n effect to display the desired pattern.

A similar process may be employed for the provision of a positive pattern in pubic hair. A positive template of the desired shape is placed over the pubic area and a suitable depilatory agent applied through the opening of the pattern so as to leave a portion of bare skin within the surrounding pubic hair.

A negative pattern may be applied to the pubic hair region by the application of a negative template. In this case the negative. template is placed over the desired area and the depilatory agent applied around it to isolate and define the pattern of hair. Any remaining areas of hair may then be removed by conventional means.

In a second preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to figure 3, templates are prepared in the manner described above but in this case the underside 30 of the sheet 31 is coated with a depilatory agent 32. For a negative pattern the agent is applied to sheet'31 surrounding the cut-out pattern 33, while for a positive

pattern the whole of the positive template 34 is coated.

Thus in this second preferred embodiment of the invention, the process of providing a positive or negative pattern in hair or of remaining hair is reversed to the process described above.

To provide an exposed pattern of scalp, a positive template is placed over the desired area and the depilatory agent allowed to take effect, thus leaving the desired exposed portion of scalp.

Similarly, to leave a bare portion of skin within the pubic hair, a positive template is applied. For a remaining pattern of hair, the positive template is applied.

In a third preferred embodiment of the invention, the templates may be prepared without any cutting out of the desired pattern. In this embodiment as shown in figure 4 a carrier sheet 40 is prepared with the depilatory agent 43 applied to the sheet to define the desired pattern either as a negative template 41 or a positive template 42. Thus a template for a negative hair pattern in this embodiment will have all the underside of the carrier sheet coated with the depilatory agent, leaving the desired pattern clear of agent in the middle of the sheet. Conversely, a template for a positive pattern of hair will leave the underside of the carrier sheet clear of agent, coating only the pattern in the middle of the sheet.

In a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in figure 5, a template 50 may consist of an absorbent material 51, such as woven cloth, impregnated with the depilatory agent. In at least one form of this embodiment as shown in figure 5, the template may be provided with a laminated impervious backing sheet 52 on a first side and a peel-off protective impervious sheet 53 on the opposite side. In this embodiment also the template may be provided in positive or negative form as described above; that is with a pattern cut out of the central portion of the absorbent material 51 to provide a negative image in the hair or with the absorbent material shaped to provide a positive image.

In yet a further embodiment of the present invention the. depilatory agent of any of the above described embodiments may include a colouring agent so as to add a colour to the area of skin exposed. by the depilatory agent.

The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.