A popular method for the curling and setting of women's hair is to use plastic rollers wetted with heated curling solution. The rollers are placed in a vat containing a heated curling solution. One roller is then removed from the vat, applied to a group of hair strands and spun to form a curl. Each roller has a fuzzy external surface to which the hair strands will adhere. The process is repeated to produce the number of curls desired. After the applied hair solution has cooled and dried, it is possible to unwind the rollers. The unwound curls will spring back and the hair is "set" in a wavy pattern. There are, however, several difficulties encountered in this process. It is easy to scald the fingers when handling a roller which has been immersed in a hot solution. It is also uncomfortable to turn the roller because of its rough surface. A partial remedy which has been used in the past to alleviate these problems is to provide the rollers with smooth end bands or caps. These bands or caps permit easier turning during the coiling the uncoiling process but the problem of working with the hot liquid remains.
The present invention is essentially a flexible tongs which is inserted into the hollow interior of a roller and locks in place. This facilitates the lifting of the individual rollers from the heated vat, the application of each roller to a strand of hair, the coiling and subsequent uncoiling and the removal of the rollers.