Vendor seeks to end that frizzy hair nightmare

By Drazen Jorgic

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - The perfect dress, killer heels and flawless makeup are all for naught if that new hairdo just goes all frizzy the moment you hit the dance floor.

Now two Scottish entrepreneurs have come to the rescue with an invention that battles the humidity to keep hair straight during a hot night out on the tiles.

The coin-activated "Straight Up" vending machine will provide 90 seconds of hair-straightening time for about the same price as the coat check in your favorite nightclub, according to the two male inventors.

"The girls that use hair-straighteners see it as a life-saver. It's become an integral part of the beauty process," Beautiful Vending company director and co-founder Neil Mackay told Reuters.

"You can always touch a lipstick up in a nightclub or on the go but you can't necessarily have a set of hair-straighteners."

Mackay and partner Richard Starrett launched their first machine in 2005 and now have over 800 units in British bars, clubs, gyms and offices.

They plan to take the profitable fight against frizzy hair to Australia, the United States, Canada, South Africa, the Netherlands and other countries across Europe.

Strong sales and several industry awards, including the 2007 International Vending product of the Year, have helped their business take off. But beauty, or at least good looking hair is in the eye of the beholder.

"I think it's a really good idea, especially when you come out from in the rain," said 24-year-old Jada Kaplin.

Her friend Lauren Waites inserts a coin and hurries to perfect her hair as the 90 seconds tick away. She looks in the mirror, checks from every angle, and smilingly nods in approval.

"The only thing that I might worry about is the cleanliness of it," she said.

($1=.4996 Pound)