“As seen on TV,” it’s the amazing Topsy Tail – an innovation in hairstyle design like no other. Forget mousse, sprays or gel – all you needed was this simple plastic contraption to create oodles of creative hairstyles with ease. In the 90s, this was a must-have accessory and the public reaction was astounding.

Created by Tomina Edmark in 1991, Topsy Tail was introduced to the public via a series of infomercials that showed how a simple ponytail could be transformed into the coolest of hairstyles. The secret – a simple plastic loop with a handle that, with the flip of the wrist, created a unique inverted ponytail with endless possibilities. For those that purchased the complete kit, it contained a Topsy Tail, Topsy Tail Jr., brush, mirror, elastic bands, a suction cup and detailed instructions on how to turn an ordinary ponytail into a styling masterpiece with little effort.

Topsy Tail was marketed by Accessory Brainstorms, a company devoted to selling novelty hair items. Along with this ingenious contraption, other memorable products included a magic styling wand called Hairdini and the Whirl-a-Bun – when you needed a Princess Leia hairdo pronto.

But out of all of these accessories, the Topsy Tail was the clear winner, selling well over 100 million units during its product lifetime. And while the original product is no longer available, rest assured that there are many imitators who still market their own version of this creative device.  It remains one of the best-selling hairstyling inventions to ever hit the market.