There is a spring borken in the arm of my hair tongs. This has happened on several pairs of tongs and would be easy enough to replace if I knew where to purchase these springs The hair tongs are made by Wahl but it has also happened with the same spring in Boots own hair tongs.
try a hardware store. i work at one now, and trust me we get the most unusual requests from customers, so don't feel embarrassed. the best would be to bring in the spring as an example so that they know what you are talking about. Also, it gives a great visual reference as springs come in many, many sizes.