HAIRDRESSING BOTH FOR MEN AND WOMEN Hairdressing. — The subject of hairdressing, while of interest to both sexes, is especially important to women, both because the mass and length of their hair render it difficult to handle and keep clean, and also because any peculiarities it may have are very conspicuous. This subject is not only of interest to every wom an for herself, but it may also be mentioned among the many methods of earning pin money in small com munities. In neighborhoods where there is no professional hairdresser any woman with natural deftness and taste can earn a good many dollars by caring for ladies' and children's hair, doing up ladies' hair in proper style for parties, and also by teach ing inexperienced persons, for a small fee, how to do up their own hair in the latest style of coiffure. The in formation contained in the following paragraphs can thus be put to prac tical use and turned into dollars and cents. The attention of neighbors can be called to a woman's willingness to serve them in this manner by having a few business cards printed and giv ing them to one's friends to distrib ute among their acquaintances, or by means of a reading notice or business card in a local paper, which may be paid for by services to the wife or family of the editor.
Nature of the Hair.—The hair, like the nails, is formed of the same horny substance as that which ap pears on the outer surface of the skin when it becomes callous. Each hair, on the other hand, has a well developed root which runs deep into the skin. The pigments which give the hair its color are present in light hair as well as dark, except that gray hairs may not contain them. Some times gray hairs are produced by the splitting of the hair in such a way as to admit the ' air. The daily growth of the hair is about one twen tieth of an inch. It normally con tinues to grow for several years, and reaches from 18 inches to 1 yard in length. The hair is subject to va rious diseases, and may be affected by the constitutional results of wast ing and infectious ailments, such as typhoid fever, and also by severe emotions, such as fright, grief, and the like. Many preparations are ad
vertised which claim that they will infallibly promote the growth of the hair. It cannot be too strongly em phasized that all such claims are humbugs.
Care of the Hair. — The proper care of the hair under normal con ditions is very simple. The objects to be kept in mind are to preserve its natural luster and texture by means of absolute cleanliness, and to mas sage the scalp sufficiently to remove any scurf or dandruff that may ad here to it, and thereby promote the active circulation of the blood. All this must be done without injury to the scalp or the hair by pulling, scratching, or tearing. Cutting the hair frequently has a tendency, es pecially in youth, to thicken the indi vidual hairs and promote their growth. Neither this nor any other known process, however, tends to in crease the actual number of hairs. All claims to the contrary are the pretensions of charlatans.
Professional hairdressers do not advocate shampooing the hair oftener than once a month. A thorough brushing once or twice a week is re garded by them as sufficient for cleanliness and as much more bene ficial to the hair and scalp.
Much contradictory advice has been given on the subject of brush ing the hair, some persons saying that stiff brushes should be used and the scalp and hair brushed by means of them with a good deal of vigor; others recommending soft brushes and a very moderate amount of fric tion. These differences are probably due to different views of the objects to be obtained by brushing. One ob ject is to promote the health of the scalp and hence to give strength and vigor to the hair. For this purpose brushes with bard, stiff bristles may be used with considerable vigor, pro vided the skin is not injured. The other object is to smooth the hair and free it from dust. For this pur pose brushes may be soft and used with a very moderate pressure.