A BALD WORLD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 178, 23 April 1919, Page 7

A BALD WORLD

EUROPE LOSING ITS HAIR. "Europe is suffering from an epidemic of premature baldness." This starlling announcement was made by a well-known London hair specialist. He attributes it partly to war conditions end partly to a universal tendency due to Hie advanco of civilisation. "During tho past year, and especially since tin armistice," lie said, "I have been.surprised by the largo numbers of young men, even youths, who are completely losing their hair. Investigation shows this phenomenon to have at least throo causes: Worry resulting from the war; the effect on the system of rough army food; tho injury caused to (he hair roots and blood vessels of the bead,by tight-fitting army caps and heavy shell-helmets. . "Nor is this baldness confined to Britain; it is prevalent in most countries in Europe where war conditions have prevailed. It is affecting not only young .men-but women—although not to so great an extent. Since the war many cases have come to my notice of a tendency to baldness in quite young vumen who come fo me for help. 'Most of them are warworkers—a significant feature. The worry of munition work and the effect of heavier labour to which women are unaccustomed are' undoubtedly contributory causes. "But the primary cause lies in the advance of civilisation. Three hundred years ago baldness was almost unknown to men—certainly to young men. Even the profligate Stuarts kept their long tresses i'i a good age. Studying the hair of the different races of mankind to-day, one finds that there are. certain types—such as the Red Indian, the Hindu, the Gipsy —that seldom lose their liair, The reason for their immunity is <bvious; they have not the distractions of European'civilisation. If commerce, with oil the competition, travel, and hustle it entails, conlinues to advance so rapidly, it is within reason that in (wo or three centuries Europeans will hnve entirely discarded hair, that relic of the brute' stage, In place of it they will develop thicker scalps."