HYGIENE OF THE HAIR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2326, 8 September 1921, Page 4

HYGIENE OF THE HAIR.

'The hair is a living .structure which has its roots deep down in Ihe skin. The actual structure of the root, or hair sac, as it is called, is rather like a bulb, and is composed of a kind of envelope out of which the hair itself grows. This is composed of long, horny cells, in which is to be found the pigment which gives the hair its colour. A natural lubricant is provided by the sebaceous glands which open into each hair sac. The average rate of growth of the hair is from live to seven inches a year. We are apt to regard it purely decoratively, forgetting (he various practical purposes it serves. It protects the head from extremes of heat and cold, and assists in preserving the temperature of the body. The eyelashes act as a kind of screen to the eyes, preventing dust from entering them, and the hair in the ears, if put to the test, would effectively prevent the entrv of insects.

RULER FOR PRESERVATION.

There is much diversity of opinion as to the frequency with which the hair should be washed, and in arriving at a decision local conditions must be taken into account. It should lie remembered that cleanliness is one of the chief considerations. For men, a shampoo once a week is as a rule sufficient, and for women once a fortnight. Unless the hair is exceptionally greasy, or the particular conditions of life demand more frequent cleansing, it is advisable to wash the hair more often than this. Good soap and hot water should be used, and the hair should be thoroughly rinsed with clean water. It is better thoroughly to dry the hair by friction with a towel than to expose it to the heat of a fire, as so many women do. Grease, if employed at all, should be sparingly used. The quality of the brush and comb used needs consideration. The brush should be soft but springy, and the comb large toothed, each tooth having a blunt point well sep-

arated from the others. Nothing is more injurious than the use of the small-toothed comb, which scratches the scalp and drags at the hair. While a certain amountof brushing is undoubtedly good, it is a practice that can easily be overdone.

BALDNESS,

Baldness is more common to men than women, and, apart from that due to old age, may be due to a variety of causes, such as hereditary disposition, to certain fevers, general ill-health, and so on. The wearing of hats is undoubtedly a contributing cause. Anything which interferes with the free circulation of the blood through the scalp, such as the hard band of a hat, or the continued covering of the head and consequent exclusion of air, is undoubtedly conducive to baldness. The practice of massaging the scalp with the tips of the fingers is undoubtedly good in many cases. This should be done gently, with the tips of the fingers pressed sufficiently to move the scalp over tfie bones. The movement is that of squeezing rather than rubbing. Exposure to the air is of the utmost, value, and where the wearing of a lmt is inevitable (his should be light and porous in substance, and should never constrict or press firmly at any point. The practice of daily wetting the hair is an injurious one. A diversity of opinion exists as to the value of hair tonics and stimulants. Far more reasonable is the adoption of hygienic habits beginning with cleanliness and excluding all the causes which debilitate the hair. Greyness of the hair when it occurs in the young does occasionally disappear, but as a rule it is a condition for which little can be done. Cutting once a fortnight will do much to prevent the hair splitting at the ends. This applies to long as well as short hair.