Woman's World

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 262, 3 April 1914, Page 6

Woman's World

PRETTY HAIR, HOW TO OBTAIN" IT. Few women trout their hair in a proper manner. Uis washed too often or J too seldom, lirnshed madly for a few days, then left to fend for itself, with as little brushing as possible consistent with keeping it tidy. And so on, day after day, till the time arrives when the hair is so thin, faded and weak, that years of care have to he taken to bring it back into even decent growth. The health i., uaturally'the first thing to be considered when the -hair commences falling out. Loss of vitality and internal derangements, especially of the digestive organs, have in a greater or less degree the ell'eet of making the hair fall out, grow brittle and faded, while poverty of blood soon leads to grcyness. Those whose hair is inclined to turn grey Bhouhl try o course of iron. This has in many case been most effective in restoring the color to faded hair. Violent headaches or neuralgia will turn the hair white in quite a short time. The first care is to build up the general health as much as possible with sensible food, plenty of open air and ripe fruit. Scalp massage is one of the great secrets of keep 'the hair healthy. If the hair is healthy this need. not he done more frequently than once in four days, but if the hair is falling it should he done every nigltt for,fifteen minutes.

It I once asked an old working woman Who had lead ."hard life of work and priTation how she managed to have such a I beautiful head of hair.

"Just just lets it down of nights, and, whether I aw tired or not, I brushes it well: then if it - is' coming ; out. and it does in .spring. I dips my finger-tips in' paraffin, and I just rubs my Jiead till it hurts. Then I plaits my hair and tie

it up and go to bed. At other times I never*gn to lied with it up, as that strains the hair and pulls it out."

It was all very simple. -Xo one need use the crude paraffin, but a preparation can be bought at the chemist's, and this can be rubbed into the hair. But do not do it at night. Do. it in the morning, when there is plenty of light, as accidents 'happen very easily. Take a morning when quite a couple of hours can be. spared, during which time there need not be any necessity of going neap n lire. Dip the tips .of-the fingers into the paraffin, slip them into the hair, and press firmly on to the scalp. Push the ecalp backwards and forwards and around, still keeping the finger-tips firmly pressed on to the scalp. In fact, knead and rub the deep, muscles of the scalp until ; the whole is in a glow. Repeat the dipping of the finger-tips into the paraffin at intervals until the whole of the head has been treated with it. Now, without, brushing the hair, go and sit in a sunny window, read a book or sew. but let the hair have a good /sunning and ailing. In an hour's time brush the hair gently 'but thoroughly, with long, even strokes and a fairly firm brush. After three weeks of this treatment the scalp should show a fresh crop , of new hair, and the falling out should cease.

A good hair tonic could be used in-B-tcad of the paraffin, or a pomade. All have their' advantages. The pomade is naturally a good skin food for the hair. Many, however, object to it on account • of its being greasy. If the hair is carefully parted, and the dressing rubbed directly on the r-calp, the hair will not become greasy. The skin will absorb all the fat and leave the hair free. Care must be taken not to use more than the scalp can take up. The ordinary unscented lanoline is a good "hair food. Another good mixture is to take three ounces of white vaseline and half that quantity of crude castor oil. Mix these thoroughly -by stirring them in a jar. placed in a pan of boiling water. When perfectly blended add a dram and a quarI ter of gallic acid. Thirty drops of oil i. of lavender are stirred in after the mixture has commenced to cool. I'onr into a china jar with a cover, and use as required. "* " . Gently pulling the hair is said to have

a stimulating effect upon the scalp. To do this tlio hair is divided into strands and each strand is gently jerked until tho scalp is glowing. Our grandmothers acted on the same principle when they brushed the head till it felt tender before rubbing in any of those wonderful confections they used to promote hair growth. Washing the head should not he done more often than necessary. Oily hair needs a thorough shampooing every ten days or fortnight; while drier hair should not be washed oftener than once a month. If the atmosphere is dirty, as

His in many of our towns, the hair may be cleansed by the constant, washing of the brushes. It is wonderful how this plan succeeds and the amount of grime it removes. To wipe the hair with a noft, clean towel also takes off the dust. In motoring care sholud he taken to Veep the hair covered with a veil. When the scalp is scurfy the head should have sweet oil rubbed in until the whole is saturated. Tie up the head in a clean cotton cloth. A bathing cap is. however, much more comfortable, and one should always he kept for the purpose. If the hair is washed the next morning all the scurf will come off and the head and hair will be beautifully clean.

Do not got cheap shampoo powders. They only contain cheap and course ingredients that destroy the hair. A nice (home-made one is to take a quarter of a cake of unsconted soap of any good 1 make. Stand a basin in a pan of boiling ■water, pour into the basin a pint of boiling water. Shave the soap into this and beat with an egg-whisk until it is all dissolved, add a teaspoonful of v borax and stir thoroughly. Add another pint of boiling water and leave the mixture to cool. When cold enough wash the head in the lather. Rinse in fieveral cool waters until all the soap has been removed. The use of a bath spray helps a good deal, but failing this a large sponge does almost as well. Rub the hair sitting in a sunny window or out in the air. Use plenty of towels. The drying in the sun makes the hair very bright and Huffy. Drying in a dark room, or going to bed with it still damp and wrapped in a towel, makes it'dank and dull. After drying, eombing and brushing leave the haildown, running the fingers through it to loosen the strands, and sit in the sun for an, hour to sun it. This sunning ■lias a wonderful tonic effect. For this reason always try to wash the hair when time can be devoted to it. and be sure to select a sunny or dry day. As regards curling the hair, do not use hot curling irons. They not only make the hair harsh and coarse, but de- | M.roy thp color. One good plan is to

fold your hair in and out of wavers not too tightly, and hold the head over a Viasin of hot water until the hair i* damped with the steam. Then sit in the sun or in front of the fire until it is dry, and the hair will be beautifully waved. Of course the liair may be put

in wavers over-night, when it will be dry in the mornnig. Finally, at night never forget to give the hair a good brushing with a moderately firm brush, and then plait the hair loosely anil let it hang down. These are quite simple directions, quite within the reach of every woman. Only a little time and care, no great outlay • f money or time. Only fifteen minutes night and morning and two hours once t fortnight, or once a month, as the case might lie. Kven a busy woman might easily manage this small amount of time'. She can easily read or study while she is massaging or brushing her hair. She will find the time well spent.